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A Frequently Answered Questions (FAQ) file for the newsgroup
S O C . C U L T U R E . N O R D I C
*** PART 5: ICELAND ***
Index
5.1 Fact Sheet
5.2 General information
5.2.1 Geography, climate, vegetation
5.2.2 Economy
5.2.3 Government
5.2.4 Population and language
5.3 History
5.3.1 A chronology of important dates
5.3.2 Icelanders discover Greenland
5.3.3 Icelanders discover America (Vinland); L'Anse aux
Meadows
5.4 Main tourist attractions
5.4.1 Reykjavik
5.4.2 Einar Indridason's travel tips
5.4.3 More Iceland tips
5.4.4 Accommodation in Iceland
5.5 The sagas, Eddas, and subsequent Icelandic
literature.
5.5.1 The sagas
5.5.2 The Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda
5.5.3 Later Icelandic literature
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 5.1 Fact Sheet
Name: L��veldi� �sland
Telephone country code: 354
Area: 103,000 km� / 39,758 sq mi.
(Glaciers: 12.000 km�, lava 11.000 km�, lakes 3.000 km�,
arable land 1.100 km�).
Sea area (within 200 nautical miles of fishery limits): 758.000 km�
Terrain: mostly plateau inerspersed with mountain peaks and icefields;
coast deeply indented by bays and fjords.
Highest mountain: Hvannadalshn�kur, 2119 m.
Largest ice cap: Vatnaj�kull, 8,400 km�.
Natural resources: fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power
Land boundaries: none
Population: 264,922 (1993)
Population density: 2.5 persons per km� (6.5 per sq mi)
Distribution: 90% urban, 10% rural (1990)
Infant mortality: 4 per 1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy: male: 76.5, female: 81.0 (1993)
Capital: Reykjav�k (pop. 101,824) (1993)
Other major towns: K�pavogur: (17,172), Hafnarfj�r�ur (16,787)
Akureyri (14,799) (1993)
Flag: a red Nordic cross outlined in white on a blue background
Type: republic
Head of state: President �lafur Ragnar Gr�msson
Languages: Icelandic
Currency: kr�na (Icelandic crown, ISK). 1 USD = 63 ISK (March 1995)
see <gopher://hengill.rhi.hi.is:70/00/daglegt-lif/gengi.dags>
for today's rates.
Climate: coolish temperate, warmed by the Gulf stream. Average temp.
in Reykjav�k: -2�C - 2�C in Jan. and 9�C - 14�C in July.
Religion: Evangelic-Lutheran (96%) (official state-religion)
Exports: Fisheries products: 78,7%
Industrial products: 17,6%
Agricultural products: 1,7%
Other products: 2,0% (1993)
Cars per 1000 inhabitants (1989): 458
Phones per 1000 inhabitants (1989): 503
TVs per 1000 inhabitants (1988): 306
Doctors per 1000 inhabitants (1989) 2,8
Employment: (1991)
Agriculture............... 5,4%
Fishing................... 5,5%
Fish processing........... 6,0%
Other industry............12.5%
Building industry......... 9.8%
Commerce..................14,6%
Transport & communcations. 6,9%
Finance & insurance....... 8,4%
Public sector.............18,5%
Other.....................12,4%
Total 100,0%
Subject: 5.2 General information
<By: Halld�r �rnason et al.>
5.2.1 Geography, climate, vegetation
Iceland is the second largest island in Europe, after Great Britain. It's
the westernmost country in Europe, located far in the North Atlantic, atop
the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which is an area of active volcanism. The island was
indeed formed by numerous volcanos, many of which are still active,
sometimes creating new islands out of the sea.
Vegetation covers less than one-fifth of Icelands area and only about 1.1%
is cultivated. Trees, mostly birch, grow in some places, along with some
willows. The rest of the country is barren mountains, deserts (lava beds
cover some 11% of Iceland) and glaciers (12%). Vatnaj�kull (Lakes' Glacier)
in the southeast is the largest Ice field in Europe and �d��ahraun (Lava of
ill deeds) north of Vatnaj�kull is the largest lava bed on earth. Rivers and
waterfalls are plenty, and provide hydroelectric power. Over 90% of homes
are heated by hot springs, which also keeps greenhouses warm, where the
famous Icelandic bananas are grown.
5.2.2 Economy
Fishing produces Iceland's main exports, although it employs only ca. 12% of
the work force. The country has no railroads, but a network of highways and
secondary roads provides access to all inhabited parts of Iceland. Air
transportation also plays an important role, both locally and
internationally, through the main airports at Reykjav�k and at Keflav�k,
where also a U.S naval base is located (Iceland has no military force of its
own).
5.2.3 Government
Iceland is a constitutional republic governed by a general assembly, the
Althing, which is sometimes called the oldest democratic institution in
existense. The president is elected every four years by universal suffrage
for all persons over 18 years of age. Icelanders seem to like their
presidents, because a president running for reelection has in nine times out
of ten gone unopposed, and the tenth time won by a landslide. Real executive
power is held by the prime minister and the cabinet. Fore more information,
see the URL <http://www.althingi.is/~wwwadm/upplens.html>.
