Iceland
From RationalWiki
The Republic of Iceland is an island country in Northern Europe, between the rest of Europe and Greenland. Geologically and physically, it is a part of North America, although it is culturally more closely tied to Scandinavia. It is made up of the island of Iceland itself as well as nearby smaller islands. Iceland is one of the newest land masses on the planet, having emerged probably in the last couple hundred thousand years. This contributes to its unique landscape and wildlife.
It has a population of around 313,000. It has the world's highest literacy rate and was, for many years, ranked as the most developed nation on earth. Icelanders speak Icelandic, a language that has changed little since the days of the Vikings.
Iceland is a rather odd example of a country with a state religion (the Church of Iceland) that is nonetheless pretty tolerant and liberal. It is also one of the few countries in the world where the new Heathen religion of "Asatru" has official state recognition alongside Christianity.
Another oddity is that Icelandic people do not use family names (surnames). Instead, Icelandic use patronyms as their last names. They take the father's first name, tack an "s"[1] to the end of it, then add "son" or "dóttir" after the tacked-on "s." For example: A boy whose father is named "Björn" would have the last name "Björnsson," while a girl whose father's name is "Björn" would have the last name "Björnsdóttir."[2] All of this means that you (and particularly YOU) have to be especially astute if you're into genealogy.
Icelandic (the language) has retained the letter thorn, or þorn (Þ, þ).
It is the European country which (as of early October 2008) has been hit hardest by the banking crisis. The economic crisis hit Iceland so hard that on Halloween, 2009, McDonald's closed all (3) of its restaurants in the country,[3] which may be the first time the Golden Arches has disappeared from a country.
[edit] Icelanders and fairies
The Icelandic Tourist Board claim that 80% of Icelanders are prepared to believe in fairies or elves, or at least not dismiss their existence. Furthermore polls find that 54% express a positive belief and 25% even claim to have seen them.
Roads in Iceland have been diverted in order to avoid their homes, the chief of which is a rock formation known as "Alfborg". Furthermore, and it is quite common for experts from an "Elf Medium" to be called in to construction sites and cable laying in order to negotiate with the elves and buildings and cables are often moved as a result. This will usually happen after problems with workers being taken mysteriously ill or equipment failures.
There is even a college, run by Magnus Skarphedinsson, called "Álfaskólinn" which awards certificates for their study. The fairies are claimed to wear traditional clothes while the elves favor pointy hats and shoes.
According to the Álfaskól there are 13 sub-types of elves, 3 types of fairies 2 types of troll and 4 types of gnome plus 4 hidden peoples (including the Blue People). It is not known if the trolls are fed, or what variety of creature Bjork is.
Before we start to laugh at the Icelanders however we need to remember that, while only 4% of Americans believe in fairies, between 40 and 50 percent believe the earth was created 10,000 years ago [4]. There are many more Americans than Icelanders.
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ As a possessive.
- ↑ Pure. Natural. Unspoiled. Iceland: 2009. Icelandic Tourism Board publication.
- ↑ Sigmundsdóttir, Alda. "McDonald's, gone from Iceland", Guardian.co.uk website, 27 October 2009, accessed 2 November 2009.
- ↑ US belief in Creationism
