Beautiful Tiny Turf House in Iceland - Full Tour & Interview
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2016
- In this video we tour a traditional Icelandic turf house at the Islenski Baerinn Turf House museum (islenskibaerinn.is/english/). Turf houses are the original green buildings because they were built using local and natural materials. In Southern Iceland they used turf from the local wetlands and lava stones to build thick walls that would insulate the houses against wind and cold weather. They imported small amounts of wood, or used driftwood.
Most turf houses in Iceland were torn down after World War II when people were encouraged to modernize their homes which means there are almost no turf houses left. So we felt really lucky to visit the Islenski Baerinn Turf House museum in Southern Iceland and meet with Hannes who runs the museum and whose grandparents and great grandparents used to live on, and run, the farm.
Traditional turf houses, and especially turf houses on farms were built in clusters so you'll see there's many houses all linked together. Only one of them is actually the living space where you'll find the beds. And then in the other houses you would find things like a horse stable or a food processing area, and they did this to take advantage of insulation from shared walls. Each house is joined together with hallways so that people could go from one area of the house to the other without having to go outside.
Inside the main home you can see that all of the beds were in one room and this was where everyone did all of their work, where they slept, where they ate, where they gave birth. Everything in an Icelanders life happened in this main living space and it really was communal living.
In addition to having really thick walls made with the lava stones and the turf, the houses are also dug and built into the back of a hill so that they're protected from the cold Northerly winds.
Hannes completely restored this old farmstead with his wife and mother, and while he continued to use the traditional methods using the turf and the lava stones for the walls, he did use corrugated iron for some of the outer walls and some of the newer roofs.
It's really incredible to see how cozy and liveable these small spaces are even though they're built with such basic natural materials.
If you're interested in turf houses and green buildings (and if you're planning a visit to Iceland!), we would definitely recommend visiting the Islenski Baerinn Turf House museum - it was probably our favourite part of our trip!!! They have a website here if you want to learn more:
islenskibaerinn.is/english/
You can also follow them on Facebook, and Instagram:
/ islenskibaerinn
/ islenski_baerinn
We also want to say a big thank you to Eyvi (Eyjólfur Eyjólfsson) who we met at the Vöðlakot cafe at the Islenski Baerinn Turf House Museum who fed us delicious coffee & home made pancakes, and who took the time to play his beautiful langspil instrument that you see and hear at the beginning of the video.
Thanks for watching!
Mat & Danielle
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Blog: www.exploringalternatives.ca
Facebook: /exploringalternativesblog
Instagram: @exploringalternatives
Music & Song Credits:
The music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives, except for the opening and closing song.
The opening and closing song in this video is called "Langspils-kvæðalag” and is partly folksong but mostly composed by Örn Magnusson. It was performed by Eyjólfur Eyjólfsson who we met at the Vöðlakot cafe at the Islenski Baerinn Turf House Museum.
We were stationed in Iceland for 2 years in the early 80's and our son was born there. It's a fascinating country and I was always amazed by these little grass houses. We found the Icelanders to be very warm and helpful, and they loved to share their culture with us. The weather is absolutely brutal through the long dark winters so if you plan a trip, go in July or August. Even then, it usually doesn't get above 70 degrees F. Please be a gracious American.
Even as an Icelander, I learned something new about the way the old turf houses were built, from watching this. As a side note, some here on the island like to believe that after having traveled around the country in the early 1900's, J.R.R Tolkien got his idea for hobbits from seeing the Icelandic turf houses. A interesting idea indeed.
J.R.R. Tolkien never came to Iceland. He did study languages and cultures, (including Icelandic obviously). He made a point of hiring Icelandic nannies to take care of his kids.Very interesting interview in Morgunblaðið many years ago with one from The Westfjords who told his son Christopher stories compiled by Jón Árnason¹
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¹ Þjóðsögur Jóns Árnasonar.
I was thinking of Hobbits when I was watching this :-)
I'm sure Tolkien had an Icelandic typeface typewriter
You Icelanders speak and write excellent English. I just felt the need to tell you. Lol
This makes me feel nostalgic for somewhere I've never been.
