Day 183-Eiriksstaðir in the summer

   July 5-It was cool again today and it rained off and on, so we mostly stayed inside.  The adults worked on various projects while the kids played around, watched TV, and did some schoolwork.  We did get out for a few hours in the afternoon, when we went to Eiriksstaðir with Maggi and Signý and their two youngest children.  They also brought along Maggi’s friend Juan Carlos, who will be working in the coffee shop at Bifröst for the next couple of months.  He is a psychologist, but the economic situation is so dire in Spain now that he is washing dishes in Iceland to make ends meet!  Maggi and Juan Carlos became friends during the years that Maggi spent studying and working in Spain.  They try to visit each other (and each other’s very different climates) whenever they find the time and the money.

The reconstructed Viking longhouse at Eiriksstaðir.

   We visited Eiriksstaðir a couple times during the winter, so it was exciting to show up during the summer when the house was open and a storyteller inside could talk about Eirik the Red’s time living at the site before he moved into the Breiðafjörður and then to Greenland later on.  She also related some of the stories about his son Leifur Eiriksson, who was born at Eiriksstaðir and was the first European to attempt to settle on the North American continent.

The key to the pantry was held tightly by the woman of the
house, who feard that the men would eat all the food!   


   The interior of the house was outfitted with tools, weapons, clothes, and bedding from the Settlement era.  Sitting inside the house for the stories, it became clear that overwintering in the smoky, dark, and damp house would not have been much fun.  We were happy when the days got sunnier and relatively warmer, but it probably would have been welcomed even more by the people who had to live in these conditions.

   We were surprised to learn that people from this era slept sitting up.  The smoky interior led to respiratory problems, so sleeping in this position was better for them, but they were also in a better position to spring from bed to defend themselves should a disgruntled neighbor decide to attack in the middle of the night.  All in all, the family agreed that we are generally happier that we are living in the modern era and not 1000 years ago!  We all stopped at the Erpsstaðir dairy on the way back for some of their yummy ice cream.

Joslyn, Erla, Spencer, and Alex sit on the longhouse's beds/benches and enjoy the stories.

your battle and then you can relax and drink your beer.

Shan demonstrates the Viking way; you fight

Alex, Joslyn, Elva, Erla, and Spencer play in the excavated site at thel actual location of the longhouse at Eiriksstaðir, while Shan, Maggi, Signý, and Juan Carlos watch (and pose for Sally).