Hestur is a 112-page photo book. There are 77 photographs accompanied by poetic texts. It traces the history of the Icelandic horse through the centuries, the seasons, and takes us to the end of the Icelandic night with rare images of horses under the northern lights.
The book Hestur is prefaced by Icelandic photographer and Icelandic horse specialist Gígja Einarsdóttir.
Hestur, the photo book
€35.00
Tax included
Hestur is a 112-page photo book. There are 77 photographs accompanied by poetic texts. It traces the history of the Icelandic horse through the centuries, the seasons, and takes us to the end of the Icelandic night with rare images of horses under the northern lights.
The book Hestur is prefaced by Icelandic photographer and Icelandic horse specialist Gígja Einarsdóttir.
Icelandic horses are descendants of horses imported by the Vikings, who were the first to colonise the island. Irish and Scottish settlers also imported horses from other regions. Very quickly, Icelanders banned the importation of horses to the island, which helped to preserve the breed intact.
Over the course of a millennium, natural selection did its work, eliminating the weakest horses and favouring the most resilient. The horses adapted and became robust and magnificent.
Horses play a very important role in the lives of Icelanders. They also feature in Norse sagas and mythology. Odin, the god of gods among the Vikings, owned an eight-legged horse capable of flying through the air and crossing the seas.
Samy Berkani set out to meet Hestur (which means horse in Old Norse). For two winters, he spent time with these horses in all the conditions Iceland has to offer: light snowflakes, strong winds, blizzards and long nights under the Northern Lights. The book Hestur is a poetic account of this adventure.
Partners of the book Hestur
Fédération Française du Cheval Islandais
Data sheet
- Number of pages
- 112
- Number of photos
- 77
- Size
- 28 x 24 cm
- Preface
- Gígja Einarsdóttir