Iceland Essentials
Geological Facts
Area: 103.000 qm2 , Population: only 290.570
(Dec.03)
!! ,
Capital: Reykjavík (Pop.113.288), more than 90% are Lutheran
Christians
The characteristics of Iceland:
-
volcanoes
-
geothermal features (Geyser, bubbling mud and sulphur pots, hot springs,
fumarols
-
large glaciers
-
waterfalls
-
almost no trees (except some forest of crippled birches in Pórsmörk)
-
one urban area (Greater Reykjavik), some small towns and villages
at the coast
-
almost uninhabited interior (highlands)
-
one ring road along the shore and some dirt gravel road through the
highlands (in summer)
Natural Phenomena
Northern lights (Aurora Boralis):
forming shifting sheets of green, white or red colour in harvest,
winter and spring. They are caused by by the solar wind bringing electrically
charged particels into contact with the Earth's atmosphere. Sometimes you
catch a good show that improves the further North you travel.
I saw a small one at 1st of September in Reykjavik.
Long and short days:
Iceland is in the South of the Artic circle so the sun does set
and there is no midnight sun. But in Summer days are very long and in Winter
days are very short.
click on to enlarge 
Elves, Trolls, Ghosts, thieving
Santa Clauses and more:
Elves, Trolls and Ghosts of deceased are ubiquitous in Iceland.
Only babies can see them, but if they feel disturbed they draw attention
to the wrongdoer and misfortune happen to him. A guide told me he had spent
one night at the death place of a deceased to offer him his respect, before
he worked in his area. The Reykjavik council asks regulary for an expertise
of an elves expert before building roads or important public houses. Sometimes
the plans have to be changed because of these expertises. Somehow on this
way Icelanders show respect to the nature and its manifestations.
There are thirteen Santa Clauses (Jólasveinar)
in Iceland, but these aren't benefactors but a pack of coarse thieves that
steal food or cause disturbance to men each in his kind. The mother of
these christmas chaps is the wicked witch Grýla and their
father is Leppalúði.
The
Jólasveinar appear one after the other from the 12. December to
Chrismas Eve (Aðfangadagskvöld)
and
they dissappear also in the same way until the 13. Chrismas Day. Today
these harsh guys wear promotionally effective red coats.
Festivals
Sumardagurinn: first summerday
is the first day in the summer month Harpa of the ancient
Icelandic calendar, which is the first thursday after the 18th April. Usually
presents are given long before it also was getting usual on Christmas in
Iceland.
Þorrablót:in
the old fourth winter month Þorra
a fiest of sacrifice today similar to carnival.
Often old dishes are served like sheep head or sour pickled mutton testicles
Verslunarmannahelgi Labor Day weekend
extended weekend on the first Monday in August. People often make
a trip into the countryside.
Sjomannadagur Seamans Day (June 4th)
some marine contests like tug-of- war, swimming races and sea-rescue
demostration are happening
Independence Day (June 17)
celebrates the separation from Denmark in
1944
Rettir
celebrated in rural areas, when horses and sheep are herded down
from the summer pastures to be penned and sorted
Chrismas and Easter Monday
as everywhere in the Christain World
The ancient Icelandic calendar is cultivated. In the past only the
seasons winter and summer werde distinguished.
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History:
The first people believed to have settled in Iceland were Irish
monks, who came in the eight century AD. They left the island after arrival
of pagan Norseman (Vikings), who fled from Norway's oppressive King Arthur
Fairhair. In the year 930 AD the Icelanders founded the "Althing",
the oldest parliament of the world. In 1262 AD Iceland became subject to
Norwegian control and in 1380 AD under Danish/Norwegian control. After
granting themselves a constitution in 1874 AD, Iceland became an independent
state under the Danish king in 1918. The Republic of Iceland was declared
on June 17, in 1944.
The discovery of America
Both sons of "Erik the Red" and their crew were the first Europeans
who discovered America in 1000 AD shipping from Greenland what they called
"Vinland". They landed at first in Labrador and Baffin Island, later they
reached to Quebec and New York. The settlement was given up after conflicts
with Indians. |
Economy
Fishing is the main economic source of revenue (50 %) of Iceland.
There were partly violent disputes (Cod war) with fishing neighbourghs
(Britain, Denmark and Norway) because Iceland has expanded high-handed
its territorial waters. But Iceland retained the upper hand.
Income of tourism is more and more important due to dropping fishing
stocks because of overfishing. There is a high interest of travelling to
Iceland because of its beautiful scenery abroad, but the high prices deter
many travellers.
Iceland is not member of the EU, but has approved an Free Trade Association.
EU-Citizens can work in Iceland as long as there is no high unemployment
in Iceland without any legal impediments. Wages are high, but work could
be boring, if it is on a remote farm in boring landscapes on plain country
for example.
People
The Icelander is said to be measured, reserved but also perfect,
helpful and uncomplicated. They don't have no exaggerated ideas of morality;
there are as much as illegitimate children or single mothers or fathers
as in the rest of modern Europe. Icelanders are often cosmopolitans, modern
new technology like computers or Internet was quickly spread all over the
country. But as elsewhere people are individually different.
It is said that young people like drinking on weekends and corso
driving around Reykjavík, I don't know if it is (yet) true.
Although Iceland is a very small country it is participating in many kinds
of sport competitions around the world and its soccer team for example
is able to keep pace with the competition of world's top teams.
Go swimming is a good idea in Iceland, many local people do so, too.
Language:
Icelandic is a difficult to learn language.
It is spoken unchanged since the time of the Vikings in the 10th century.
Icelanders can read their Sagas in the orginal version. The Icelandic alphabet
has 32 letters with some special characters. English words like
Computer or telephone are not adapted, Icelandic words are invented by
a linguistic committee if necessary ( for example: Tölva =Computer)
A Link for learning Icelandic: icelandic.hi.is/coursetest.php
Names
Icelandic surnames are composed from the forename of their father
(rarely from the mother) and plus the Icelandic word for son "son" or
daughter "dóttir). Eriksson means therefore Son of Erik and
Sigurddóttir is daughter of Sigurd. Icelanders are addressed by
their forename and are listed by their forename in the telephone directory.
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Literature
Sagas
are telling stories from the 12th century
about people from a certain region. The Saga from the Laxdalla tells the
family relations, feuds and sea travels of people in Laxdala. The stile
is narrative, without emotions and rather boring.
Contemporary Literature
Iceland has more contemporary writers per
inhabitant than any other country in the world. The most famous among them
is the Literature Noble Prize winning author Halldór Laxness. He
wrote for example "The fish can sing", "The Atom Station", Salka-Valka
", A Poet's time"
Others
Helgrimur Helgasson: Reykjavík 101
Indridason: "Nordermoor" Scandinavian
award winning detective novel and "Breath of Death"
Einar Kárason : "Devil's Island"
Part
one of the history of a shack quarter in Reykjavik
Dis Sigurdóttir: "Men are like fish
in the Sea" the Icelandic answer to "Bridget's Diary"
Steinunn Sigurdardóttir : "The place
of the heart" mother - daughter relationship
Iceland Horses
Icelandhorses are the unchanged breed as the horses of the first
settlers in the nineth century. Other breed are not allowed in Iceland.
Even the reimport of from Iceland exported horses is not admissible.
Normally horses have four kind of pace: trot, gallop, gait and pass
but Iceland horses have a fifth (smooth) pace that is called "tölt".
The age of the horses is given in "winters" and not in years.
