GP Iceland. Pros and cons of living in Iceland

At the moment, Iceland is one of the most liberated countries on Earth. Instead of the Western principle "Three dates, then sex", it is popular there: "First sex, names later."
Even in the 19th century, writers and historians noted the unusual freedom of Icelandic sexual traditions against the backdrop of other civilization. Thus, in the novel Paradise Regained, the Icelandic Nobel laureate Halldor Laxness writes [about the end of the 19th century]: “Love, as we understand it now, was not yet brought to Iceland. People united without romance, according to the unwritten law of nature and in accordance with German pietism of the Danish king. The word "love" was preserved in the language, but, apparently, as a legacy of old, distant times, when it had some completely different meaning; perhaps it was applied to horses.".
It is possible to explain the above quote by the difficulty of survival, they say, in a harsh climate, people are reduced by efficiency, not emotions, however, by now the situation has not changed significantly. Love in the civilized sense - that is, looking for the "only" or "only one", exchanging phones, meeting, embarrassed, sitting over a salad, discussing studies or work, then another 2-3 years, and you can pompously announce your engagement on Facebook - this harder to find in Iceland than snow in the south in summer.
“I can’t even imagine going on this crazy American date,” says Gemma, 29, an Icelandic living in Los Angeles. “What if things go wrong? I'd rather have sex first and see if there's contact before investing."
This instinctive denial of Gemma implicitly explains why the Icelandic norm is to meet a stranger, take him to an apartment, get fucked to death, and only then decide whether to see each other again. Political views and life goals go to hell, the potential for future relationships is measured by sexual compatibility or the quality of sex. The real "date," in the romantic American fashion, happens months after the first meeting - if sex throughout this time has motivated people to meet casually and without obligation.
The basis of Icelandic casual sex culture is drinking. Bars close at half past five in the morning - the Reykjavik Police Department seems to have a strict policy of giving people the freedom to drink whenever they want. A typical "frame" happens late after midnight in one of the many such establishments - it is assumed that if you are there at this time, then you are alone and looking for someone to have sex with. In fact, many Icelanders even see it as something of a courtship template.
“That's how it goes,” Gemma explains, “You get drunk, you dance, and then, without talking too much, you go for a walk. Just choose the one who kisses the best and head home. It is not customary to find out if a person has a girlfriend or a boyfriend - if you are in search, you have a reason. You can talk in the morning, if the hangover is not too bad,” she adds, “Breakfast is already a rarity, then everyone disperses. No expectations or desires beyond what has been described.”
By the way, an important and compelling reason for such a widespread culture of casual sex in Iceland is that this country is the most feminist on Earth. This is not an exaggeration, but data from the Global Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum, from 2016, according to which Iceland is among the countries in terms of the minimum gender gap.
In the same report, Iceland is also named first in many other categories of quality of life, such as trust in government, access to education, economic involvement and potential of the population, as well as health care, as well as longevity.
There are 1.7 female students for every student at the university. In Parliament, there are three men and two women. In 2010, Iceland became the first country to ban striptease, prostitution and lapdance to show the world that women, and people in general, are not trafficked. And in 2015, the country became actively involved in the FreeTheNipple movement, when angry feminists and feminists across Iceland flooded Twitter with calls for desexualization of breasts - also in the fight for gender equality.
The entire Icelandic nation is convinced that men and women are equal players in the field of liberalized sex. Men are allegedly obsessed with sex, and women are obsessed with family, and this is allegedly confirmed by science? - No, the Icelanders have not heard about this, according to their beliefs, a woman is not only able to love and thirst, but she can also ask for sex first, and clarify in bed exactly how she wants, it’s a man’s duty to try these “subtleties” to satisfy.