5.2.4 Population and language
Iceland's population is a homogeneous mixture of Scandinavian and Celtic
origin. Unlike the other Nordic countries there are no dialects to speak of.
The language spoken in Iceland has changed very little since the island was
settled, some 11 centuries ago. Icelandic and Faroese are the only
Scandinavian languages to have kept the complicated inflection system of the
Old Norse spoken during the viking age.
Subject: 5.3 History
5.3.1 A chronology of important dates
ca. 800
Irish explorers discover Iceland.
874 Iceland receives its first inhabitants from Norway (prior to that, some
Celtic colonies had existed in Iceland) as Ing�lfr Arnarson arrives in
Reykjav�k.
930 The Icelandic parliament, "Althing", had its first meeting. The Al�ing
is the oldest parliamentary system still operating in Europe.
985 Eir�kr (Eric) the Red discovers and settles in Greenland.
1000
Christianity adopted as the new religion. Leifr Er�ksson ('Leif The
lucky') discovers North America and names it V�nland.
1120-1230
The old Scandinavian sagas were written down in Iceland. Snorri
Sturluson, a nobleman, historian and poet, writes (or is believed to
have written) the Prose Edda and the Heimskringla
1262
Weakened by internal struggles, Iceland becomes under Norwegian rule,
maintaining, however, a large autonomy. The end of the age of
Sturlungs.
1387
Norway, and with it Iceland, becomes united to Denmark.
1400's-1700's
Pestilence, commercial exploitation, and natural catastrophes nearly
wiped out the Icelandic nation; by the late 18th century its number had
dropped to less than 40,000. A revival began in the 19th century.
1536
Iceland becomes Lutheran. The Bible is translated into Icelandic in
1584.
1783-86
The worst volcanic eruptions in the history of Iceland. Grass was
burned from large areas, 3/4 of cattle starved to death and likewise,
1/4 of Iceland's inhabitants died of starvation.
1786
Reykjav�k received trade rights.
1800
The Althing meetings discontinued by the Danish king.
1843
With the awakening of Icelandic nationalism, the Al�ing is
re-established as a consultative body.
1874
Iceland gets a constitution of its own.
1904
Home rule under Denmark.
1918
Denmark recognizes Iceland as a sovereign state, but Iceland remains
united with Denmark.
1940
When Denmark falls to the Nazis, Iceland is occupied by British troops
to prevent a German attack.
1941
U.S forces take over defence of Iceland.
1944
Iceland declares full independence at �ingvellir.
1946
Iceland joins the United Nations.
1949
Iceland joins the NATO after a long dispute, and in 1951 reluctantly
allows the U.S to maintain a naval base at Keflav�k in return for U.S
defense of Iceland.
1963
An underwater volcanic eruption creates a new island, named Surtsey, on
the Icelandic coast.
1973
The volcano Helgafell erupted on the island of Heimaey, destroying 1/4
of the houses of Vestmanneyjar, one of Iceland's busiest fishing
harbours. The rest was dug out of the ashes and most people moved back.
1975
Fishery limits extended to 200 miles. "Cod war" with Britain.
1980
Vigd�s Finnbogad�ttir becomes the first woman ever to be democratically
elected President of a Republic. She has been re-elected in 1984, 1988,
and 1992.
1986
Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meeting held in H�f�i house, Reykjav�k
5.3.2 Greenland
Greenland is said to have been discovered by a man called Gunnbj�rn whose
ship had gone off course. It was, however, Eir�kr �orvaldsson (a.k.a Eric
the Red) who explored and named the island, and ruled the first colony of
settlers. He who was born in Norway in the mid-10th century, but went to
Iceland as a child after his father was banished from Norway. A violent man
as he was, Eir�kr himself was banished from Iceland, and set forth on an
expedition westward from Iceland. In 981 he got to Greenland (a name he gave
to encourage settlers to go there), and spent the next three years exploring
it. After that he returned to Iceland and led an expedition of 25 ships to
settle (c.985) in southwestern Greenland. This settlement survived until the
late 15th century. Eir�kr himself settled at Brattahli� (Tunigdliarfik) in
Greenland, where he died sometime after the year 1000.
The most important written sources recounting the discovery and settlement
of Greenland are Ari �orgilsson's �slendingab�k and Land�mab�k. There are
also two colourful sagas, Gr�nlendinga Saga (The Saga of the Greenlanders)
and Eir�ks saga rau�a (The Saga of Eric the Red), but these were composed
only in the early 13th century and are often fanciful and contradict each
other in places.
Greenland's attraction was that it had better pasture for sheep, goats and
cows than Iceland, where the soil had already become poor after about a
century of heavy exploitation. Farmers had never lived there, the climate
was probably a bit milder than today, and some of the fertile lowlands which
now have have disappeared under sea were above surface at that time. There
was probably also quite a lot of driftwood in Greenland at that time. Catch
was plenty in the sea, and there were reindeer, bears and birds to hunt on
land. Pelts of polar bears and arctic foxes, whalebone and walrus tusks were
used to pay for the essential imports, such as metal, timber and grain, as
well as luxury goods. But the colony was vulnerable if there were epidemics
among animals or people or even small climactic changes, and it died out
sometime in the 15th century -- the exact reason isn't known. In 1712,
centuries after the links between Greenland and the rest of the world had
been broken, the king of Denmark-Norway sent an expedition to Greenland with
pastor Hans Egede to nurture the Christian faith among the Viking
descendants, but none had survived. The Eskimos had long since penetrated to
the southernmost point of the country, and these were the Greenlanders Egede
met.
