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The story of a boy growing up in northwestern Iceland where the frigid arctic meets Iceland´s rugged mountains and fjords.
The story of a boy named Mundi (Gudmundur) who grew up in Iceland's wild northwestern region during the 1930s and 1940s. His family's farm lies where the frigid Arctic meets Iceland's rugged mountains and fjords.
Bryndís Viglundsdóttir retells Mundi´s tales and exploits. Gay Strandemo brings Mundi's adventures to life.
Follow Guðríður as she sails from Iceland on a Viking ship to Greenland, starts a family in the place called Vinland (Canada), and returns to Iceland, over one thousand years ago. Her story appears in the Saga of Erik the Red and the Vinland Sagas.
Every year at Yuletide, the Jólasveinarnir, thirteen sons of two mountain trolls, leave their home in the Dimmuborgir lava floes to make mischief in every home in Iceland. Children place a sock or shoe hoping they leave a treat, but they may get a spud instead. On Christmas night beware the Christmas Cat
Mundi: Boy of Iceland's West Fjords is the story of a boy, Mundi (Gudmundur) who grows up in Iceland's wild northwest in the 1930s and 1940s. His family farm lies where the frigid Arctic meets Iceland's rugged mountains and fjords. Follow Mundi as nature's forces challenge a boy growing up on a farm in Injaldssandur.
Since the 14th century, every Yule season is highlighted with a visit from the Jolasveinarnir. These Yule Boys, the thirteen sons of their Grýla, a giant ogress, and Leppalúði their troll father, emerge from a cave in their volcanic home. Each day of the Yule, one by one, they visit all the homes in Iceland, spreading mischief while gathering their parents' favorite foods. Their black Christmas cat makes its prowl Christmas night, then after the Yule, they vanish.
Guðríður Thornbjornsdóttir was a woman that lived in the Snaellfellsness peninsula in the tenth century. Her father was a trader that left Norway and settled in Iceland. When he saw opportunity in Greenland, he joined Erik the Red on his plan to colonize Greenland. When Guðríður married Erik´s nephew, Karlsefni, they sailed to Vinland, in Newfoundland, Canada, and raised a family. When the colony disbanded after a few years they returned to Iceland with their two sons and settled in Glaumbaer in Northern Iceland. Her story is told in the Saga of Erik the Red and the Vinland Saga.
In the 1930s, a family in the wild Ingjaldssandur peninsula of Iceland's northwestern fjords had a son they named Gudmundur. His brothers called him Mundi. As he grew, Mundi helped with the farm chores and he spent his days as boys can, in a place where the simplest chores may take an unpredictable turn. This story tells Mundi´s tales of life
in a beautifully remote part of Iceland´s West Fjords, above the Arctic Circle.
Author and illustrator Gay Strandemo invokes a new, lively spirit of these ancient Yuletide merrymakers. Each day of the Yule season, one by one, a different Yule Boy makes his rounds, getting into mischief. Icelandic children hang a stocking or put out a shoe in hopes the Yule Boy will leave a treat. Occasionally they think it funny to leave a spud instead! Then on Christmas night comes the big surprise!
You can get your own copies of Mundi: Boy of Iceland's West Fjords, Guðríður´s Saga, its companion coloring book ,or The Yule Boys from Will Publishing, a small press dedicated to share these Icelandic stories for your delight!
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November 29, 2018
The following is a guest post by author, Gay Strandemo.
This is an article describing my adventure with the Yule Boys.
Growing up in a Nordic-American family in northern Minnesota gave me a love of the Yule season, which was celebrated with gusto. Both of my parents worked, so daycare consisted of my grandparents, who lived in an apartment above their business -- a men's clothing store. My grandfather was artistic and drew beautifully, and encouraged me to draw, so from a young age I did.
I work as a librarian, but I've always had an art project going as well. For a time I acted at a local experimental theater in Madison, Wis., and for a while I had a band that performed music I wrote and sang. While working at the public library, I also wrote and directed a series of plays for children each summer for the local school system and later at my public library every year for over a decade. These plays were usually based on international folktales -- always an interest of mine. It was when I was writing a play based on Scandinavian folktales that I came upon the story of the Yule boys and was captivated enough by the notion of these mischievous Jolasveinarnir to start the tradition of the Boys' visit to my own young children. Later, we began having holiday parties for friends and family to celebrate the Yule Boys' return every season. We've done this for many years -- it's always a great time!
While visiting the American-Scandinavian Foundation's building in New York City during December 2017, I overheard a gift shop worker respond to a phone inquiry by saying, "Thirteen what? No, no, we haven't any such thing like that here." That was when I figured that the story of the Yule Boys must be told, so that everyone can have fun celebrating them.
I hadn't drawn anything in ages, so, feeling trepidation, I first asked my husband and artist sister if they were interested in illustrating my written story. They were helpful, but ultimately, I realized that I had the strongest inspiration and motivation to tell this particular story. I set out for the fantastic art store, Artist & Craftsman Supply in Madison, Wisconsin, where I loaded up on every supply imaginable for bringing my vision to paper.
Once I began drawing -- I loved the task as I had as a child-- it felt as though the Yule Boys themselves were directing my choices for each of their profiles!
I've never been to Iceland, so I had to later amend a few details of my final drawings -- for instance, laying more snow, and darkening the skies to consider the time of year. One thing I did on purpose was creating the look of the Yule Boys to resemble teenage boys rather than old men -- it was just how I had always pictured them, so I went with that image.
I connected with Sunna Furstenau of the Icelandic Roots organization. She and Icelandic Roots Library intern Þordís Edda Guðjónsdóttir went over my text and corrected a few Icelandic spelling and grammar errors to make the text accurate and authentic. I was so grateful for their help. Sunna also was kind enough to show me how we were related through several Icelandic family connections that I did not know.
It has been a fun learning experience for my husband, the self-publisher of "The Yule Boys," and myself. We decided to go that route in order to really own the interpretation ourselves, and it has been a rewarding decision.
Gay is IR #I204687. If you are a supporting member of Icelandic Roots, you can find your relationships to Gay in the IR Database. Let her know if you are a close cousin!
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