“I have no idea why other countries don't believe in women's gluttony,” says Gemma. “Women are just like that. I know this because I am! There is nothing to be ashamed of. Men are simply intimidated by female sexuality. In Iceland, we learn to drown out this fear by telling a man exactly what and how he can do - they like to know "how everything works for us", they maintain through this feeling of "power" over us, so they are not afraid. We ask for bed, what we want, because we are in tune with our sexuality, partly because we have more sexual experience that allows us to know our needs, partly because we learn what is pleasant and healthy for our bodies.
A lot of research proves that women are just as eager for sex as men, and maybe even more. In the culture of most countries, these manifestations are suppressed - a woman cannot even express healthy impulses, due to the traditions of "condemnation of whores" and the cult of rape. There are no such dangers on the northern island, and the word “whore” has recently taken on the meaning of a compliment.
"I'm not afraid of being a whore," Gemma says. "In Iceland, being a whore means not pissing, being confident and satisfied with your body."
And what do they say about a person who slept with 14 people in a week without the slightest intention of finding out who they were outside the bedroom? we ask.
“Cool!” replies Gemma.
Despite all this, people in Iceland fall in love and get married, although less often than in the rest of the world. This is more typical of older Icelanders.
Gemma had a couple of serious relationships with Icelanders, one ended in a fatally broken heart. Many of her friends also regularly met with someone. So you can’t say that there are no emotions in Iceland at all. Just after sex. Here is what Gemma says about the man who abandoned her and who was a special master of "this business":
"I fell in love with him because the sex was so passionate"
The exact opposite of the American idea, according to which "a man is someone who works for a woman."
Since women in Iceland are both financially and sexually free, perhaps also because some studies show women are less programmed for monogamy - weddings are rare. In the usual case, Icelandic women meet someone, have a child, raise him for several years, and only then does the question of marriage come up.
“There is a terrible synonym for divorce in English – 'broken family',” Icelandic Brindis Asmundottir tells CNN. It's not like that in Iceland. We live in a very small and protected space where a woman has many opportunities. So you can choose your path through life... We think ringing is evil,” Brindis jokes.
Of course, the sexy Icelandic utopia has a downside. An insane amount of sex leads to an insane risk of STDs. Iceland is a country that has been leading Europe in chlamydia for ten years, so that this disease is even called “Hello Reykjavik”.
Also, a lot of Icelanders are lonely.
“Many of us fill an inner void with fucking,” Gemma admits. Unfortunately, going into sex, we gradually forget how to establish this connection.
Petur, a 30-year-old friend of Gemma's who has lived all his life in Iceland, agrees with the tinge of depression: “You don't stop being lonely just because there's a body next to you. Sometimes I want consistency, but how do you take care of someone if you bring your girlfriend from the bar in the evening and she is gone in the morning?
Of course, not everything is so bad. Petur adds: “Not everyone sags alone, of course. There is a lot of entertainment in our culture, and I strongly support its openness. Yes, it’s hard to find a permanent girlfriend, but when no one expects you to have one, then you don’t perceive it as a flaw. You are a normal member of society.”
Not all Icelanders are fond of free sex, although, among young people, most of them are.
Joanna, a 35-year-old Icelander, is one of them.
“Petur’s complaints that he has “used up his potential” sound to me like a hint that he himself is a goat, and not something a woman would like to deal with.”, and this, as it were, emphasizes that not everything in the country is smooth with trend acceptance.
“Yes, we are more sexually liberated, but this does not mean that Iceland is a good place to come to have sex. We don't want people who come here on a sexy vacation,” adds Joanna.