5.3.3 Vinland; L'Anse aux Meadows
According to the sagas, Vinland was discovered when ships went off course
during one of the long journeys from Iceland or Norway to Greenland. The
Saga of the Greenlanders attributes the first sighting of America to Bjarni
Herj�lfsson who had emigrated with Eir�kr the Red to Greenland, although
Bjarni didn't actually set foot on Vinland; the Saga of Eir�kr the Red, on
the other hand, says that the discovery was made by Leifr the Lucky,
Eir�kr's son. Leifur grew up in Greenland but in ca. 999 he visited Norway,
where he was converted to Christianity. According to one saga, he was then
commissioned by King Olaf I to convert the Greenlanders to Christianity, but
he was blown off course, missed Greenland, and reached North America (this
story, however, is now known to be fiction, made by up by an Icelandic
priest called Gunnlaugr in the 13th century). The other, more probable
version of the story describes Leifur sailing on a planned voyage to lands
to the west of Greenland that had been sighted 15 years earlier by Bjarni.
He landed at places called Helluland and Markland and wintered at Vinland,
and returned back to Greenland.
After Leifr's journey an expedition led by �orfinnr Karlsefni, a wealthy
Icelandic trader, returned to settle V�nland in c.1010 and wintered there.
The Scandinavians, both men and women, first traded but then fought with the
native Skr�lings. The descriptions of Skr�ling culture in the sagas are
consistent with American Indian life. Because of Skr�ling attacks, the
settlement was abandoned after three winters.
There is some disagreement on where exactly the places visited by Leifr
were. Vinland (Vine Land) was presumably Newfoundland, Markland (Wood Land)
Labrador Island and Helluland (Flat Rock Land) Baffin Island. The only firm
evidence of Scandinavian presence in North America has been found in
Newfoundland at L'Anse aux Meadows, where excavations begun in 1961 have
revealed the remains of eight turf-walled houses, one of which was a
longhouse 22 m by 15 m (72 ft by 50 ft) containing five rooms including a
"great hall," and a smithy, where bog iron was smelted. Several of the
houses had stone ember pits identical with those found in Norse houses in
Greenland. Among the artifacts unearthed was a soapstone spindle whorl
similar to those discovered in Norse ruins in Greenland, Iceland, and
Scandinavia; this find suggests that women as well as men were present at
the site, which is also consistent with the sagas. Other artifacts point to
a brief, much earlier occupation of the site by Maritime Archaic Indians and
a later occupation by Dorset Eskimo. L'Anse aux Meadows may have been the
place of �orfinnr's settlement. The site was a good one for a pioneer
community; the soil was fertile, there was plenty of fish and game, the
climate was mild and there was iron ore available, but the area wasn't
previously uninhabited; the local Indians seem to have made long-lasting
settlements impossible.
The journeys to Vinland continued into the Middle Ages, but apparently only
to obtain raw materials for the Greenland colony. Some scholars have
suggested that L'Anse aux Meadows was a transit station to journeys further
south, but apart from a Norwegian coin from King Olaf Kyrre's reign
(1066-80) found on an Indian settlement in the state of Maine, there are no
traces early Scandinavian presence further south. The various rune stones,
such as the Kensington Stone, and other similar V�king objects 'found' in
North America are all faked. Similarly, the New World portions of Yale
University's Vinland map, a world map supposedly made about 1440 which
includes Vinland and Greenland, was in 1974 revealed as a modern forgery.
Subject: 5.4 Main tourist attractions
5.4.1 Reykjav�k
Reykjav�k is the most northerly capital in the world and the largest city of
Iceland, situated on Faxa Bay on the southwest coast. It is here that
Iceland's first settler, Ing�lfr Arnarson, landed in 874. According to the
sagas, when he approached the shore, he threw two carved, wooden pillars to
the water and swore that he would settle where they came ashore. The
settlement began as a small fishing village, a charter was granted in 1786,
and the city became an episcopal see in 1796. Reykjav�k has been the seat of
the Althing since 1843, and it was made the capital of Iceland in 1918.
Ing�lfr named the place Reykjav�k (Smoky Bay), perhaps because of the
geysers and hot steam pouring from the ground. However, Reykjav�k is in fact
probably one of world's most smoke-free cities, because of the extensive use
of clean, geothermal power.
More than half of Iceland's population lives in or near Reykjav�k, making it
the heart of the country's cultural, commercial, and governmental life. It's
a modern city, but the old centre, including the Parliament House (1881) and
the mid-18th century Government Building, has been carefully preserved.
Close to them are the National Library and the National Theatre, and the
statue of Ing�lfr Arnarson. Interesting churches in Reykjav�k include the
the old cathedral near the Parliament, and the the new, 75m high
Hallgr�ms-kirkja; there's a great view over the city from the spire. Other
places worth visiting are the University (1911), the National Museum (1863)
which houses exhibits from around the world and items from the Viking age
and Iceland's nautical past, and the �rni Magn�sson Institute (where the
priceless saga manuscripts are on display.