ApplePie 2019 👍🏻
@ApplePie You're into flat expansive places I take it :P
col same
col that is impossible
@JC S you might want to read up on genetic memory before you call it BS. There's not a lot research done on humans, but they have proven that mice amongst others do have a genetic memory. Human genetic memory is plausible, but not proven..... yet
I visited this home and turf house during my visit to Iceland in June 2016, it was so cozy and warm. I could easily live in a home just like it.The person (people) built the home they show here, built it to last....everything was so solid when I walked through. The woman who showed us around was also a relative of the original owners and you could feel how passionate she was about the history of these houses as well as Icelandic history in general. It was amazing to see how my ancestors lived before the 1900's. We were even given some nettle and meadowsweet tea and authentic treats to eat while we were there. A recommended visit for sure....I'll remember it forever.
I'm surprised this style of building isn't making a comeback with the growing green living trend.
I would build if I had land
Bet it is, just not widespread yet. Enchanting.
It’s actually a finite resource like coal. Takes thousands of years for turf to generate. Ireland has wetland bogs like these used as fire fuel for centuries but recently they’ve been put under strict laws as the habitats dwindled
@@seanyboyc86 Yes. There are also more ways to do this than using/destroying endangered plants. I've seen many turf and other plant roofs that do not harm/endanger our botanical life or environment.
Scifi FantasyGirl I wanna build a Canadian soddy house someday . Same as this , but without the stone
💚💚💚☕️☕️🇨🇦
What a delightful roll of the tongue he has. I loved listening to him describe the construction and life lived there. Thank you.
He is pretty classical -
@@heatherlinnett5105 I had forgotten about this video. Reallly enjoyed rewatching it. Thank you.
@@ginnyd3389 Welcome
Iceland is one of the most interesting countries you could ever visit, and this video is just another example of that. There is also a lovely museum in Gardur, near Reykavik, with all kinds of things from the way people lived there up to a generation ago. I'd recommend anybody to take a trip to Iceland.
Iceland: The Real Shire
Red Judas that's exactly what I was thinking!
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."
J.R.R. Tolkien
Robert Kercher allot of his inspiration was from Iceland
Sadly there's not a lot of forest to match
There were also turf houses in England that were more like the Hobbit Houses and the term Shire comes from Old English and is found in English Town Names (Westchester, Berkshire, Hampshire, etc.).
These were more common than people think, although not.the most common from of houses. They were more common in extreme climates.
I recently watched The Hobbit and The Lord of the Ring videos again, this time paying close attention to how the studio designed the Hobbit houses. They were very close to these. I would love to see more on their construction.
This is wonderful! It's so interesting & educational. I loved his pride about the turf homes & building process. He's doing important historical work. What a treat it was to watch this!
You guys are killing it with these videos recently. Great content. Very well made videos
Thanks so much!! Happy you enjoyed the new video :)
Yeah, especially the narrow boat house and this one.
AdoboLifestyle I really liked the narrow boat as well. I could definitely be comfortable spending my retirement on one. Tie up at different locations every week or two and take in the local history, cuisine etc. It would be up to me how much I would want to do.
I love Iceland's climate. I remember in my country - Poland - in old times there were houses build from wood or stones and moss between the layers.
So cozy. I want to take ideas from this cluster of homes to build an earth berm home. I like the linked buildings, you could expand an existing house if you have more kids or take one down if people move out. Such a cool setup.
Here my take on the idea I have had for a long time
Get a hillside dig it out place shipping containers in
Was pleasant to watch. Thanks. The way they all lived and slept together in one room! They copulated there and gave birth there and died there. Woe - a completely different way of life!!
Thanks for sharing
As modern society, we've got backwards in so many ways. Thanks for document these stories and the logic behind their building methods!
His mother was so beautiful.
I hope these building skills are being passed on to younger Icelanders.
Your wrong, how much space does a human need? Have you seen tiny lofts of new York?
but what's human sized, the living space in this house looks like 500 square feet, add the kitchen and bathroom and it's likely 800. My condo is 1100 and that's more space then I need.