I will probably not expand on gastronomic and ethnographic impressions here. I'd rather focus on gender issues. Readers of this column will certainly be interested in how they are doing with “it”.

So, I'm in an Icelandic bar. Field expedition. I study habits. Incredibly beautiful girls flicker around. Feeling like I got to some Reykjavik Fashion Week. My friend, Henrik, shows a funny smartphone app called Inslendinga App. It allows you to find out if it makes sense for a man and a woman to start a serious relationship. Henrik explains that only 320,000 people live in Iceland. people, and many are relatives of one another of varying degrees of distance. And closely related marriages are known to increase the likelihood that children born will suffer from serious illnesses. So they released such a useful program. It is enough for lovers to launch it and touch smartphones. After that, the application, using the genealogical database, calculates the degree of relationship and recommends entering into a relationship or abstaining from it. In case of danger of incest, a loud signal will sound.

Henrik works as a tour guide and movie star. No, really. I myself saw an illustrated story about him in a local secular weekly. He draws attention to the girl talking to the bartender. “This is Miss World (we actually have three), her name is Unnar. She is also a swimming instructor and kindergarten teacher. We all have two or three professions here. Even the coach of the football team has a dentist as his main specialty.” What surprises me is not the list of Unnar's versatile interests, but why that waitress over there did not become Miss World. Or that girl over there in the orange jacket. Elves, they are so similar to each other with their impeccable beauty.

One of my compatriot companions tightened his slack jaw a little, takes a sip of fennel vodka and is going to rush into battle - to get acquainted with local beauties. Henrik stops him, warning him that this is not the way to go. How then should it be? Everything is surprisingly simple: women here do exactly what men do in our area. That is, choose a partner. No, of course, and our fair sex is not far behind in this regard. But ours still allow you to take care of them.

As if to confirm Henrik's words, three people sat down next to us and asked if we had any chewing gum. And then they asked: “Where are you from? How are you here? Like? What about Icelandic girls? Well, thank you for the compliment, of course, but my friend says that I have a fat butt. No, don't you? Are you on Instagram? And let's be friends. This is me at the thermal spring. How do you like this swimsuit? What about black hair? I'm going to dye my hair brunette, because there are so many blondes here ... "

I can firmly state: never in my life have I been molested by such beautiful girls. This, of course, raises self-esteem. But - it didn't happen. Why? Will you be satisfied with the answer that I am married? Well, fine. Another thing is interesting: why in Reykjavik it is women who choose men? A new friend answered the question: “In harsh Iceland, there is no time for tenderness. The day is short, the night is long, everyone has two or three jobs. I now need to have time to deliver the mail, go to the university and help my parents gut or salt the fish. We don't have time for you."

Where it was said that the Icelandic government decided to pay 5,000 euros to each immigrant who marries a local girl, did not go unnoticed. So I wanted to learn more about this northern country.
1. Iceland (Isl. Ísland [ˈislant] - “country of ice” or “ice country”) is an island state located in the west of Northern Europe in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean (northwest of Great Britain). The territory of the state consists of the island of the same name with an area of ​​103 thousand km² and small islands around it. It is the northernmost state in Europe.

2. Back in 874, the first Norwegian and Celtic settlers landed on the southwestern coast of the island, led by Ingolf Arnarson. The first thing that appeared before their astonished eyes was the steaming hot geothermal springs. Therefore, the first settlement of migrants was named Reykjavik (Reykjavík), which means "Smoky Bay" in Norwegian.

3. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with about 320 thousand people living here, and before the Second World War the country's population was only 50 thousand. Its average population density is 3 people per square kilometer. km.


4. Since everyone in Iceland knows each other, when parting or divorcing a couple always tries to maintain a good relationship. Cases when an ex-boyfriend does not communicate with an ex-girlfriend or ex-spouses do not talk to each other are extremely rare, because in any case, they have almost all friends and acquaintances in common.

5. Instead of surnames in Iceland - patronymics, that is, an analogue of our patronymic. The particle “sleep” (that is, son) or “dottir” (if it is a daughter) is added to the name of the father, for example, Silia Palmarsdottir, that is, Silia Palmars daughter, is added.

6. In the event that the father for some reason does not recognize the child, the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but by the name of the mother.


7. Since everyone in Reykjavik knows each other, the doors of houses here are often not locked, car keys are left in cars, and children in strollers are left unattended at the entrance to a cafe, bar or shop.

8. In Reykjavik, it is considered normal to go to the nearest grocery store in pajamas.

9. Residents of Reykjavik almost always pay for purchases with bank cards, even if they order coffee at a bar. Cash is not accepted here.

10. Icelanders are sure that blowing your nose is unhealthy, so in winter everyone here sniffs, that is, sorry, they draw snot into themselves.

11. But spitting, on the contrary, is not considered indecent, even girls spit on the street and in public places without any problems.


12. In fact, in Iceland in winter it is not as cold as we used to think, the temperature here rarely drops below -6 degrees.

13. But in winter it is dark in Iceland, on December 21 - on the shortest day of the year, dawn comes at 10.30, and the sun sets already at 16.00. In the summer, long nights are replaced by long days, compared to which the white nights in St. Petersburg are simply nothing, in June in Iceland the sun sets for only a couple of hours.