The newest sight of the city is the City Hall (opened in 1992), which is
built partly on a lake; apart from being an administrative centre, it also
houses exhibitions and a cafe with views to the lake. �rb�r Folk Museum is
in the outskirts of the city, and has a collection of old, traditional
buildings, mostly from Reykjav�k, but also from elsewhere in Iceland. The
Nordic House designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto has a library,
cafe, a permanent exhibition devoted to the Nordic way of life, and stages
concerts, etc.
5.4.2 Einar Indri�ason's travel tips
[ From: Einar Indri�ason <einari@rhi.hi.is> ]
As many people come to Iceland by a plane the first impression that they get
of the country is that it must be barren and covered with lava, as that is
the view they see on their way from Keflav�k airport to the Capital. That is
not correct. Iceland has very varied landscape; it is magnificent in some
places while there's nothing special in other places.
Some popular attractions are the day trips from Reykjav�k. One of them is
called the "golden circle" which goes from Reykjav�k to �ingvellir, from
there to Geysir, Gullfoss and even a small visit in Fl��ir. From there it
continues to Hverager�i, finally returning to Reykjav�k. Another one is to
visit the "Blue Lagoon" (Bl�a l�ni�) and take a bath in the lagoon.
Other tours are also popular but they take you out to the country and you
can expect to spend some days or even longer on such tours. Examples of such
tours include: (but do not fully cover them :-> M�vatn, Skaptafell,
Landmannalaugar, H�safell, Sprengisandur, Kj�lur.
What are those places mentioned in the above text?
Reykjav�k City is the capital of Iceland, as you should know if you read the
"fact-sheet" on Iceland :->
�ingvellir is where the old parliament was located. It is now a national
park with some magnificent views.
Geysir is a hot water spring, and it blows occasionally. Much more alive is
its fellow 'hot-water-spring' named Strokkur. One can always count on
Strokkur to give some fancy shows if you wait ca. 5-20 minutes (depends on
the weather).
Gullfoss is a "two-storey-high" waterfall about 10km from Geysir. The view
there is magnificent.
Fl��ir is a small town in the southern part of the country, not very far
from Gullfoss and Geysir, and is famous for it's mushrooms.
Hverager�i is also a small town in the southern part of the country about
45km away from Reykjav�k. In Hverager�i there are many greenhouses powered
by the hot water from the earth.
Bl�a L�ni� (blue lagoon) is a pool of water that is located on the
south-western corner of the country. It is a bluish pool (hence the name)
which contains some stuff that psoriasis-patients find great to rub and
smear on their body. Others find the lake or pool a great place to relax.
The temperature of the lake ranges from warm to hot, and there are places in
the water where no-one should go to as the temperature gets too high there
and can cause a severe burns.
M�vatn is a lake in the northern part of the country. The landscape around
the lake is magnificent, and not only the landscape closest to the lake but
for some distance from it too. At M�vatn there are several birds and plants
that are rarely seen elsewhere in the country.
Skaptafell is an "oasis" at the root of a glacier in the south-eastern part
of the country. Even if it is at the root of a glacier it has a great views
and you will feel the nature. (But you must take the time to relax and feel
the nature!)
And how are you supposed to travel in Iceland?
Well, you can take your own car on the ferry from Scotland or Faroe Islands
to Iceland and use it to drive around the country. If you do, please bear in
mind that Iceland has some sensitive plants and that driving outside of the
roads is not nice to the nature. Also please bear in mind to follow all
instructions about a closed road or closed track and don't try to "bypass"
it, even if you are on some "highly-efficient-off-road" vehicle.
Or you could rent a car and drive around the country on it. (If you do, the
same applies to you as for those that bring their own car; be gently on the
land).
Or you could hitch-hike around the country.
Or you could buy a ticket with the buses here. Last time I checked, one
could buy two types of tickets. (Not counting the ticket that takes you from
place A to place B with minimum of hassle). I am talking about "unlimited
use of buses for some limited time" vs. "limited use of busses for (almost)
an unlimited time".
You can buy a ticket that says something like this: "This person can travel
with all busses during the period from XXX to YYY, and need not pay any
more; he has already paid for the trip."
And then there is the "This person can only travel in one direction on the
main-road, but can take as much time to do it as is needed. (Up to a limit
that is, but that limit is pretty high.)"
A question that is sometimes asked is: "What clothes should I take with me
to Iceland?"
Well, I am not sure if you'll believe this but I recommend that you take the
whole "spectrum"; light clothes for the hot and sunny days, clothes to
protect you from light rain and no wind, clothes to protect you from high
wind and heavy rain, and warm clothes to keep you warm those freezing
nights. (Yes, they do occur, even in the summertime. Especially in the
higher parts of the country).
You might get some cultural shocks here in Iceland in regard to food. But
even if you don't like the looks or the names or the smell or something
about some Icelandic food, do try it. Even just one bite of it. Looks,
names, smells can be deceiving.
