The Guardian Spirits of Iceland
An old story embodied in The Seal of Iceland

The four Guardians of Iceland, one for each quarter,
of the country are described in an old tale telling of a magician
who was sent by King Harold Gormsson of Denmark to
investigate the country prior to invasion.

The magician swam to Iceland in the form of a whale,
and when he reached the country he saw that
all hills and mountains were full of spirits, large and small.

He came to Vopnafjörður (Fjord of Weapons) on the East coast
and a huge dragon approached him,
accompanied by reptiles, worms and lizards.

He then swam north to Eyjafjörður (Fjord of Isles)
and was approached there by a bird so huge,
that the wings touched the mountains on each side of the valley.
The bird was accompanied by numerous
other birds of all sizes, large and small.

He went west and south and came to Breiðafjörður (Wide Fjord),
where he was approached by a huge bull
which waded into the sea and made loud noises,
the bull was accompanied by by a large number of spirits.

He went from there and south of Reykjanes (Smoke Peninsula)
and wanted to take land at Víkarsskeið (The Sands of Vikar),
but was approached by a huge rock giant
whose head was higher than the mountains and carried a large iron staff,
and he was accompanied by a host of other giants.
Then the magician went east along the south coast,
where he could find no landing places.
Thus the intentions of the King of the Danes
came to naught due to the efforts of the Guardian Spirits of Iceland.

This story is embodied in The Seal of Iceland,
where the Dragon represents the Eastern part,
the Bird the Northern part,
the Bull represents the Western part
and the Rock Giant the Southern part.

Very loose translation: Virtually Virtual Iceland
Illustrations by Þröstur Magnússon.