Draugr (14 page)

 

Afi
– Grandfather.

Bjúgnakrækir
– A Christmas lad whose name means “sausage snatcher.”

Bless
– Good-bye.

Draugr
– Ghost.

Fardu burt
– Go away.

Flydu
– Fly or flee.

Fellivetur
– Slaughter winter.

Flatkökur
– Hard bread charred without fat on a griddle.

Gluggagægir
– A Christmas lad whose name means “window peeper.”

Gódan dag
– Good afternoon.

Góda nótt
– Good night.

Gott kvöld
– Good evening.

Gravlax
– Raw salmon cured in rock salt and dill.

Hangikjöt
– Smoked lamb.

Hardfiskur
– Cod, haddock, halibut, or catfish that has been beaten and hung up to dry on racks.

Huldu Folk
– The “hidden people,” little elf-like people of Icelandic folklore.

Jólasveinar
– Yuletide/Christmas lads. Thirteen imps in the Icelandic Christmas tradition who visit, one a day, for thirteen days before Christmas eve. They leave little presents for the children in shoes that have been put on the windowsill the night before. If the children have been naughty, the imps leave a potato or a reminder that good behavior is better.

Logga
– Slang, shortened version of
logreglumadur
,
which means police officer.

Loup-garou
– Werewolf (French).

Lupinus
– Wolf (Latin).

Niflheim
– A realm of freezing mist and darkness.
Hel,
the realm of the dead, lies within it.

Nordurleid
– A bus line whose name means “North Way” or “North Route.”

Pottasleikir
– A Christmas lad whose name means “pot licker.”

Ragnarok
– The final battle between the gods and the giants in old Norse mythology.

Skyr
– A butter-like spread made from milk and sour cream. Icelanders eat
skyr
as a dessert with sugar or cream or fruit.

Stúfur
– A Christmas lad whose name means “itty bitty.”

Svid
– Singed sheep's head, sawn in two, boiled, and eaten fresh, pickled, or jellied.

Úlfr-madr
– Wolf man.

Úlfslikid
– Wolf-thing.

Uppvakníngur
– A spirit that has been awakened from the dead. Zombie.

The question I am most often asked about the Northern Frights series is: “Where did you get your ideas?” It's a common question from teachers, students, and other readers. The ideas for the stories about Sarah, Michael, and Angie came from some wonderful, inspirational Icelandic sagas and old Norse myths. There are far too many to list, but I thought I'd mention a few of the most influential collections:

Myths of the Norsemen
by Roger Lancelyn Green, published by Penguin Books. This is a fairly easy read with illustrations. There's a good selection of myths and folktales, including Sigurd's epic battle with Fafnir the dragon.

The Norse Myths
by Kevin Crossley-Holland, published by Penguin Books. This is one of the most eloquent adaptations of the Norse myths about Loki, Thor, Odin, and all the other gods. It's full of poetic language and extensive notes on the text. A warning though, it is also true to the bawdy nature of the original myths.

Grettir's Saga
translated by Denton Fox and Hermann Pálsson, published by University of Toronto Press. This would be tough slogging for younger readers, but you librarians and adult readers (I know you're out there) might be interested in reading this account of Grettir the Strong's life.

For anyone who wants to know more about Iceland, just visit
http://www.samkoma.com
. Samkoma means “meeting place,” and at this site you can search for any topic under the Icelandic sun.

And finally, if you have any comments or want to know more about the Northern Frights series, or about me, just drop by
http://www.arthurslade.com
.

Bless
,

Art

Draugr

Copyright © 1997 by Arthur G. Slade.

Originally published by Orca Book Publishers: 1997

All rights reserved.

Published by Harper
Trophy
Canada, an imprint of
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

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EPub Edition: APRIL 2014
EPub ISBN: 9781443431415

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