One of the specialties occasionally offered is called "svi�". Svi� is a
burned sheep-head, which is boiled and eaten. It tastes good, but you might
be put off by the head looking at you while you're eating it :->
"Skyr" is a white, milky substance, which looks a bit like jelly, but has a
peculiar taste and no visitor to Iceland should leave without tasting skyr
first!
Lifrarpylsa is a mixed internals from sheeps and is boiled. It is eaten
either cold or warmed up.
A full day tour through the black rock desert to Her�ubrei�, the queen of
Icelandic mountains, and the fertile oasis at its foot, on across the lunar
landscape to the great Volcanic caldera Askja. Askja last erupted in 1961.
The crater V�ti (hell) formed by an immense eruption in 1875 which buried
parts of the farmland in northeast Iceland in ashes, is now filled with warm
sulphuric water (good for bathing).
5.4.3 More tips from various articles
The following part is from Dirk Grutzmacher <D.Grutzmacher@ed.ac.uk>,
compiled of replies to a query posted to the group.
"What to do"
There is a "Lonely Planet" series book on "Iceland, Greenland & Faeroes".
For a complete guide to Iceland I suggest to look into getting this. Iceland
is probably Europes most expensive country. So I imagine you'll want to camp
or go bed'n'breakfast. It's advisable to book B&B before you go. If you look
back a couple of 100 articles in the soc.culture.nordic newsgroup someone
posted about a week back a list of B&B phone numbers. Go round the whole
country. It's not all the same! Take at least one inland "lowflying" flight.
The country from above is really something. Try the horse riding. An
Icelandic horse is like no other horse.
"What not to do"
Tip. Icelanders don't like being tipped.
Don't wear your shoes in their houses. Everyone takes off their shoes as
they enter a house.
If you like a occasional beer to relax ;-) then I suggest you buy a pack of
beer in the Icelandic duty free as you enter the country. Just follow all
the Icelanders as they get of the plane. They ALWAYS buy from duty free.
You'll see why, if you go to a night club and order a beer. Usually 6 pounds
a pint.
Don't wear a jumper and jeans if you want to go out at night on the town.
Icelanders over dress no matter what the occasion. You can spot the tourist
by the jumper'n'jeans.
Some clubs get a bit wild. Be careful. Especially if you chat up local
girls.
Iceland is the most hospitable country I've ever been to. They almost seem
nicer to outsiders than they do to each other. Never be afraid to ask any
question of anyone.
Also most younger Icelanders speak English. German also, but this is not as
common. They all know Danish but refuse to speak or even understand it. :->
Answer 2
There is so much that you can see in Iceland, the nature is just out of this
world. (the NASA used the landscape of Mt. Askja to practice for the moon
voyage in the late sixties)
If you never get sea-sick, you should definetly go to Stykkish�lmur, which
is a town on the Sn�fellsnes peninsula. There you can sail on Brei�afjord.
Not only is it full of many small and beautiful islands, but also it is much
fun to see all the seabirds. In the middle of the trip the crew will throw
down a small trawl, which will bring back many specimens of the animals that
live on the bottom of the sea; crabs, sea-urchins, clams, scallops, and
mussels. If you are daring enough you can try to taste the scallops and the
sea-urchin's eggs, it really doesn't taste as bad as it sounds.
This is one of many package-trips that BS� (the Icelandic Grayhound bus
system) offers each summer. Some of the worthwhile BS� trips are:
A day trip to �ingvellir which is the spot where the Icelandic parliament
(Althing) was founded. This is also where the North American and the
European crustal plates meet.
The "Blue Lagoon" is a very pretty lagoon formed from excess water from a
hot water plant. In it is white silica clay, which some believe is a good
medicine for psoriasis and eczema. The clay gives the lagoon a very special
colour, and the steam gives it a very mystic atmosphere. In the Blue Lagoon
there is a resturant, from the poolside are long tables into the lagoon,
where waiters in swimsuit serve you very good fish. it is a unique
experience.
The Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar) are a group of 15 islands, named after
the Irish slaves of the first Norse settler. Only the biggest one, Heimaey
is inhabited. In 1973 all the residents had to be evacuated when a volcanic
eruption destroyed a sizable part of the island. A year later almost all of
the poeple returned to rebuild the town. On the Westman Islands is the
biggest Puffin colony in Europe.
The "Golden Circle" is the most popular tourist attraction. On this tour you
will see the "golden waterfall" (gullfoss) where hundreds of tons of glacial
water cascade down some 32 meters into the 40-70 m deep river gorge. Only
six km. to the west lies the Geysir geothermal area, with the great Geysir,
known to have erupted water as high as 80 m. in the air. Today the very
active Strokkur erupts every few minutes, some 10-20 m. high. A great tour
for two of the world's most famous natural wonders. The tour ends with a
visit to �ingvellir, and then on to Reykjav�k.
The Northern part of Iceland is very beautiful. From Akureyri (the capital
of the north) you should visit the famous lake M�vatn, the beutiful
water-fall Go�afoss and the Krafla area. The Dimmuborgir area (the black
castles) is spooky. There the stories of the "Hulduf�lk" really come true.