Flad - You are really a rude person.
Flad - Give me a break... lol.
My guess is that the 'Global Sod Hut Builder Conspiracy" is only one of many pieces of coloured yarn attached to cork boards in Flad's room.
It's amazing that you guys are doing this not just to show the rest of us who have not had the chance to see the Icelandic turf houses but also to help preserve their culture through your video. I mean, Hannes and his family are doing an amazing job preserving their traditional houses and making their museum, but it's so wonderful how we get to see and learn a lot through your videos as well. Thank you both for your awesome channel. I find myself watching a video or two every day. I hope you guys continue your travels but do keep safe especially with the pandemic. Also, I love love love the musical instrument in the background (Thank you, Eyjólfur). It sounded so soothing and beautiful, I'm looking it up now.
A dwelling is definitely well insulated if body heat is enough to keep it warm.
Wow. Amazing home/workspaces. They look comfy enough, but being that close to all your family through a long winter....."Heeeeeere's Johnny!"
Robert L my thoughts exactly. I'd probably go live in the barn with the animals after a month of living that close quartered. Just couldn't do it.
@@susie9893 That's because you were brought up differently. If you didn't have anything to compare to, would you complain or actually sleep in the barn? I don't think so. But yeah, with all those kids it'd get cramped for sure but it was a different time back then, much harsher times and you were probably just happy having food in your stomach every day.
yes I would sleep in the barn. Maybe thats why they were connected? lol
From Polynesia to the Aleutians, Peru to Iceland, so many ways of living are being lost. It's good to see some of the old ways preserved, even if only in a museum setting.
I see that Iceland has had very good English education for a long time. This old Icelander's English is very impressive for his generation and yet I take it he has lived in Iceland all his life. You really don't usually see that in most people in most countries where the first language is not English.
Nicholas Markovich ditto, my same thought..wondering, too, if he was in the military and if that would have made a difference. since my
countrymen (and women), today and definitely back during WW2 , they did not know foreign languages as much as soldiers from outside our country (USA) knew english... both locals and 'foreigners' always have told me it was because english was more of a 'universal' language due to the number of people who spoke it (as a first or second language) around the world. compared to the numbers of people who spoke the other languages, re: nations that dealt with each other the most during and after WW1..and cultural forecasters and linguists say next it will be time to add chinese (mandarin more than cantonese) and german..and personally, considering numbers again, i'd add spanish!
interesting angle to look at it. I guess we can only speculate until we run into a history savvy individual who can tell us about this section.
Nicholas Markovich Well most people who has English as their 1st language sucks at it. Especially when it comes to grammar. Laziness as well as no passion to be a articulate nor good speaker is usually the reason. Basically any other American or Brit. Also you probably haven't heard the very prominent Icelandic English accent he has then. Similar to the rest of Scandinavia. I don't find this impressive at all sorry. I am Norwegian and my hubby is from Iceland. Most people talk like this haha. Even my own relatives his age like my own parents. He sound much like my "father in law who is a scholar". Language is all talent and passion. Many people in Iceland is of Irish decent due to slavery back in the day...where they got the ginger genome from. Also if you work in the tourist industry you are forced to speak English. If he was to impress he would have no apparent accent. My hubby as well as some of his friends doesn't have one because they grew up as well as lived outside of Iceland. It can all be learned...
roxanneworld11 they don't have a military force in Iceland. Never needed.If you asked my boyfriend who is Icelandic he would say his accent is horrible and not impressive at all.
Gille87 ah!..no military?..ok..do they have allies, just in case, who would help them if needed?..guess, actually, that i can google for an answer...in any way, thanks for responding and for the education..Iceland..i'd like to see it someday..from home in the USA, the furthest away i've been is western and northern europe..lived in denmark, some years ago, briefly...subletted a friend's apartment in the osterbro neighborhood..was nice..just about until the coldest winter in decades set in...oh, well - still, a new experience for me..still an adventure! 🙂
We have so much that we can learn from what our ancestors have learned from living where they lived since long long before our industrial age. Thank you to this man and all of the others out there that preserve this heritage and pass along information from a time that many of us only have the slightest idea of.