14. The lack of sunlight in winter is compensated to some extent by the northern lights, you can see it all the time, so after a couple of weeks you no longer pay attention to it.

15. Since the sun does not shine in Iceland in winter, all the inhabitants of the country, in order to avoid rickets and other unpleasant diseases, take fish oil without fail, but not in liquid form, but in tasteless capsules.


16. Icelanders are active Internet users and almost the entire country is registered on Facebook. According to the latest data, it is an active country in the social network. They also have a national website, Íslendingabók, where you can track your exact family tree and find out how distantly related you are to Björk.

17. There is an opinion that Björk means "birch" in Icelandic, but this is not true. Sometimes Björk is just Björk.


18. Even if a resident of Iceland for some reason does not have a profile on Facebook, he can still be easily found on the network. All residents of the country, of their own free will, register on the website www.ja.is, where they indicate their first and last name, phone number, address and place on the map where their house is located.

19. In Iceland, if a person is well disposed towards you, he demonstrates this by touching you every now and then.

20. There are an order of magnitude more blondes in Iceland than brunettes, so local residents like to dye their hair a darker shade.


21. In order to spend the night with an Icelandic girl, long courtship is not required, most Icelandic women are, as they say, easy going, including why Italians and Spaniards love to come to Reykjavik so much.

22. Icelanders are very tolerant, a gay parade is regularly held in Reykjavik, homosexual marriages have been allowed here since 2010, and the percentage of bisexuals in the country is very high.

23. The most popular specialties in Iceland are artist, musician or designer. Every second bartender or waiter tries to get an education in a creative specialty, and at the same time plays in some kind of rock or folk group.


24. For the reason described above, no one uses the services of designers, for example, in order to come up with the design of an apartment or a wedding dress. The inhabitants of Iceland are sure that each of them is an artist himself, therefore they prefer to invent the interior of the apartment and the design of the dress on their own.

25. Repairs in apartments are also done mainly with their own hands, without hiring workers.

26. Icelanders are crazy about Eurovision, they take the competition of young performers very seriously here, and during the live broadcast the whole country is watching what is happening on TV.

27. There are no McDonald's restaurants in Iceland, the latter closed in 2008 during the crisis.


28. The most popular names in Iceland: male - Jon and female - Guvrun. Also, ancient mythological names are still common, for example, aðalsteinn, which means "main stone". The name for the unborn child is supposed to be chosen from the register of names. If you come up with a new one, then you must first agree with the authorities and enter it in the register.

29. Icelanders, like Russians, like to use in everyday life not full, but abbreviated versions of names, so David in the diminutive Icelandic version will be Dabby, Guvrun - Gunna, Stefan - Steppi, Jon - Nonni, etc.

30. The language of Iceland has not changed much over the past 1000 years, so there are letters in it that have disappeared from English, plus the inhabitants of the country can read the old Viking sagas in the original without any problems.

31. The local population in general is very fond of reading, today, according to some reports, Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.

32. The cost of wine in Iceland is often determined not by the year of its production or quality, but by the strength. Thus, an expensive but light French wine can cost many times less than a 15-degree chatter.

33. There is no armed forces in Iceland, their functions are to some extent performed by the Coast Guard.


34. The police in Iceland do not carry weapons, they are not given pistols.

35. Residents of Reykjavik for the most part terribly park, they can throw the car right across the street. The presence of tow trucks and fines for parking in the wrong place do little to help.

36. Icelanders try to use only renewable energy sources, gas and gasoline are used here only to fuel cars and boats, and this is because electric cars have not taken root in the country.

37. You don’t need to pay for water in restaurants and cafes, it is still poured from a water tap. This is water from local thermal springs, and therefore it is absolutely drinkable.


38. Hot tap water in Iceland smells like rotten eggs. The fact is that it also enters the water supply system directly from hot thermal springs, and they are rich in hydrogen sulfide.

39. Taking hot thermal baths is a popular option for evening leisure in Reykjavik, the cost of visiting when buying a subscription is about 5 euros.

40. In the houses of Iceland, as in Russia, there is a central heating system, which distinguishes the country from Italy or France, where you have to pay for each inclusion of the heater.

