Working Group in Feminist Approaches to Ethnology and Folklore
The WG reports on its first workshop and interim meeting held in Hólmavík, Iceland, engaging with the theme “‘Woman’ on Edge” and announces its next workshop to be in 2026. It also invites you to join its regular Zoom meetings reading/discussion groups.
Report: “Workshop and Interim Meeting”, August 23–25, 2024; Hólmavík, Iceland.
The Working Group on Feminist Approaches to Ethnology and Folklore held its first workshop in the small town of Hólmavík, Iceland, from August 23-25, 2024. The theme of the workshop was "’Woman’ on the Edge.” There were 15 participants, from eight countries, including all the members of the WG board. As the group was established just last year, this event marked an important milestone.
The workshop began with a drive from Reykjavík to Hólmavík, and was framed by several concept papers that focused on feminist approaches in research, followed by presentations and discussions of working papers. The group explored a variety of feminist perspectives and methodologies, and lively discussions followed each presentation.
In addition to the academic sessions, participants enjoyed a rich array of cultural activities. The first evening began with a reception at the University of Iceland’s Research Centre in Folklore, followed by a visit to Galdur – Hólmavík’s local brewery. After a hearty dinner at the Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft, Kay Turner led a workshop that took a new look at the Icelandic folklore characters Grýla and Fjallkonan (lit. Lady of the Mountain). The second day was filled with more presentations and discussions, after which the group took an evening excursion to Hveravík where local folklorist, Kristín Einarsdóttir, not only served a delicious local fish dinner, but capped it off with her own version of a ghost story. Before calling it a night, some in the group took a dip in the hot springs at Laugarhóll.
On the final day participants visited nearby Kollafjörður, where Dagrún Ósk Jónsdóttir, the WG Secretary, talked about the local folklore and the Icelandic skessur (female trolls). The group also visited an exhibition on traditional woolwork at the Sheep Farming Museum, which was also the venue for the interim Working Group annual general meeting. The meeting was conducted on Zoom so that WG members not attending the workshop could also participate remotely.
Overall, the workshop in Hólmavík was a success: it was lively and stimulating, and many relations were formed, built, and strengthened. The strength of the connections is evident in the plans for many future projects.
The workshop was funded by SIEF, The Dutch Center for Intangible Heritage, and Uppbyggingarsjóður Vestfjarða. This generous support made the workshop accessible to a rich diversity of participants.
We look forward to hosting another workshop in 2026, and participating in the SIEF conference in Aberdeen in June, 2025. As the working group continues to grow, our regular Zoom meetings reading/discussion groups remain open to all interested participants. Please see information on these Zoom discussion on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/994660545029962, and join our Working Group in Feminist Approaches to Ethnology and Folklore: https://www.siefhome.org/wg/fem/