There is so much more to this then just the turf homes, it is a whole different way of living in harmony with nature
You had me at "Iceland" ugh I'd love to visit that beautiful place!
the sweetest man in the world.
I've had an interest in Iceland for a number of years now, would love to visit it for a couple of weeks. This was really very interesting. He seems like a lovely gentleman. Enjoyed it!!
i was there,and it was stunning,i plan to go back one day
Very nice to hear from someone who has been there. I've only seen it in pictures, videos, and documentaries. Here's to passing you on a byway in Iceland someday Steve!!
My family in Iceland has had the same farm/turf house for generations.
And now they don't own it anymore ?
Cool beans 😎
Any moisture problems?
Would you share me the process from start to finishing? How it is built?
Really cosy inside. Hope Mr Eyjólfsson's hand gets better soon.
Yeah, me too :) It should be better by now I would hope. Thanks for watching!
@@ExploringAlternatives I wondered if the injury was connected to the sod maintenance work or related activity.
What an amazing home! We could learn a lot from this. Renewable houses with local materials. Clearly very cozy, too!
Looked pretty small at first,
But then showing where everything had its place, it appears quite livable.
Nice job!
These turf houses seem like a very good way to build in places like Michigan or Minnesota, or the other states in the northern part of the United States.
Andaros 210 consumerism culture impedes such things. The people have to gain this consciousness then force their ‘representatives’ to move toward sustainable paradigms. The industrial revolution is over but they still rule & most still live under its principles
I love Iceland. Stunning country . What an amazing and practical house. The vegetation on the roof is like ancient Icelandic houses.
They need to revive this. They're beautiful and efficient.
Loved his shared picture of his mother. She was very beautiful.
Great stuff! I think if these were modernized(electricity, internet, etc.) a little, these could make a comeback. A lot of people(including myself) simply don't want or can afford a typical modern home.
What a wonderful treat to see this,a complete switch-off to another time and place and to get to know this bit of Iceland history.Amazing houses made in a very difficult climate.Thankyou so much from Athens Greece.
This is by far the best alternate that I have seen to modular folk huts q.v.; but I think that the latter are much more likely to appear widely and that they have some considerable advantages -- one being that they are less expensive and quicker to build. Thanks so much for this wonderful video of a wonderful place.
Just rewatched this one. Very interesting. Amazing to imagine living in one with NO HEAT other than the residents body heat!
yes, and in a subarctic and arctic climate!
It is too bad they are moving away from traditional building. The moisture issue on roofs and walls could be easily solved with simple blue tarps under the turf -- cheap and easy to import. Turbo stoves are extremely efficient and wonderful for using twigs, dry grasses, and drift wood. Not sure about the communal living aspect, but that beautiful little place would be just perfect for two (with a little stove). Different culture I guess. I can see my writing desk, wonderful warm bed, and with a little windmill and some solar panels, a modern easy and tiny foot-print way of life. Passive solar panels over a partial in-ground greenhouse and life would be good.
In the street I live garages are built into the hillside. They are built from bricks but on the outside you only see the garage front and the top which is covered with grass. They're been this way for 30 years now, we've never had any problem with them and also it's very nice looking, fits into nature. (from Hungary)
Dorothea Illy Sounds beautiful . :)
Was there a moisture issue?
Plus you can make your own solar panels using soda/beer cans!
The communal living aspect was necessary to remain alive. When you see everyone around you contributing to your survival....it's not hard to appreciate people. You tend not to think about privacy when you are living a wholesome life with people you love and trust.
it's amazing how similar his accent is to someone from north wales
@Adena Properties Most historians nowadays believe that the mix is due to the fact that many norsemen initially settled and intermarried with Irish, Scottish and english women due to their trade ties to the british isles. The slave explanation has been downplayed the last decades believing that's not a major cause of Celtic blood in modern Icelanders.
I love this method. They worked with natural resources and made little impact in the land.