41. Until the seventies of the twentieth century, Icelandic law allowed the inhabitants of the country to kill Turks with impunity. This is because in the past, Turkish pirates often plundered Icelandic ships and coastal villages.

42. To this day, Icelandic law allows the inhabitants of the country to kill polar bears for food.

43. In Iceland, licorice is very popular, it is added to any dishes, plus chocolates with licorice filling are produced here.


44. The national dish of Iceland - haukarl - rotten meat of the Greenland shark cut into small pieces. If you do not chew it and just swallow it, it is still quite edible, but if you chew the meat, you will feel the “magic” taste of urea. The fact is that the Greenland shark does not have a urinary tract and its meat contains poisonous ammonia. In order for the meat to be eaten, it is left to rot for three months underground or in the basement. The creators of The Simpsons sneered at the taste of this dish, among other things, in one of the episodes of the animated series. They also eat sheep thighs in lactic acid.

45. In Iceland, they eat mostly fish, while all dishes are poured over the top with mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, after which the real taste of fish may not be recognized.

46. ​​Most Icelanders have very bad teeth, while Iceland is one of the main sugar-consuming countries, and Coca-Cola is also very popular here.

47. Icelanders are long-livers. The average life expectancy for women is 81 years, for men - 76 years. At the age of 100–110 years, you will not particularly surprise anyone here.

48. The national clothes of Icelanders are woolen sweaters. All Icelanders wear lopapeysa - a knitted jacket made of sheep's wool with a characteristic national pattern. We can say that this is the very example of a national costume that has not disappeared over time. The wool of local sheep is unprecedentedly warm and soft, so it is exported in huge quantities every year.

49. It is forbidden to import horses into Iceland, and no one knows why. If the horse was taken from the island, then it cannot be returned back either.

50. Most Icelanders still believe in elves and trolls, which leads to difficulties when building a house or a road. Before construction begins, local “witches” are consulted here to see if it is possible to move this or that stone, or whether an elf lives under it. Sometimes, in order not to “offend” the elf and move the stone, the Icelanders have to perform magical rites, for example, keep the stone in honey for some time.


51. 2148 people in Iceland adhere to the pagan teachings of the Ásatrú Association, which is based on the revival of Icelandic and Norwegian pagan beliefs. This religion is officially accepted, and its ministers can perform a wedding ceremony, which is equivalent to the traditional registration of marriage.

52. In addition to the well-known Santa Claus in Iceland, there are 15 Santa Clauses of different types, by and large they are all elves, in which the locals believe.

53. Every major store in Reykjavik has a playground.

54. Icelanders are proud that they have the oldest undisbanded parliament in the world, it is called Alþingi and was founded in 930.

55. Residents of Iceland are very trusting, when applying for a job, they do not ask a foreigner for recommendations from a previous job, but simply take the newcomer's word for it.


56. Iceland has plenty of refreshing hot springs. You must take a shower before visiting. However, unlike other countries, here you must take off your swimsuit before showering and thoroughly wash yourself naked in a public place - unfortunately, many of these showers do not have doors to hide you from the outside world. Of course, nudity is illegal in other public places, so you can't just take off your clothes and go for a walk down the street.

57. The dairy product skyr is one of the most popular products in Iceland and is regularly eaten as a snack. Skyr looks like yogurt, but is actually a type of soft cheese. It is valued for its large amount of protein and low fat content.

58. Instead of Santa Claus in Iceland, there are yolasveinars. These strange guys have an interesting history - they are descended from trolls, and parents used to scare their little naughty children with them. However, in the 1700s, a decree was issued forbidding parents from doing this to their children, so that yolasveinars eventually became an integral part of Icelandic Christmas traditions. They have cute names like "Skyr Turkey", "Window Peeper" or "Mug Licker", and each of them has its own personality.

59. During June and July, Icelanders can enjoy beautiful sunshine 24 hours a day. You can think of a thousand different activities for such a long daylight hours, but many Icelanders use them to play golf to their heart's content. Although the weather can sometimes be cold and rainy, this does not stop the most active players - they go to the field. Those who have played golf in Iceland during the midnight sun have described their experience as surreal and sublime. And while golfers are unlikely to encounter many trees along the way, they have other problems - lava caverns or angry birds whose nests they have accidentally disturbed.