The hulduf�lk are small people that live in the rocks of Iceland. The
Hulduf�lk were created when Adam and Eve were still in Paradise. One day God
decided to pay them a visit. Eve found out that God was on his way, so she
started to wash all her children, but she couldn't finish washing them all,
so she hid them. When God came he asked if the children that she showed him
were all the children that she owned, and Eve said they were. Then God said
that he knew that she was lying, and since she felt that her dirty children
were not good enough to show him, he decided that nobody should be able to
see them, and made them invisible. The Hulduf�lk can decide if they want you
to see them or not.
A full day tour through the black rock desert to Her�ubrei�, the queen of
Icelandic mountains, and the fertile oasis at its foot, on across the lunar
landscape to the great Volcanic caldera Askja. Askja last erupted in 1961.
The crater V�ti (hell) formed by an immense eruption in 1875 which buried
parts of the farmland in northeast Iceland in ashes, is now filled with warm
sulphuric water (good for bathing).
J�kulsarl�n and Skaftafell national park are very cool places to see.
J�kulsarl�n is a glacial lagoon at the edge of Vatnaj�kull ice tounges,
which is full of magnificent floating icebergs. Skaftafell national park is
a beutiful contrast between the white icecap, the black basaltic sands,
muddy glacial waters and clear brooks in narrow gulches, woodlands and wide
variety of flowering plants is enough to amase anyone.
It is a unique experience to go horseback riding in Iceland. There are many
companies that offer those trips.
Many of the day-trips that I have listed above have to be booked in advance
so it is very good to decide what you are going to do before you come here,
or at least to have a good idea about what you'd like to do.
Answer 3
It depends whether you've seen fjords, glaciers or volcanic scenery before.
A week is not too much time, so you might not want to take the bus right
round the island (what I did in '88, and it was wonderful). My favourite
bits were the eastern fjords (the bus careering round gravel roads on cliff
edges) and the black sands east of V�k on the south coast. Eat skyr and
�vaxtagrautur and dried fish (because you won't find them anywhere else
probably), do try and speak Icelandic a bit (there's a good Langenscheidt
dictionary which you ought to be able to buy there), cos the Icelanders
really open up if you try a bit. Go swimming somewhere, just for the warmth
and the smell. The Blue Lagoon is OK, but there are an awful lot of
tourists; same goes for Gullfoss and Geysir and Thingvellir.
The weather will probably be OK; like Argyll but colder. And the YHs are
pretty good...
5.4.4 Accommodation in Iceland
Summer hotels:
Various hotels around the country operate in summer only. Many of those are
schools in winter with swimming pools and hot springs nearby. Most have
licenced resturantsand bars. Prices for a single room with shower range
from: USD 53 (breakfast not included), and for a double room with shower
from USD 84.50 (breakfast from USD 10)
Edda hotels:
The Icelandic tourist bureau operates a chain of seventeen tourist-class
hotels around the country under the name of EDDA hotels. Both bed and
breakfast and sleeping-bag accommodations are offered. The head office is at
Sk�garhl�� 18, 101 Reykjav�k TEL: +345-562-3300 FAX: +345-562-5895. Prices
for rooms without bath range from USD 52 for a single to USD 68 for a
double, and for rooms with bath from UDS 72 for a single to USD 99 for a
double, breakfast costs USD 11 and sleeping-bag accommodation is from USD 14
Farmhouse accommodation:
Icelandic Farm Holidays is a chain of farms around Iceland offering
travellers accommodation and variety of services. some activities offered at
farms are horseback riding, fishing, hunting rounding up sheep and swimming.
Accommodation is in the farmhouse, separate houses or cottages. Travellers
can choose from bed and breakfast or sleeping-bag accommodation. Cottages
are usually rented by the week. For a new brochure or booking, contact a
travel agent or Icelandic Far Holidays, B�ndah�llin at Hagatorg, 107
Reykjav�k, TEL: +345-562-3640. FAX: +345-562-3644. Prices for bed and
breakfast per person in a double room range from USD 40-70, and for
sleeping-bag accommodation from USD11-22. A cottage for one week costs on
average USD 400-600 for 4 persons, and USD 450-670 for 6 persons.
Youth and family hostels:
There are various youth and family hostels around Iceland and all people are
welcome regardless of age. Almost all hostels have family rooms (rooms with
2 to 4 beds). A few hostels are open all year, others operate in summer
only. for further information contact the Icelandic Youth Hostels
Association, Sundlaugarvegur 34, 105 Reykjav�k TEL: +345-553-8110, FAX:
+345-567-9201. Price for accommodation is USD 20, for members USD 17, linen
extra USD 4, breakfast extra USD 9.
Subject: 5.5 The sagas, Eddas, and subsequent Icelandic literature.
The first Icelandic literature was written down some two centuries after the
island was settled in the 9th century. It can be divided into three
categories:
1. Eddic poetry, i.e mythological and heroic poems
2. skaldic poetry, or court poetry in praise of some event or person
3. saga literature -- prose works ranging from fairly factual history
writing to pure fiction.
5.5.1 The Sagas
The sagas are without doubt Iceland's most important contribution to world
literature. They are medieval prose narrative, abounding in paradox and
iron. Violence is abundant, but the style is subdued. Heroism is praised,
but moderation is more highly prized. Much is said of fate, but the complex
characters seem to control their own destinies. The world of the saga is
pagan, but its sentiment is humanitarian.
