Scan Magazine | Museum of the Month | Faroe Islands
Museum of the Month, Faroe Islands
Dive into the rich cultural and natural history of the Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands have a rich and interesting history that’s well worth exploring. At the National Museum of the Faroe Islands, you’ll get a memorable experience of the nature, culture and history of the 18 volcanic islands, starting from the Viking Age (800-1050 AD). Explore the history of wool and its significant role in Faroese history, learn about the national costume, and discover the original Faroese rowing boat.
nates with our guests, while still showing our love for the Faroese history, heritage and traditions, as they have very much shaped the Faroese society as we know and love it today,” Winkler continues.
By Heidi Kokborg | Photos: The National Museum of the Faroe Islands
From sheep droppings to catwalk in Tokyo
The National Museum of the Faroe Islands takes its visitors on a journey through the fascinating cultural and natural history of these magnificent islands. Here, you’ll be able to explore the permanent exhibitions, special exhibitions, an open-air museum, a Faroese garden, and an abandoned whaling station from 1905. “Since 2018, the museum has evolved and developed significantly. We have completely reimagined everything; we’re making our exhibitions more con136 | Issue 137 | December 2021
temporary, and we’re uniting natural history, cultural history, geology and archaeology, so both our permanent and special exhibitions will be multidisciplinary,” explains Rannvá Winkler, museum curator at the National Museum of the Faroe Islands.
One of the most fascinating – and perhaps also slightly unusual – permanent exhibitions at the museum is called From sheep droppings to catwalk in Tokyo. The exhibition is the story of wool and the extremely important role wool – and sheep – have played in Faroese history.
This also means that the permanent exhibitions are being updated, making them even more interesting for visitors. “We wish to grow and develop with our visitors and portray the rich Faroese history and nature in a contemporary way that reso-
“We know there have been humans on the Faroe Islands since the Viking Age, and we also know that for as long as humans have lived on the islands, sheep and their wool have kept the Faroese people alive,” says Winkler.
