“One of the Seven Sages, Thales of Miletus, identified water as the principle of all things; Heraclitus, fire; the Magi priests, water and fire; Euripides […] air and earth. Pythagoras, indeed, as well as Empedocles, Epicharmus, and other natural philosophers maintained that the primordial elements are four: air, fire, earth, and water.”
Vitruvio, De architectura, libro VIII, pref.
Iceland is not just an island; it is a geological symphony, a place where the four elements – Fire, Water, Air, and Earth – are not mere concepts, but living, tangible forces that shape its landscape and its soul.
Fire: The Breath of the Earth
Fire is Iceland’s beating heart. Located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the island is one of the most volcanically active places in the world. This underground fire manifests itself not only in eruptions that create new land, but also in countless hot springs, bubbling mud pools, and powerful geysers that shoot steam and boiling water into the sky. It is the heat that fuels geothermal energy, warming the homes and lives of Icelanders—a constant reminder that beneath the icy surface, the earth is incredibly alive.
Water: The Sculptor of Life
Water is the artist that sculpts the land. From the enormous glaciers (such as Vatnajökull) that cover vast regions and give Iceland its name, powerful rivers emerge. These rivers plunge into breathtaking iconic waterfalls like Gullfoss and Skógafoss, roaring and misting the air. Water, in both solid and liquid form, is everywhere: from the steam rising from geothermal lagoons to the Atlantic Ocean embracing its shores. It is the vital lifeblood, omnipresent and ever-moving.
Air: The Breath of Freedom
Icelandic air is pure, wild, and unpredictable. Swept by Arctic and Atlantic currents, it carries a sense of solitude and boundless freedom. It is the crisp, cold air that brings with it the scent of the sea and of lava. But it is also the stage for one of the planet’s most magical spectacles: the Northern Lights. The dancing lights of magnetized air transform long winter nights into displays of green, violet, and pink—a celestial reminder of the atmosphere’s power.
Earth: The Black and Green Canvas
Earth is the solid foundation, a canvas of extreme contrasts. It is made of black volcanic sand and sharp, hardened lava fields. Yet within this lunar landscape, incredibly green valleys open up, covered with dense, velvety moss that defies the harsh basalt. It is a young land, constantly growing and changing, where one can literally touch the tectonic plates as they drift apart. Icelandic earth is harsh yet welcoming, a unique intersection between the old world and a creation still in progress.
In Iceland, these elements are not separate but fused together: water (steam) meets fire (geysers), earth (lava) is shaped by water (glaciers), and air carries both ash and frost. It is a land of extremes, where nature reigns supreme in all its elemental splendor.