Ah really beautiful.looks so cosy.love the fact that they were born there.god bless this guy loosing his mother she would be so proud of him turning it into a museum.its so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this with us all x
That is amazing! So beautiful!
Instablaster.
And now, years later we have shitty suburbia homes with drywall that has to be replaced whenever we tear a nail out of it.
Jeremy McReynolds but its cheap and consumerish
But is it really tho?
Short term vs long term.
Jeremy McReynolds your not actually worried about the environment are you???? TV, fast food, over consumption of resources, TRANSITORY PLEASURES!!!!!!!!
What?
I meeeann... they had to handbuild their houses with no modern machines and drywall was certainly not an option. You're welcome to chop down your own trees, cut turf, get volcanic rocks then build your own house if you really want these walls
As a spinner, weaver, and knitter of wool, I loved that old drawing where EVERYONE was doing something with fiber. Noted the two drop spindles tucked up in the rafters, most folks probably missed that. Funny how we 'see' what is interesting to us.
They look lovely, solid, and cosy inside the earth ground.
Added this museum to my bucket list. Thank you for making unique and calming content.
Comme c'est construit de façon intelligente! Une leçon de vie. Merci de cette excellent vidéo.
Je vous en prie
The most beautiful, informative and quality narrative video I have ever seen on you tube ...it was a pleasure watching this. Thank you
I love that his mother helped with rebuilding things!
Fantastic! I'm an architecture student from Belgium, this way of building and living inspires me a lot. Added this video to my favorites 😊
This is amazing and so beautiful. The finest living off grid.
Absolutely loved this video! Thank you! And thanks to Hannes, his wife and mother for preserving these houses! :)
I LOVED this episode!!! Soo interesting and educational. Iceland is on My bucket list and now I can add visiting a turf house to it.
Thanks for another great video.
This was fascinating and educational.
Your host was intelligent, articulate, and charming.
The houses are efficient, functional, and beautiful.
Happy Trails
Those turf houses are so beautiful !
Such a fascinating video. I've watched it three times. Thanks very much for taking the time and care to show the details!
For some this may be history, for others their own history while for some others this is inspirational.Thank you for the video, for me it was inspirational, I would like to live in this eco-friendly way 💫
This episode was awesome, I love hearing the history from an older generation, and I love the length! Do more! :D
Fascinating and well presented! Thanks!
I absolutely love it. next time I go to Iceland, I want to visit a traditional turf house.
I love how he talks on the video without being too much, and entertains every question. :) The Shire unlocked!
It's the first I hear of these houses. Great content, thank you 😊
Great stuff. You guys really make high quality productions. I know personally how much time and effort you have to put into these, especially to make them come out as good as you guys do. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for all the positive feedback Luc! It does take an extremely long time to make these videos but it seems like people are enjoying them and appreciating all the work that goes into them.....I guess we'll just have to keep making more!! :)
@@ExploringAlternatives Danke für ihre wundervolle Arbeit❣👍
I had never heard of these. Simply beautiful. Thank you for a very interesting tour.
Very smart & adaptable, those Icelanders! Thank you for making this video, sharing a view of the world I'd never seen before.
Really well done guys! Great to get the farmer to tell the story too :)
Wow these are completely gorgeous!! We live communally and, particularly when trying to live sustainably, find it to be far, far better. Challenging but in a good way!
Aren't they lovely?! I do love the idea of having the whole family cozied up in one communal space :)
Exploring Alternatives:
I like the idea of dedicated spaces... separate, yet accessible without having to become a snowplow.
Something like the norse longhouse in this other video would be perfect for communal living. ruclips.net/video/KA0VWfJEn9U/видео.html
I would modify the bed area for more privacy and create a bathhouse. Everything else I think is fine. Working together, living together, building stability. There would be no homelessness.
Спасибо за видео. Прекрасное интервью и фильм. Посмотрела с большим интересом и удовольствием.
Absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for showing and explaining.
Amazing ingenuity! It looks so beautiful there
These people are brilliant, and they got rid of all the damn Bankers and took back their
country !
