The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County is pleased to announce the short visit of a 16 feet section of the original 300 feet Njal’s Saga Tapestry created in Iceland. The exhibition of this remarkable work of the hands will be in the Viking ship gallery of the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, MN, Aug. 6-13, 2025. Njal’s Saga is the most popular and famous of the Viking-era Icelandic sagas and a source of enormous cultural pride in Iceland and among Icelandic Americans.
Inspired by the world-famous Bayeux Tapestry in France, a small community in southern Iceland set out to create its own hand-embroidered illustration of its most famous tale. Begun on Feb. 2, 2013, and completed on Sept. 15, 2020, the 50-centimetre-wide tapestry was hand-embroidered on 100% linen with Icelandic wool yarn used for the stitching. The yarn was dyed with Icelandic herbs by ancient Viking methods. The two stitches used are based on those in the Bayeux Tapestry which are now thought to have originated in Iceland. Due to unprecedented interest and many volunteer embroiderers stopping in to work on it, the tapestry was completed more quickly than originally planned.
On Aug. 7 at 6pm, the fascinating story of how this tapestry, thought to be the longest in the world, came to will be presented by Claudia Pétursson, an Icelandic-American with a strong passion for the project. She will also lead a drop-in embroidery workshop to teach the two stitches used in the tapestry on Aug. 9 and 10 1-3pm. Finally, there will be a book club discussion of Njal’s Saga facilitated by Pétursson on Aug. 12 at 6pm. All activities are free and open to the public, but admission will be charged to see the exhibit (free Tues. night 5-8pm).
Njal’s Saga takes place in the Rangárþing region of Iceland. It tells the story about good friends Gunnar of Hlíðarendi and Njáll of Bergþórshvoll. Gunnar’s enemies end up killing him, and Njál and his wife and sons are burned to death in their home. It is a story about a battle, power struggle, passionate love, and deceit.
The Njál’s Saga Tapestry received the Education Prize of South Iceland in 2014.
The designer of the pictures, which are printed on the Njál’s Saga Tapestry, is Kristín Ragna Gunnarsdóttir. She has won the Icelandic Illustration Award on two occasions. This is a private project, sponsored by many, but two women started this wonderful project, Gunnhildur Edda Kristjánsdóttir, and Christina Bengtsson.
This event is funded in part by a grant from the Lake Region Arts Council through a Minnesota State Legislative appropriation; The Arts Partnership with support from the Cities of Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo; the Alex Stern Family Foundation, the Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation, the F-M Icelandic Klub, and Maureen Kelly Jonason.
Regular museum admission: Adults $12, Seniors $11, College Students $9, Youth 5-17 $8, Under 5, HCSCC members, and Active Military Free. Tuesday night, Aug. 12, admission is free 5-8pm.