Across much of the world, history is held behind stone walls and glass cases. In Iceland, it lives in words – carried by people, passed from one voice to the next.
Efri-Úlfsstaðir is one of those places where stories were never meant to be silent. This farm is known as the historic home of Njál’s Saga, a story that has shaped Iceland’s ideas of honor, justice, friendship, and consequence for over a thousand years.
Viking Story Night is an invitation to step into that tradition – not as a spectator, but as a guest.
The evening begins quietly
An evening thatunfolds slowly
You arrive at a working farm in South Iceland, where the land is open, the wind is present, and the pace is unhurried. Before any story is told, you are welcomed into the stable to meet the Icelandic horses: calm, observant, and deeply connected to farm life.
Spending a few moments with them allows the outside world to fall away. This is where the evening truly begins.
If you wish, you may wear a traditional Icelandic wool cape: simple, practical, and made for real use. These garments have protected farmers, travelers, and storytellers for generations, long before they became symbols.
From the stable, you move into the old barn hall
Gatheringat the table
The space is modest and honest: gravel underfoot, concrete walls, candlelight casting soft shadows. Guests sit together at a long wooden table: locals and travelers side by side, without separation.
As the stories begin, small tastings of traditional Icelandic food are shared: hákarl, dried fish, smoked lamb, Brennivín, and Icelandic malt drink.
The food is not a course or a spectacle. It is part of the gathering: passed by hand, tasted slowly, just as it has always been.
Thestories
The evening is guided by Valdimar Flygenring, a local Icelandic storyteller with deep roots in the area.
Valdimar tells stories from Njál’s Saga, spoken where the events are believed to have taken place. But the evening does not stop there.
He also shares stories of Icelandic traditions, the old ways of life, and the folklore that still lives quietly alongside modern Iceland: stories of elves and trolls, places people still walk carefully past, and beliefs that were never meant to be proven or dismissed.
These stories are not presented as fantasy. They are offered the way they are spoken in Iceland: with respect, curiosity, and room for interpretation.
Everything is told in English, and no previous knowledge is needed. The stories are guided carefully, with space to listen, imagine, and reflect.
A livingtradition
This is not a Viking show. There are no costumes, stages, or performances.
What happens during Viking Story Night is something older and more fragile: a shared moment of listening, when voices matter more than volume and meaning is built in silence as much as in words.
Many guests tell us this is the evening when Iceland becomes clearer: not just as a landscape, but as a place shaped by people and stories.
Wherethe story lives
Mr Iceland – Efri-Úlfsstaðir
A working farm in South Iceland
15 minutes from Hvolsvöllur
Approximately 1.5 hours from Reykjavík
Coordinates:
63.6406° N, 20.2957° W
Every night at 20:00
Duration: approximately 90 minutes
Group size:
limited, to keep the evening intimate
Booking time:
at least 2 hours before the event
Why we sharethis evening
Storytelling has always been how Iceland remembers itself: not through monuments, but through people gathered together at the end of the day.
If you would like to experience Iceland beyond photographs and itineraries (through listening, sharing, and presence) we welcome you to join us.
Reserve your seat for Viking Story Night at Mr Iceland!
Where history lives through storytelling
FAQ:Viking Story Night
Step into the heart of Icelandic tradition with Viking Story Night. This experience brings together sagas, folklore, and farmstead hospitality in an intimate setting that celebrates the country’s cultural soul.
From the legendary Njál’s Saga to tales of elves and trolls, these stories have shaped Iceland’s identity for centuries.
Whether you’re curious about the sagas’ truth, the role of storytelling in early communities, or simply what to expect during the evening, our Frequently Asked Questions will guide you through everything you need to know before joining us.
The sagas are central to Iceland’s identity. They tell the story of how Iceland was settled and how early communities lived together. Long before Iceland had castles or kings, it had stories. The sagas preserved history, values, and reputation, and they remain a way for Icelanders to understand their past and themselves.
The sagas are based on real people and real places, but they are told as stories shaped by memory and oral tradition. Historical accuracy matters, but what matters more is how the stories explore human behavior, choices, and consequences.
Njál’s Saga is considered one of the most important Icelandic sagas because of its depth and humanity. It explores friendship, loyalty, law, honor, and conflict, and shows how small decisions can lead to lasting consequences. Many Icelanders feel it speaks just as clearly today as it did centuries ago.
Early Iceland did not have kings or a centralized government. Instead, society was built around local leaders and laws, which were preserved and passed on through stories. That is why Icelanders often say: In Iceland, we do not have castles — we have sagas.
In a society shaped by isolation and harsh nature, stories were how people remembered laws, families, disputes, and history. Being remembered — and remembered fairly — mattered deeply.
Belief in elves and trolls is part of Icelandic folklore and has existed alongside Christianity for centuries. These stories helped explain the landscape and natural forces and taught respect for places that were considered powerful or unpredictable.
In Iceland, folklore often exists between belief and symbolism. Many Icelanders do not fully believe or disbelieve in elves — they leave space for possibility and for respect toward the land.
The stories are told by Valdimar Flygenring, a local Icelandic storyteller. He shares stories from Njál’s Saga, as well as Icelandic traditions and folklore passed down through generations.
The evening is held at Mr Iceland – Efri-Úlfsstaðir, a working farm in South Iceland and the traditional home of Njál’s Saga.
📍 Coordinates: 63.6406° N, 20.2957° W
🚗 15 minutes from Hvolsvöllur
🕰 Approx. 1.5 hours from Reykjavík
Guests meet the Icelandic horses, sit together at a long table, share traditional Icelandic food, and listen to stories told in a calm, intimate barn setting.
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The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
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The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
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