The Icelandic Roots Podcast

Hafdís Bjarnadóttir is a Reykjavík-based composer and guitarist known for breaking boundaries between genres - drawing on everything from jazz and folk to avant-garde, poetry, and contemporary classical.

In this conversation, we trace her path from learning jazz guitar to composing award-winning works, reflect on her time reenacting history in costume at the Eiríksstaðir Museum, and dig into the theory, culture, and economics of be...

Claudia Peterson is the driving force behind the North American tour of the crowd-sewn, Icelandic-wool Njáls Saga Tapestry — an extraordinary living artwork born in Hvolsvöllur, Iceland, with the mission of rallying support for a permanent museum to showcase this saga masterpiece in its hometown.

In this episode, we look into the tapestry’s unique place in Icelandic and world history and hear Claudia’s behind-the-scenes stories fro...

Sunna Furstenau, President of Icelandic Roots and head of the Genealogy Team, along with Becky Byerly-Adams, the Outreach Director, joined us to explore everything from new books and upcoming webinars to the evolving future of the Icelandic Roots database—and why preserving our stories matters now more than ever.

We talked about how the team is finding new ways to engage the community: through voice and video capture, integ...

Julie Salverson is a fourth-generation Icelandic-Canadian author whose new memoir, A Necessary Distance: Confessions of a Scriptwriter’s Daughter, braids family memory with global history. In this episode, we explore Julie’s reflections on her father, CBC writer George Salverson, and her grandmother, acclaimed Icelandic-Canadian author Laura Goodman Salverson.

Drawing from her father’s 1963 travel journals and her own journeys—incl...

Atli Halldórsson is the co-project manager of the Snorri Programs, splitting his time between Iceland and Vancouver, Canada. In this episode, we explore the deep cultural ties between Iceland, Scandinavia, and North America—through the lens of an Icelander dedicated to reconnecting people of Icelandic descent with their roots.

Atli unpacks what makes Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Copenhagen, Denmark, two of the most "Icelandic" cities ou...

Susan Huff is a genealogist and a descendant of Icelandic immigrants who emigrated from the Vestmannaeyjar to Spanish Fork, Utah—the oldest continuous Icelandic settlement in North America. In this episode, we explore her work with the National Archive of Iceland, where she uncovered fascinating stories from Icelandic history by examining parish records.

Susan shares her insights into Iceland’s shockingly high infant mortality rate...

Mark Petursson is the president of the Leif Eiriksson Icelandic Club in Calgary and a dedicated member of the Western Icelander community. In this episode, we discuss his journey of reconnecting with his Icelandic heritage, from working in Iceland’s fishing industry as a teenager to his ongoing efforts in cultural preservation.

Mark shares his experiences learning the Icelandic language firsthand, offering humorous anecdotes and re...

Brian Borgford is a prolific writer with 40 books published on Amazon. In this episode, we go over his writing process and the philosophy behind publicly sharing family histories. Brian explains how he transforms biographies of family members into novels, bringing their lives and times to the page in new and engaging ways.

This conversation offers insightful perspectives on writing family histories and leveraging modern tools to pr...

Audrey Ledford, a Seattle native and recent Georgetown graduate, wrote a reflective piece titled Meditation on Family and Home - Snorri 2024 for our blog.

In this episode, Jack connects with Audrey—now teaching in Spain—to explore her journey with the Snorri Program and its impact on her connection to her Icelandic roots.

Through their conversation, Audrey shares how walking the landscapes of her ancestors helped her better underst...

Sigfús Haukur Sigfússon was the 2024 Snorri West Alumni Intern, who has been exploring his family emigration connections across North America with Icelandic Roots.

 

Recorded live in Reykjavik - Sigfús shares his journey of tracing family branches, and filling in the gaps of genealogy. We explore perspectives on American culture and the immigrant experience within the “melting pot” of the U.S. and Canada.

 

Sigfús recounts personal...

Sigmundur Geir Sigmundsson, known as Simbí, grew up on a Westfjords dairy farm before attending agriculture school and traveling North America with the Snorri West program.

Join us for a conversation near his home in Búðardalur, where we delve into the changing landscape of Icelandic family farms and the resilience of rural communities.

We explore the challenges and possibilities of sustainable practices, pondering the future of I...

Amber Monroe is the Owner and Founder of Ísponica. In this episode we explore what lead her from the United States to start her Aquaponics company in Iceland.    Amber's path, starting from her studies on lumpfish at Hólar University, has led her from a Hólar barn basement to a unique aquaponics setup in a warehouse in Hofsós, overlooking the stunning fjord of Skagafjörður.   She shares her insights on rural tourism, Icelandic food...

Our guest is María Pálsdóttir who operates the Hælið Museum - a sanatorium turned museum highlighting Iceland's fight against Tuberculosis.

TB, a persistent scourge, has haunted humanity for millennia, leaving its mark on countless lives, societies, and even driving medical advancements.

 

This episode dives into the past and present of tuberculosis in Iceland. We explore why tuberculosis was once known as the "Romantic Disease" an...

Hjördís Hilmarsdóttir is a passionate traveller, hiker, genealogy enthusiast, and dog breeder. With Icelandic Roots, Hjördís brings her excitement for recording diverse information in the database and correcting errors in Icelandic-language texts.

 

In this episode, Hjördís shares her love for the Egilsstaðir region and all of East Iceland - spanning from Seyðisfjörður to Vopnafjörður!

Inspired by the breathtaking lands...

Doreen Borgfjord McFarlane Canadian/American pastor and author, brings her passion for Icelandic heritage to the podcast. As a descendant of immigrants she is a passionate genealogist and a trained opera singer with a PhD in bible studies.

Doreen's family history fuels her writings, including her book "Leirarskotta, Icelandic Girl Ghost."

 

In this captivating episode, Doreen introduces us to the intriguing concept of 'Ghost Geneal...

Jason Doctor is an American of Icelandic descent, a public policy professor at USC with a PhD in psychology.

As Public Outreach Director at Icelandic Roots, he promotes Icelandic heritage through education and events.

 

In this conversation, Jason shares his unique approach to delving into the Icelandic sagas - timeless literary treasures that offer profound insights into history and human nature.

 

Drawing from his extensive immer...

Kent Lárus Björnsson is a Western Icelander with a unique perspective.

Born and raised in Gimli, Manitoba (Canada) with deep Icelandic roots, Kent eventually returned to his ancestral homeland.

Now living in Reykjavik, he works at a local school and shares his passion for exploration by offering services as a tour consultant.

We delve into Kent's journey of how he made Iceland his home with all his diverse adventures along the way.

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Join Curtis Olafson as he sheds light on efforts to raise awareness about a prevalent gene mutation in individuals of Icelandic descent.

 

The CDKN2A mutation significantly increases the risk of melanoma, pancreatic, and other cancers, present in 10-25% of families with multiple melanoma cases and approximately 1 in 1250 Icelanders without a melanoma diagnosis.

Icelandic descendants face heightened susceptibility to these cancers, ...

Continue our discussion on the essence of art, podcasting, and poetry with Karen Gummo.

Karen shares her "storytelling affirmation" and her ties to Calgary's Leif Erikson Icelandic Club and more tales from her Icelandic travels; intertwining history, myth & legendary locales.

Special to this Podcast, Karen retells the Icelandic Ghost Story of The Deacon of Myrká (Djákninn á Myrká).

The mystical Myrká of Eyjafjörður where...