In a country known for its dramatic landscapes and strong sense of community, the late 1800s and early 1900s were a time of transformation for Icelandic education and domestic life. In the midst of these changes, Elín Rannveig Briem emerged as a major force, weaving together learning, practical skills and social reform.
From a large northern family to educational reform
Born at Espihóll in the Eyjafjörður region on 19 October 1856, Elín was the tenth of nineteen siblings in the Briem family. Her father, Eggert Gunnlaugson Briem, served as county magistrate in the north, leading to frequent moves before they settled near Sauðárkrókur. With many children to educate, lessons often took place at home, covering everything from languages, English, Danish and German, to the traditional subjects.
As she grew up in rural Iceland, Elín saw the lack of educational options for northern girls. She championed efforts to create a school for girls, which finally welcomed students in 1877. Elín was among the first teachers, and her commitment to learning only deepened as she later travelled to Copenhagen, Denmark. There, she trained at a pioneering teacher school before returning home to direct the newly established women’s school at Ytri-Ey near Skagaströnd.
A new approach to women’s education
At Ytri-Ey, Elín’s ideas shaped a curriculum that went beyond traditional subjects. Students not only learned mathematics, geography and languages, but also gained instruction in cookery and household management. With enrollments quickly climbing above the initial twenty students, girls arrived from across the country to join what grew into a prominent institution.
Elín was not content with classroom teaching alone. In her evenings, she worked on what became Kvennafræðarinn (The Women’s Instructor), the book first published around the turn of 1888–1889. Produced originally from the lessons she gave her students, its content ranged from recipes, about three-quarters of the material, to sections guiding women on health, nutrition, cleaning and basic economic management.
The book broke new ground in Iceland. Earlier cookbooks had circulated with little influence, but Kvennafræðarinn sold thousands of copies and continued to be reprinted. It made its way into homes across the country and was credited with shaping the practices of Icelandic kitchens and households well into the new century.
Following her first marriage in 1895 and subsequent widowhood, Elín helped establish a housekeeping school in Reykjavík before taking up posts once more in the north. Even as ill health forced her to retire in 1915, she remained active in advocating for women’s education and rights. She earned significant recognition, including the Order of the Falcon in 1921, one of the first women in Iceland to do so.
Elín Briem’s life spanned turbulent decades where Iceland shifted from isolated rural communities to a society placing greater value on learning and organised home life. Her work, both on the page and in schools, played a quiet but crucial role during this pivotal time.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
