Icelandic Folk Remedies

Archaeological evidence from burial sites throughout Iceland, such as Skeljastaðir, suggest that good physical health and longevity were entirely possible in bygone eras. An organic diet, good oral health and several effective folk remedies can account for the high quality of life experienced by Icelanders during the Viking Age and until more modern times, as well as a level of respect for community healers that remains present to this day.

Preventative Care

• Inhabitants of ancient Iceland put the modern practice of "the best offense is a good defense" to work when it came to their physical well-being, as good health was associated with good luck. Several folk remedies in Iceland and other Nordic countries recall primitive preventive medicine practices that relied heavily on the use of magic. Certain charms and chants were believed to help maintain good fortune, and runic inscriptions carved in wood, bone or other materials were said to significantly influence the health of whomever the object was placed near.

Physical Care

• In addition to magic, folk remedies for physical care in Iceland included primitive medical treatments such as lancing, midwifery, the cleansing of wounds and anointing them with herbs. There is archaeological evidence and surviving literature that tells of successful surgeries and on-site settings of broken bones. One saga, "Helga," by Óláf, describes a battlefield medicine practice for injuries to one's side or stomach: the patient was given a hot broth made of onions, leeks and herbs, and if, after consumption, the broth could be smelled from the wound then it was known to be fatal.

Plants and Herbs

• Charlotte Erichsen-Brown tells us about an Icelandic reference in 1475 to several medicinal plants in her book "Medicinal and Other Uses of North American Plants." According to her source, tar from red pine trees paired with honey was said to be good for treating heavy breathing, while wax was used to soften hard pimples and brimstone to treat dandruff, and kernels from the cones of red spruce trees were used to treat heavy breathing and a dry cough. Iceland moss is another widely known folk remedy that was historically used throughout Iceland, Scandinavia and Europe to treat lung disease, fever and chest ailments, and as an effective antibiotic and remedy for a variety of digestive issues. It also was used as a treatment for cancer, diabetes and to relieve symptoms of advanced tuberculosis. This lichen has been used topically to treat skin rashes, boils and open wounds. In addition, since this folk remedy contains almost 70 percent starch, it has been used for centuries as an emergency provision in making breads, soups and porridges when food is scarce.