Iceland

The Supernatural in the European Far North

Under the cover of darkness, wild night trolls get up to all kinds of mischief in the Westfjords - until they are turned to stone by the first rays of sunlight. In the nights of midsummer, magical stones that can grant your every wish appear on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. And the coastal waters of the ice-blue sea harbours peculiar sea creatures, while in the impenetrable uplands outlaws teach farmers the meaning of fear.

Iceland's abundant nature forms both the stage for and the mirror of the countless fairy tales and legends that run deep through the country's history: raw and mystical, well-loved but often somewhat bizarre. The 45 carefully selected stories here tell of Iceland's fantastical creatures, its fateful natural phenomena and its legendary characters. Magnificent photographs of the spectacular landscape set the scene for the events narrated. Together with the stories, they offer fascinating as well as touching and magical glimpses into the beautiful interplay of mankind, nature and the fantastic on this mystical island in the far north.