# Identify this mythic Icelandic? wizard **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 14, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870 "2004-08-14T22:03:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/1 "2004-08-14T22:03:15Z")
I’m trying to remember. I know there were sagas about him. Icelandic, or somewhere northern european. He was notable for being a hero in a tricksy swashbuckling way as well as a magician, whereas most magicians play second fiddle and feel less honorable than fighters (Merlin, Gandalf, etc). Do you know who I mean? I’ve tried googling, but without much success. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/2 "2004-08-14T22:13:32Z")
I believe the one you mean is called Njal. I’m buggered if I can remember any last or family name, though. There’s also another one you could be thinking about, the Finnish wizard Väinamöinen in the epic Kalevala. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/3 "2004-08-14T22:28:36Z")
YES! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! It _was_ Väinamöinen. I’m off to look him up. I hope he’s as cool as I remember. And that I can impress my clasicist friends. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/4 "2004-08-14T23:25:47Z")
Well, Njal’s saga is THE Icelandic saga and I recall those tended to be pretty good all-round. I like Gisli myself. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/5 "2004-08-17T06:01:57Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > YES! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! It _was_ Väinamöinen. I’m off to look him up. I hope he’s as cool as I remember. And that I can impress my clasicist friends. I thought it was Lemmankinan :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/6 "2004-08-17T11:29:39Z")
Originally Posted by Shade YES! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! It was Väinamöinen. I’m off to look him up. I hope he’s as cool as I remember. And that I can impress my clasicist friends. > [@ouryL](#): > > I thought it was > Lemmankinan > :eek: Compromise. Call him “Bob”. 😉😃 ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/7 "2004-08-17T12:11:25Z")
Or “Tim!” _BOOM_ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/8 "2004-08-17T17:56:03Z")
Ah, the Kalevala! I want a Sampo! Lemmonkinan was my favorite! Without the Kalevala, there would have been no Lord of the Rings! ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/9 "2004-08-17T19:07:35Z")
I love the Kalevala. The bit where the main character deliberately gets swallowed by a giant to learn magic always amuses me. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/10 "2004-08-17T19:54:51Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Ah, the Kalevala! I want a Sampo! Oh no! Was that the source of that MST3K movie?!? (The Day the Earth Froze?) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/11 "2004-08-18T01:37:45Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Oh no! Was that the source of that MST3K movie?!? > (The Day the Earth Froze?) Yup. That movie was based on a story from the Kalevala. It was a priceless episode. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/12 "2004-08-18T10:43:29Z")
Wow, this is fascinating. It’s amazing how the threads you think would get one reply tops turn out to be popular 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mythic-icelandic-wizard/259870/13 "2004-08-18T13:43:54Z")
Particularly if we get to make cheesy movie references, like “If he tries something, Väinamöinen will kill him.” 🙂