Among the more historical saga literature, based on both oral and written
sources, the best known are Ari �orgilsson's �slendingab�k (a history of
Iceland), Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla ('The Disc of the World', a
history of Swedish and Norwegian kings), and the anonymous Knytlinga Saga (a
history of Danish kings). An excellent example of the fictional saga
literature is Hrafnkels Saga, a short bildungsroman. The family sagas, such
as Egils Saga (the story of Iceland's greatest skald, Egill Skalla-
gr�msson) and Nj�ls Saga, fall somewhere in between the fictional and
factual varieties of sagas.
Heimskringla is the most celebrated of the sagas, but the dramatic Egil's
Saga (c.1220) comes close. The more ornate Laxd�la Saga (c.1250) elaborates
tragic themes from the poems of the Edda. In Grettis Saga (c.1300), which
shares motifs with the Old English poem Beowulf, the hero succumbs to pagan
sorcery. Nj�ls Saga (c.1230-90) both glorifies and repudiates the Saga Age
(870-1050), and provides an important description of ancient Icelandic legal
system. The most important of the legendary sagas is V�lsunga Saga (c.1250);
it was a major source for Wagner's operas, and retells parts of the Edda.
5.5.2 The Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda
The Eddas are two collections of Old Icelandic writings, and together they
form the most important source of Scandinavian mythology. The Poetic Edda is
a collection of 34 Icelandic poems, interspersed with prose dating from the
9th to the 12th century. The poems were composed by anonymous poets and they
deal mostly with mythological themes. Among the most important of these are
the poems V�lusp� (The vision of the Seeress) and H�vam�l (The Speech of the
High One). To give some taste of the nature of this poetry, here's a famous
quote from H�vam�l, where Odin ('The High One') speaks of how he acquired
the art of casting runes by being sacrificed on a branch of the World Tree:
I know I hung
on the windswept Tree
through nine days and nights
I was struck with a spear
and given to Odin,
myself given to myself
They helped me neither
by meat nor drink
I peered downward,
I took up the runes,
screaming, I took them -
then I fell back.
The Younger, or Prose, Edda (c. 1220) is the work of the Snorri Sturluson.
It was probably intended as a handbook for novice poets who wished to become
skalds, or court poets, in a time when the old pagan tradition was already
beginning to fade from men's minds but was still appreciated. Snorri was a
brilliant stylist, writing in his native Icelandic; his Edda is no dry
antiquarian treatise, but a witty, imaginative and lively account of the old
tales of the gods. Despite his being a Christian, there is little doubt that
Snorri has given us a faithful picture of heathen mythology as it was known
in his day; there are few attempts at rationalizing or pointing towards some
Christian moral teaching. It is difficult to know to how far removed
Snorri's stories are from the living faith of the pagan era, but despite its
limitations, the Prose Edda is the best introduction to the world of
Scandinavian mythology there exists. (For a summary of the basic aspects of
Norse mythology, see section 2.2).
5.5.3 Later Icelandic literature
The epic Icelandic tradition climaxed in the 13th century. Pre-Reformation
literature also includes Eysteinn �sgrimsson's religious poem Lilja (14th
century), a number of popular ballads, and the r�mur, which were cycles of
epic poetry.
After the Reformation, Iceland experienced three centuries of poverty, which
also affected its literature, although in the 17th century Hallgr�mur
P�tursson wrote his important Passion Hymns. Romanticism bloomed in the 19th
century in the poetry of J�nas Hallgr�msson and Gr�mur Thomsen, while the
novelist J�n Thoroddsen foreshadowed realism. In the early 20th century some
Icelanders began to write in Danish; the most important of them was the
novelist Gunnar Gunnarsson.
After World War I, Icelandic literature experienced a renaissance,
especially in form of the poetry of Stef�n fr� Hv�tadal, Dav�� Stef�nsson,
and T�mas Gu�mundsson. Of the prose writers of this era the most prominent
were ��rbergur ��r�arson and the Nobel Prize winner Halld�r Laxness, the
most important figure of modern Icelandic literature. After World War II
another generation of poets took over, introducing modernist features into
the heavily traditional Icelandic poetry. Among the leaders of this
avant-garde were Steinn Steinarr and J�n �r V�r. Some of the writers active
in Iceland today are the poets Hannes P�tursson and Snorri Hjartarson, and
the novelists �lafur J�hann Sigur�sson (who is also a poet), Thor
Vilhj�lmsson, and Indri�i G. �orsteinsson.
For electronic versions of some of the works of Nordic literature, see the
collection of Project Runeberg:
* <http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/>
* <ftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/runeberg>
* gopher.lysator.liu.se ; path: /project-runeberg
5.3.2 Greenland
Greenland is said to have been discovered by a man called Gunnbj�rn whose
ship had gone off course. It was, however, Eir�kr �orvaldsson (a.k.a Eric
the Red) who explored and named the island, and ruled the first colony of
settlers. He who was born in Norway in the mid-10th century, but went to
Iceland as a child after his father was banished from Norway. A violent man
as he was, Eir�kr himself was banished from Iceland, and set forth on an
expedition westward from Iceland. In 981 he got to Greenland (a name he gave
to encourage settlers to go there), and spent the next three years exploring
it. After that he returned to Iceland and led an expedition of 25 ships to
settle (c.985) in southwestern Greenland. This settlement survived until the
late 15th century. Eir�kr himself settled at Brattahli� (Tunigdliarfik) in
Greenland, where he died sometime after the year 1000.
