Voices Across the Veil: The Séance of Steinþór Þórðarson

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A tale from Iceland’s mystical past

A Young Man of Initiative

In his younger days, Steinþór Þórðarson (1892–1981) threw himself into community work and local groups. Even as a teenager, he wanted to make things better for those around him. In 1911, he started a reading society called simply The Reading Society, where people could come together over books and ideas.

Steinþór stayed active in many political groups over the years. His words carried real weight in local decisions. He always studied issues carefully and wrote clearly and strongly. Seeing how hard his mother worked at home drove him to fight for better lives for housewives and less daily struggle.

A detailed illustration in vintage Icelandic folklore style of a young 20th-century Icelandic man in simple wool clothing standing confidently in a rural community hall, holding an open book as if addressing a small group of attentive villagers seated around him, with turf-roofed buildings and snowy landscape visible through a window, soft natural light, atmospheric and historical mood. – Created by Perplexity.

The Handyman of the Farm

Steinþór was handy too. On his farm, he installed a running water system, wired the house for electricity, and built fences himself. His brother, Þórbergur Þórðarson (1888–1974), became a renowned Icelandic writer who told the story of the medium Indriði Indriðason. Þórbergur was there at Hotel Ísland when Indriði mysteriously vanished in front of their eyes.

Vintage illustration of a sturdy Icelandic farmer in early 20th-century work clothes repairing a wooden fence around a traditional turf-roofed farmhouse, with snowy fields and distant mountains under a pale winter sky, tools in hand, showing determination and skill, historical folklore atmosphere. – ***Created by Perplexity.***

Winter 1966 in Reykjavík

In early winter 1966, Steinþór was in Reykjavík and got a chance for a séance with the well-known medium Hafsteinn. Hafsteinn only did small sessions with four to six people, so spots were hard to get. Steinþór’s friend Margrét arranged it with just two days’ notice, and she went with her husband Ólafur.

Two women from Reykjavík were already sitting with Hafsteinn when they arrived. They took their seats, and after the séance began, Hafsteinn turned to Steinþór. Many spirits wanted to reach him, he said. He mentioned Steinþór wrote long letters, including a recent one to Jón Benediktsson, a kind and charitable man. That was spot on.

***Illustration of 1966 Reykjavik streets. –*** ***Created by Perplexity.***

Voices from the Other Side

Then Reverend Eiríkur came through with a young man who drowned near his farm. Steinþór knew right away it was Gunnar Vilhjálmsson from Ós, lost in a lake close to his own place. Hafsteinn called him Jón at first, which surprised Steinþór. The medium listened again: “His full name is Jón Gunnar, but everyone called him Gunnar.”

Gunnar thanked Steinþór for the obituary he wrote. Steinþór thought it too short, but Gunnar said he’d heard it read aloud after death and liked it. They talked about home—Gunnar’s mother had been sick since his passing and feared losing her other son. Sadly, that winter the brother died crushed under a forklift.