Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson (on the right).

Trans woman becomes incarnation of Iceland

For the first time in Iceland’s history, a trans woman has taken on the role of the Lady of the Mountain, the national personification of Iceland, on the country’s National Day.

Eva Ágústa Aradóttir is taking on the revered duty of being Lady of the Mountain.

Festivities are being held across the country today and in Hafnarfjörður, a neighbouring town of Reykjavík, the town’s organisers asked Eva Ágústa Aradóttir to take on the revered duty of being Lady of the Mountain.

“I’m very excited about this and think it’s going to be a fun day,” Eva Ágústa said to GayIceland’s journalist as she was making last preparations for the big event.

The Lady of the Mountain (Fjallkona) is the national personification of Iceland and always makes an appearance on the 17th of June, Iceland’s National Day, wearing the “Skautbúningur” which is the most prestigious type of the women’s Icelandic costumes.

Often portrayed be actresses, the Lady of the Mountain takes the stage and reads a poem, a tradition since the establishment of the Icelandic republic in 1944.

Eva says she had heard a rumour within the trans community that the organisers in Hafnarfjörður were looking for a trans woman. “I thought it would be thrilling but was hesitant at the same time. But when they contacted me a few days later I thought it was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse, a once in a lifetime chance to be the Lady of the Mountain.”

“This is a huge honour … a validation of my being a woman, just as much a woman as all the others who are women in spite of … their variation from the stereotype of a woman. Hopefully, the stereotype is fading in the sense that all kinds of women will be accepted, because we are of all kinds.”

She says that because she felt like she didn’t fit in for so many years, being trans, it’s even more significant to take on this role. “Especially since the Lady of the Mountain is a female incarnation of Iceland, this is a huge honour for me and a validation of my being a woman, just as

The “Lady of the Mountain” (Fjallkona) is the national personification of Iceland. While she symbolises what Icelanders consider to be genuine and purely Icelandic, in her purity she reflects a deep-seated, but unattainable, wish of Icelanders to be a totally independent nation.
Above: The first surviving drawing of the Lady of the Mountains, Johann Baptist Zwecker, from Icelandic Legends (1866).

much a woman as all the others who are women in spite of what they look like, the colour of their skin, whether they have a disability or any other variation from the stereotype of a woman. Hopefully, the stereotype is fading in the sense that all kinds of women will be accepted, because we are of all kinds.”

Eva Ágústa is raised in Hafnarfjörður so is a local. She’s artistic and creative, a trained photographer and very active in the LGBTQI+ society in Iceland. She says that through the years, she hasn’t celebrated the 17th of June especially. “But when I feel like it, I join the crowd downtown and watch the entertainment.”

“I’m very excited about this and think it’s going to be a fun day.”

This year however, she will certainly be the focus of the attention, taking the stage to read a poem by Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir, another local woman.

“I’ve never done anything like this, never participated formally in the festivities and of course never been a Lady of the Mountain anywhere,” Eva explains. “I’m not used to being in the public eye but I do have some experience of public speaking so that’s not entirely new to me. But this will certainly be exciting.”

National Day is celebrated with festivities across the country today. Photo/Jóhannes Birgir Jensson

Á. Óskarsson
Á. Óskarsson

Á. Óskarsson offers a variety of products and services to sports centers, swimming pools, schools, kindergartens, and the general public. The company specializes in sport-related products, activity-focused games, and a wide range of solutions for sports facilities.

Á. Óskarsson has been involved in numerous big projects related to building sports facilities and has made it their benchmark to offer good quality products and equipment since the company was founded.

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Á. Óskarsson selur fjölbreytt vöruúrval fyrir íþróttahús, sundlaugar, skóla og leikskóla og einnig ýmsar vörur til einkaafnota. Fyrirtækið selur vörur til íþróttaiðkunnar og leikja ásamt því að bjóða upp á ýmsar lausnir fyrir íþróttamannvirki.

Á. Óskarsson hefur komið að fjölda stórra verkefna við byggingu íþróttamannvirkja og hefur frá stofnun kappkostað að bjóða vandaðar og endingargóðar vörur.

