How to romantic a viking.Posted by hulda top top Feb 11, 2022 in icelandic culture, icelandic customs, iceland history


Kerið pair by big-ashb in ~ Flickr.com.

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You know what job is just around the corner, therefore let’s gain prepared through some relevant vocabulary!

The important days

Valentínusardagur = Valentine’s Day. The tradition caught on in Iceland maybe a tiny earlier 보다 the remainder of the Nordics, but because the country was populated by the USA since the WW2 it may not be too surprising. World do take keep in mind of the day and also couples sometimes setup something romantic because that it, however other 보다 that it does not seem to be together a big deal. Probably it’s because Iceland currently has other, much more Icelandic work that have actually a romantic tone to them, one for men and also one because that women. These would certainly be:

Bóndadagur = Farmer’s/Master’s Day, i m sorry dates earlier to the 1600’s and also is still celebrated to this day as a day as soon as women treat your husbands and boyfriends come something extra nice. It’s generally on the an initial day the the month Þorri. Over there were also other traditions tied to this day, such as the grasp of the house going outside in the morning wearing nothing yet a shirt, putting one leg in trousers yet letting the various other drag ~ above the ground and so hopping approximately his house on one foot.

Konudagur = Woman’s Day, dates back to at least the 1800’s, similarly still celebrated every year. This was a day once it to be the wife’s rotate to be celebrated, and also it takes location on the an initial Sunday the the month Góa. You can read around Þorri, Góa and also the rest of the old Nordic calendar here.


On the Skógar-Þórsmörk trail by Richard p J Lambert in ~ Flickr.com.


Darling (when describing the darling come a third person)

Icelandic is a funny language in the there room words for the so that would never be supplied at them, only once talking about them to who else.

Eiginmaður/eiginkona = Husband/wife. Frequently shortened to maður and also kona, and also in these short forms even couples the are only dating might sometimes use them.

Kærasti, -nn = Darling, love one, male form. Is usually translated simply as boyfriend.

Kærasta, -n = Darling, loved one, female form. Generally translated together girlfriend. Both of these words hint the you’re dating yet not yet married, back overlap wake up a lot and also I’ve heard people use this words around their spouses also on occasion. You would not usage either of castle to attend to your SO, that’d sound a little like “oh lover of mine”.

Ástvinur = Lit. Transl. “love friend”, means darling/beloved.


Geyser with lovers by Mei Burgin in ~ Flickr.com.


Darling, when addressing them

Sæti/sæta = Sweetie, cutie. Very first one’s for the men, the second one’s for the women.

Elskan, elskan mín, also ástin/ástin mín = my love, my darling. Mín-ending adds some weight come the word, yet it can likewise be supplied to berate someone and also can even sound patronizing. If who addresses me together Hulda mín only the tone of the voice will certainly tell even if it is or no I’m actually in deep trouble…

By the way, despite the feminine pronoun in ~ the finish these deserve to be used for males too. The words elskan and also ástin room feminine, which is why they gain the feminine pronoun, yet the consumption is no only restricted to women.

Krútt/krúttið mitt = Sweetie/cutie. A rare sex neutral endearment that’s perfect fine to usage for whoever.

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Dúlla/dúllan mín = Sweetie as a possible non-romantic option, girls regularly refer to your friends choose this. Girlfriend can include some extra oomph to any kind of of these by using “æ” in front of one endearment by the way, therefore “Æ, dúllan mín!” (= Oh, sweetie!) Elsku is one more option: “Elsku dúllan mín!” (= my dear sweetie!)


Just Married by Helgi Halldórsson in ~ Flickr.com.


All you need is love

Ást = love. However, i love girlfriend in icelandic is Ég elska þig and below lies a danger: never use a noun together a verb, since if you try to to speak ég ást þig you’re actually saying “I (you) ate you”. The makes small sense but sounds a bit much more cannibalistic 보다 romantic.