I wish we would have the courage to do the same. End the Federal Reserve!
Uh oh we’ve got one of /ourguys/ in here
@Majin Gojira that's because there are cops and cameras everywhere
Maggie Mae from my bust to japan I didn’t see a single policeman and locals told me they didn’t have many
God I wish we could get rid of all our minorities in the US. We all just don't get along.
Thanks so much for this video. I really appreciate learning about tiny homes in other parts of the world where notions of privacy and sharing are so different from those of us who live here in Canada. Thanks and good luck in your travels.
Heartwarming low impact and made for the climate and local natural resources. The internal connections between housesholds reminds me of the stone age village found buried at Skara Brae on Orkney which is far north with similar climate etc., I've spent time in real homes made from wood, clay and stone and they feel so different. I would love to live in such a home.
Amazing living am inspired by how man works with what God gives him thank you for sharing
This is so beautiful. I would come to Iceland just to see this place!
Very interesting! So important to document their history for future generations to appreciate. Thank you for sharing.
See, it's natural and beautiful. Life doesn't have to be complicated
So interesting. The vikings had similar dwellings. Beautiful interiors. Communal beasts that we are.
I think the tough winters and isolated locations make you have to be more communal.
Nothing beats snuggling, haha.
Icelanders ARE viking descendant in pure direct lines. They came from Norway before year 1000: highlight of viking time
I hope interest in the building principles used here has a resurgence some time soon, they seem like incredibly sensible houses.
In America they are called Earthen Homes, some in New Mexico and Nevada, they also capture rain water in large tanks and are used for everything.
This is a great video! I am in the middle of building my own dirt house, and am looking for inspiration from the past. This was a great find!
Ingenious use of natural resources! The living area is beautiful!
wonderful video and the Langspil was a revelation : )
Nice to see old building techniques still around : ..... but one generation! build once and overengineer :)
What an exquisite complex of houses! Great video to support it.
This video and topic were really interesting! Now I want to go to Iceland myself and see these houses. Thank you for making this!
If only we lived like this... except for sharing the bedroom. 😬
Mother looked like a movie star in that picture.
I agree! Haha
AdoboLifestyle n
I keep coming back to this video. I'm so amazed with the build and the insulation the sod creates for warmth and coolness. Then the genius idea of a hallway linking each building to the house and you don't have to leave the building just walk through the hallway.
I was just thinking the same thing :) As an Icelander I really like that he's preserving this part of our history.
I've decided to take more care. People have never spent as little time as we do to get dressed for the day. I want to show that to my girls.
This is SO cool. I can't wait to get back to Iceland and would love to see this.
the houses look so very warm, comfy and inviting
This video is spectacular.
Thanks Todd!
Absolutely wonderful content! Subscribed.
Thanks for subscribing and welcome to the channel :) :)
Absolutely facinating! Very informative as well! Thank you!
Amazing. Thanks for documenting all of this 👍
wow! There is no heater or fireplace in the house for heat up themselves. They keep warm with the only body heat. They must have a quite strong metabolism. I mean in my town when weather hit -3 or -5. Some of the people lose them life. I'm so impressed.
The earth keeps the inside temp at around 50 F.
It's properly insulated, so the heat adds up. Plus 10 people cramped.
Ces matériaux sont très spécifiques à l'Islande et impliquent un sens inouï de la débrouillardise. Très intéressant à visionner, bonne musique.Bravo!
Merci Jocelyne!!! :)
jocelyne langis No third world countries languages, please!
Btw, the huts are beautiful!
how utterly beautiful are the houses
thankyou to the Gentleman &
yourselves
Amazing videos! You two are making better and better videos. It amazes me how interconnected all house are within the world. These type of structures have been built in Africa and central united states. Even cob is related to this. Thanks for showing me this!
Great video!! What happened to his hand? Poor guy. Beautiful home!!
Beautiful music too!
people have been playing minecraft for longer than we think.....
Super LOVE for this. Thank YOU so much for sharing this.
Fantastic video! Always learning from you-thanks!