“Enginn verður óbarinn biskup”
We’re pretty sure this one is exclusive to Iceland, and may have something to do with our inclination of killing foreign bishops when they were sent here in the 15th century. “Nobody becomes a Bishop without a beating,” doesn’t seem to ring true in other cultures, nor does it say good things about Icelandic hospitality.
“Á misjöfnu þrífast börnin best”
Recently I heard that, as a new parent, you shouldn’t take outdated parenting advice — even if it’s a proverb that has been passed down from generation to generation. “Children thrive on variety.” Yes, that’s technically true, but the translation doesn’t capture the essence. This one tells us that children need to learn to go with the ebb and flow of daily life: staying up late, handling rejection, taking responsibilities — but definitely not watching Youtube Kids.
“Þegar ein báran rís, er önnur vís”
Based on the conduct of some visitors laying eyes on Reynisfjara beach, this saying should be plastered on every rock, sign, and grain of sand in the area. “When one wave rises, another follows.”
“Ekki verður bókvitið í askana látið”
As a person with no useful physical skills whatsoever, this one hit hard. And should be kept in mind when selecting a university major. “Book smarts ain’t for eating,” would be a contemporary, slang-forward translation. True for most of Iceland’s history prior to the 20th century, but much less so now.
“Ber er hver að baki nema sér bróður eigi”
This proverb is found in Fóstbræðrasaga, one of the bellowed Icelandic sagas. It is about how essential friendship is. Back in the 90s when two Icelanders participated — together — in an international strong man competition, a Eurosport journalist asked one of them on the air what explained their success in the competition. “Everybody is naked unless they have their brother on their back” was the reply — a direct translation of this proverb — which left the journalist’s face shaped like, well, a face-sized questionmark.