The most important written sources recounting the discovery and settlement
of Greenland are Ari �orgilsson's �slendingab�k and Land�mab�k. There are
also two colourful sagas, Gr�nlendinga Saga (The Saga of the Greenlanders)
and Eir�ks saga rau�a (The Saga of Eric the Red), but these were composed
only in the early 13th century and are often fanciful and contradict each
other in places.
Greenland's attraction was that it had better pasture for sheep, goats and
cows than Iceland, where the soil had already become poor after about a
century of heavy exploitation. Farmers had never lived there, the climate
was probably a bit milder than today, and some of the fertile lowlands which
now have have disappeared under sea were above surface at that time. There
was probably also quite a lot of driftwood in Greenland at that time. Catch
was plenty in the sea, and there were reindeer, bears and birds to hunt on
land. Pelts of polar bears and arctic foxes, whalebone and walrus tusks were
used to pay for the essential imports, such as metal, timber and grain, as
well as luxury goods. But the colony was vulnerable if there were epidemics
among animals or people or even small climactic changes, and it died out
sometime in the 15th century -- the exact reason isn't known. In 1712,
centuries after the links between Greenland and the rest of the world had
been broken, the king of Denmark-Norway sent an expedition to Greenland with
pastor Hans Egede to nurture the Christian faith among the Viking
descendants, but none had survived. The Eskimos had long since penetrated to
the southernmost point of the country, and these were the Greenlanders Egede
met.
5.3.3 Vinland; L'Anse aux Meadows
According to the sagas, Vinland was discovered when ships went off course
during one of the long journeys from Iceland or Norway to Greenland. The
Saga of the Greenlanders attributes the first sighting of America to Bjarni
Herj�lfsson who had emigrated with Eir�kr the Red to Greenland, although
Bjarni didn't actually set foot on Vinland; the Saga of Eir�kr the Red, on
the other hand, says that the discovery was made by Leifr the Lucky,
Eir�kr's son. Leifur grew up in Greenland but in ca. 999 he visited Norway,
where he was converted to Christianity. According to one saga, he was then
commissioned by King Olaf I to convert the Greenlanders to Christianity, but
he was blown off course, missed Greenland, and reached North America (this
story, however, is now known to be fiction, made by up by an Icelandic
priest called Gunnlaugr in the 13th century). The other, more probable
version of the story describes Leifur sailing on a planned voyage to lands
to the west of Greenland that had been sighted 15 years earlier by Bjarni.
He landed at places called Helluland and Markland and wintered at Vinland,
and returned back to Greenland.
After Leifr's journey an expedition led by �orfinnr Karlsefni, a wealthy
Icelandic trader, returned to settle V�nland in c.1010 and wintered there.
The Scandinavians, both men and women, first traded but then fought with the
native Skr�lings. The descriptions of Skr�ling culture in the sagas are
consistent with American Indian life. Because of Skr�ling attacks, the
settlement was abandoned after three winters.
There is some disagreement on where exactly the places visited by Leifr
were. Vinland (Vine Land) was presumably Newfoundland, Markland (Wood Land)
Labrador Island and Helluland (Flat Rock Land) Baffin Island. The only firm
evidence of Scandinavian presence in North America has been found in
Newfoundland at L'Anse aux Meadows, where excavations begun in 1961 have
revealed the remains of eight turf-walled houses, one of which was a
longhouse 22 m by 15 m (72 ft by 50 ft) containing five rooms including a
"great hall," and a smithy, where bog iron was smelted. Several of the
houses had stone ember pits identical with those found in Norse houses in
Greenland. Among the artifacts unearthed was a soapstone spindle whorl
similar to those discovered in Norse ruins in Greenland, Iceland, and
Scandinavia; this find suggests that women as well as men were present at
the site, which is also consistent with the sagas. Other artifacts point to
a brief, much earlier occupation of the site by Maritime Archaic Indians and
a later occupation by Dorset Eskimo. L'Anse aux Meadows may have been the
place of �orfinnr's settlement. The site was a good one for a pioneer
community; the soil was fertile, there was plenty of fish and game, the
climate was mild and there was iron ore available, but the area wasn't
previously uninhabited; the local Indians seem to have made long-lasting
settlements impossible.
The journeys to Vinland continued into the Middle Ages, but apparently only
to obtain raw materials for the Greenland colony. Some scholars have
suggested that L'Anse aux Meadows was a transit station to journeys further
south, but apart from a Norwegian coin from King Olaf Kyrre's reign
(1066-80) found on an Indian settlement in the state of Maine, there are no
traces early Scandinavian presence further south. The various rune stones,
such as the Kensington Stone, and other similar V�king objects 'found' in
North America are all faked. Similarly, the New World portions of Yale
University's Vinland map, a world map supposedly made about 1440 which
includes Vinland and Greenland, was in 1974 revealed as a modern forgery.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- END OF PART 5 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
� Copyright 1994-96 by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson.
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