Tenglar á samfélagsmiðla eru í efra horninu vinstra megin.

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Blush

    Blush was founded in 2011 when it started selling high quality sex products. The goal from the beginning was to change the market and take the discussion about sex products to a higher level. Today Blush provides professional services in a pleasant environment that fulfills different needs, both for individuals and couples. Blush respects diversity and wants to set a good example in all of its messaging to target audiences. Sexual health and equality in sex is important and Blush wants to focus on those issues through education and open discussion. Blush works in a socially responsible manner for society, their customers and the environment.

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    Omnom Chocolate
    - award-winning chocolate maker

      Omnom Chocolate is an Icelandic craft chocolate company based in Reykjavík. We produce handcrafted chocolate from organic cacao beans sourced ethically and sustainably. We’ve developed direct relationships to create premium chocolate with fine flavor cacao beans.

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      Nasdaq

         

        Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a global technology company serving the capital markets and other industries. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software and services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence.

        With over 4,300 employees in 39 offices around the world, at Nasdaq we all contribute to the success of the company and its culture, and each one of us has the ability to make a difference. When it comes to our core mission and values, we embrace the role of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) as a fundamental driver of our corporate growth, workplace culture and market development. We strive to create a culture that embraces the power of different perspectives—a culture where people’s unique backgrounds and different experiences helps us fuel innovation and support our clients around the world.

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        Blue Lagoon
        - One of the 25 Wonders of the World

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        The Blue Lagoon. A wonder of the world. A world of wonder.

        Landsbankinn
        - leading financial institution
        Landsbankinn

        Landsbankinn is a leading Icelandic financial institution. It offers a full range of financial services and is the market leader in the Icelandic financial service sector with the largest branch network.

        The present bank was established on 7 October 2008 but the history of its predecessor dates back to 1886. The bank is owned by the National Treasury of Iceland, which holds 98.2% of its share capital, and other shareholders who own 1.8%.

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        Landsbankinn has been a proud sponsor of the Reykjavik Pride since it was first celebrated in Iceland.

        Dohop
        - get inspired
        Dohop

        Dohop allows people to find the cheapest flights available with just one click. Founded in Reykjavik in 2004, it is the only Icelandic company of its kind and quickly became the go-to tool for finding cheap flights among the locals. Dohop finds the best deals among hundreds of different airlines and online travel agencies, to make sure that the user is getting the cheapest price. Dohop also offers hotel and car rental search engines, so users can make all of their travel bookings from a single website.

        Dohop‘s specialty is finding so-called “self-connect” flight options, which can save travelers money by booking a ticket through two or more different airlines. The ability to look for these self-connect option is what sets Dohop apart from its competition, as it can save people hundreds of dollars on certain routes.

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        VSÓ Ráðgjöf

           

          VSÓ Ráðgjöf er alhliða ráðgjafar- og verkfræðifyrirtæki sem leggur áherslu á trausta og faglega þjónustu sem tryggir viðskiptavinum hagkvæmustu lausnir hverju sinni, skilar raunverulegum árangri og stuðlar að samkeppnisforskoti.  Á skrifstofum VSÓ í Reykjavík og í Noregi starfar yfir 80 manna samhentur hópur verkfræðinga og annarra tæknimenntaðra starfsmanna.

          Macland
          - for all your Apple needs
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          Ísey skyr
          - once tasted never forgotten

          Our Story
          Once upon a time, 1,100 years ago in fact, Nordic settlers began arriving in Iceland. They brought with them the skills and knowledge for producing skyr. As time passed, the know-how and recipe for this nutritious food slowly faded out elsewhere in the Nordic region. Luckily, the Icelandic skyr-making tradition continued.

          For centuries, Icelandic skyr formed a cornerstone of the national diet, helping to keep people strong in living conditions that were often harsh. On family farms countrywide, it was the women who nurtured this dairy and passing on both the recipe and the original Icelandic skyr cultures from mother to daughter.

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          You can read more about Ísey skyr on our website.

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