when
November 1st 2025
Where
3rd floor

Dogs and cats accompanied the original settlers to Iceland and have always played a part in Icelanders’ daily lives, although their roles have changed over time. Dogs assisted their masters with farm work and herding. Cats were primarily hunters that kept mice at bay, but there are fewer stories from centuries past about cats than there are about dogs.

Cats and dogs are often portrayed as opposites. On one hand, dogs are the faithful and devoted companions of man, while on the other hand, cats are cunning and mysterious; a common idiom is “the cat goes its own way.”  In the past, both cats and dogs were referred to as “creatures,” which shows that despite people’s affection for them, a clear distinction was made between people and animals.

Today, dogs and cats occupy a special place in people’s lives and are more often than not considered family members. In the exhibition displays photographs that capture the animals in everyday context, bones found in archaeological excavations, and medical specimens, along with other items from the National Museum’s collection that remind us of the colourful history of our coexistence with these animals, which has enriched the Icelandic language with metaphors and idioms that are often used to this day.

Curator:
Karólína Stefánsdóttir
Manuscript:
Karólína Stefánsdóttir
Translation:
Philip Roughton
Proofreading:
Mörður Árnason
Installation:
Þríbjörn
Printing photographs:
Picture framing:
Exhibition design:
Ármann Agnarsson
Printing text:
Credits:
Gunnar Eggertsson, Grace Cesario, Brenda Prehal, Rúnar Leifsson og Sverrir Jakobsson
Samstarfsaðilar:

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