Subject: soc.culture.nordic FAQ, part 5/8 (Iceland)
Date: 3 Oct 1995 22:38:20 +0200
Summary: This posting is a part of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
         file for the newsgroup soc.culture.nordic. Its purpose is to
         introduce new readers to the group, provide some general information
         about the Nordic countries (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and
         Iceland) and to cover some of the topics frequently discussed in 
         the group.

Archive-name: nordic-faq/iceland
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Version: 1.3
Last-modified: 01/10/95 (dd/mm/yy)


 
 A Frequently Asked 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 ***
 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Subject:  5.1  Fact Sheet
 
 
        Name: L.veldi sland
        Telephone country code:  354
        Area: 103,000 km2 / 39,758 sq mi.
              (Glaciers: 12.000 km2, lava 11.000 km2, lakes 3.000 km2,
              arable land 1.100 km2).
        Sea area (within 200 nautical miles of fishery limits): 758.000 km2
        Terrain: mostly plateau inerspersed with mountain peaks and icefields;
                 coast deeply indented by bays and fjords.              
        Highest mountain: Hvannadalshnkur, 2119 m.
        Largest ice cap: Vatnajkull, 8,400 km2.
        Natural resources: fish, hydroelectric and geothermal power
        Land boundaries: none
        Population: 264,922 (1993)
        Population density: 2.5 persons per sq 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: Reykjavk (pop. 101,824) (1993)
        Other major towns: Kpavogur: (17,172), Hafnarfjrur (16,787)
                           Akureyri (14,799)  (1993) 
        Flag: a red Nordic cross outlined in white on a blue background
        Type: republic
        Head of state: President Vigds Finnbogadttir
        Languages: Icelandic
        Currency: krna (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 Reykjavk: -2C - 2C in Jan. and 9C - 14C 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: Halldr 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%). Vatnajkull (Lakes' Glacier)
in the southeast is the largest Ice field in Europe and daahraun (Lava
of ill deeds) north of Vatnajkull 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  Population, language, economy
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
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.
 
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 interna-
tionally, through the main airports at Reykjavk and at Keflavk, 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 pre-
sidents, 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
 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Subject: 5.3  History
 
 
    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 Inglfr
                Arnarson arrives in Reykjavk.
 
        930     The Icelandic parliament, "Althing", had its first meeting.
                The Al.ing is the oldest parliamentary system still operating
                in Europe. 
 
        985     Eirkr (Eric) the Red discovers and settles in Greenland.
 
        1000    Christianity adopted as the new religion.  Leifr Erksson
                ('Leif The lucky') discovers North America and names it 
                Vnland.
 
        1120-   The old Scandinavian sagas were written down in Iceland. Snorri
        1230    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- Pestilence, commercial exploitation, and natural catastrophes
        1700's  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 Ice-
                landic 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    Reykjavk 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
                Keflavk 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    Vigds Finnbogadttir 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 Hfi house,
                Reykjavk
 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Subject: 5.4  Main tourist attractions   
 
 
5.4.1  Reykjavk
       ~~~~~~~~~
      
Reykjavk 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, Inglfr 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. Reykjavk has been the
seat of the Althing since 1843, and it was made the capital of Iceland in
1918. Inglfr named the place Reykjavk (Smoky Bay), perhaps because of the
geysers and hot steam pouring from the ground. However, Reykjavk 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 Reykjavk, 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 Inglfr Arnarson. Interesting churches in Reykjavk include the
the old cathedral near the Parliament, and the the new, 75m high Hallgrms-
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 Magnsson 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. rbr Folk Museum
is in the outskirts of the city, and has a collection of old, traditional
buildings, mostly from Reykjavk, 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 Indriason's travel tips
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
(from: 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 Keflavk 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 Reykjavk. One of them is
called the "golden circle" which goes from Reykjavk to ingvellir, from
there to Geysir, Gullfoss and even a small visit in Flir. From there it
continues to Hverageri, finally returning to Reykjavk. Another one is 
to visit the "Blue Lagoon" (Bla lni) 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, Hsafell, Sprengisandur, Kjlur.
 
What are those places mentioned in the above text?
 
Reykjavk 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.
 
Flir 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.
 
Hverageri is also a small town in the southern part of the country
about 45km away from Reykjavk.  In Hverageri there are many greenhouses 
powered by the hot water from the earth.
 
Bla Lni (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 busses 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 busses 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 warn 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 Herubrei, 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 Vti (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 Stykkishlmur, which
 is a town on the Snfellsnes peninsula.  There you can sail on Breia-
 fjord.  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 Reykjavk.
 
 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 Goafoss and the Krafla area.  The Dimmuborgir area (the black castles)
 is spooky. There the stories of the "Hulduflk" really come true.  The 
 hulduflk are small people that live in the rocks of Iceland.  The Hulduflk
 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 Hulduflk can decide if they
 want you to see them or not.
 
 A full day tour through the black rock desert to Herubrei, 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 Vti (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).
 
 Jkulsarln and Skaftafell national park are very cool places to see. 
 Jkulsarln is a glacial lagoon at the edge of Vatnajkull 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 Vk 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 Skgarhl 18, 101 Reykjavk 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, Bndahllin at Hagatorg, 107 Reykjavk, 
   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 Reykjavk 
   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 slendingabk (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-
 grmsson) and Njls 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 Laxdla 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. Njls 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 Vlsunga 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 Vlusp (The vision of the Seeress) and
Hvaml (The Speech of the High One). To give some taste of the nature of
this poetry, here's a famous quote from Hvaml, 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 rmur, 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 Hallgrmur
Ptursson wrote his important Passion Hymns. Romanticism bloomed in the
19th century in the poetry of Jnas Hallgrmsson and Grmur Thomsen, while
the novelist Jn 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 Stefn fr Hvtadal, Dav Stefnsson, and Tmas
Gumundsson. Of the prose writers of this era the most prominent were
rbergur rarson and the Nobel Prize winner Halldr 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 Jn r Vr. Some of the writers active in
Iceland today are the poets Hannes Ptursson and Snorri Hjartarson, and the
novelists lafur Jhann Sigursson (who is also a poet), Thor Vilhjlmsson,
and Indrii G. orsteinsson.
 
For electronic versions of some of the works of Nordic literature, see
the collection of Project Runeberg:
 
 World Wide Web:       http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/
 Gopher:               gopher.lysator.liu.se  path  /project-runeberg
 FTP:                  ftp.lysator.liu.se  directory /pub/runeberg
 
 
 
------------------------------ 
 
Subject: 5.6  Icelanders discover Greenland & Vinland (North America)
 
 
5.6.1  Greenland
       ~~~~~~~~~
       
Greenland is said to have been discovered by a man called Gunnbjrn whose
ship had gone off course. It was, however, Eirkr 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, Eirkr 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.  Eirkr 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 slendingabk and Landmabk. There are
also two colourful sagas, Grnlendinga Saga (The Saga of the Greenlanders)
and Eirks saga raua (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.
 
 
5.6.2  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 Herjlfsson who had emigrated with Eirkr the Red to Greenland,
although Bjarni didn't actually set foot on Vinland; the Saga of Eirkr
the Red, on the other hand, says that the discovery was made by Leifr the
Lucky, Eirkr'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 Vnland in c.1010 and wintered there.
The Scandinavians, both men and women, first traded but then fought with
the native Skrlings. The descriptions of Skrling culture in the sagas
are consistent with American Indian life. Because of Skrling 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 Vking 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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
 
 
