▁ 4 ▁supp or ters .. ▁This ▁all udes ▁to ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁flag ▁of ▁I cel and . ▁The ▁supp or ters ▁are ▁the ▁four ▁protect ors ▁of ▁I cel and ▁( land v æ tt ir ) ▁as ▁described ▁in ▁He im sk ring la , ▁standing ▁on ▁a ▁block ▁of ▁column ar ▁bas alt . ▁The ▁b ull ▁( G ri ð ung ur ) ▁is ▁the ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁north western ▁I cel and , ▁the ▁e agle ▁or ▁gr iff in ▁( G amm ur ) ▁protect s ▁n ort he astern ▁I cel and , ▁the ▁drag on ▁( D re ki ) ▁protect s ▁the ▁sout he astern ▁part , ▁and ▁the ▁rock - gi ant ▁( Ber gr isi ) ▁is ▁the ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁south western ▁I cel and . ▁Great ▁respect ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁these ▁cre atures ▁of ▁I cel and , ▁so ▁much ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁law ▁during ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Vik ings ▁that ▁no ▁ship ▁should ▁bear ▁gr im acing ▁symbols ▁( most ▁often ▁drag on head s ▁on ▁the ▁bow ▁of ▁the ▁ship ) ▁when ▁approaching ▁I cel and . ▁This ▁was ▁so ▁the ▁protect ors ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁prov oked ▁unnecess arily . ▁ ▁The ▁land v æ tt ir ▁( “ land ▁w ights ” ) ▁also ▁decor ate ▁the ▁ob verse ▁( front ) ▁of ▁the ▁I cel and ic ▁kr ón a ▁co ins , ▁but ▁animals ▁of ▁the ▁ocean ▁( fish ,