60. Handball is the national sport in Iceland. When the Icelandic president made a press statement following his recent Olympic win, he explained how important the sport is to his country. Every Icelander knows the names of the players of the national team, and its success is extremely important for everyone. Handball can be described as a form of football, only players use their hands instead of their feet. In fact, it is an incredibly fast-paced and violent game, with rules that are much tougher than in football.


61. Since 1950, Iceland has often been at enmity with Great Britain due to the fact that the British fish in their waters. In Iceland, the fishing industry is very important and acts as the main source of food. So it's perhaps not surprising that the "cod wars" began in 1958, when Iceland decided they needed to increase the exclusion zone around their territories - water areas in which other countries have no right to fish. Ultimately, Iceland increased its exclusion zone from 6.5 km to 320 km.

62. Iceland is full of active volcanoes. While some countries may be afraid to live in the middle of a ring of fire, Iceland has grabbed nature by the throat and learned to use it to her advantage. Approximately 85% of the energy in Iceland is produced from renewable resources, more than half of the energy is geothermal. There are also more than 150 public pools with hot water in the country - the water temperature is provided by real volcanic heat.

63. Iceland is known for being liberal with regards to intimate matters, so it may come as a surprise to foreigners that the country's government has voted to ban strip clubs. But the matter was not limited to this: the issue of banning online pornography has recently been considered. Icelanders pass such laws not because of a puritanical attitude towards sex, but because of feminism. Approximately half of government positions are now held by women - probably one of the most feminist countries in the world.

64. Most of all, Iceland is probably known for its strange gastronomic addictions.
Puffins are small adorable birds with black and white feathers and small beaks. The people of Iceland traditionally eat them - the raw puffin heart is considered a delicacy.

65. Drinks are no exception. In addition to the fact that Icelanders consume more Coca-Cola than anywhere else in the world, they have their own drink - brennyvin. This alcoholic drink is a kind of distilled potato schnapps with the addition of cumin. It tastes really nasty. Brennyvin is often washed down with the traditional Icelandic dish haukarl, which is rotten shark meat. Many Icelanders only drink brennywine when visiting the country to emphasize their Icelandic roots.

Of course, the main heroes of EURO 2016 were the players of the Icelandic team, who managed to snatch the victory from the England team, and, perhaps, this is the only team in the Championship, which is warmly treated by fans from all over the world. Today we publish a selection of 30 interesting facts about what kind of country Iceland is, and what kind of people live there.

1. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with a little over 320,000 people, and before the Second World War, the population of the island was only 50,000 people. About 30,000 fans came to the European Football Championship, that is, about 10 percent of the country's population.

2. If you paid attention, then all the names of the players of the Icelandic national team are similar, they end in “son”. The thing here is that in Iceland patronymics are used instead of surnames, in fact, this is an analogue of our patronymic. In boys, the particle "son" (son) is added to the name of the father, in girls - "dottir" (daughter). Thus, for example, if there are two children of different sexes in a family, then they will have different “surnames”, for example, the girl Palmarsdottir, that is, the daughter of Palmars and the son of Palmarsson, that is, the son of Palmars. In 1925, Iceland even passed a special law prohibiting citizens of the country from acquiring surnames in the classical sense. By the way, in the event that the father for some reason does not recognize the child, then the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but by the name of the mother.

3. However, this does not mean that the Icelanders do not at all strive to keep the surname, they simply do it in a peculiar way, some give the children the same names in a generation, that is, they call the child after their grandfather or grandmother, so that, so to speak, it was possible to trace the family line.

4. The classic names of the Icelanders are well known to many of us, because we met them in the ancient Scandinavian sagas. Yes, Ragnar, Sigur or Aðalsteinn, which means “main stone”, in Iceland the same normal human names as Ivan, Dmitry or Alexander in Russia. The most popular names in Iceland are Jon for men and Gudrun for women.

5. In Iceland, in everyday communication, especially long and complex names are abbreviated, for example, a young man named Aðalsteinn can simply be called Ali, Guvrun - Gunn, Stefan - Steppi, Jon - Nonni, and so on.

6. Until recently, it was generally accepted that the Icelanders are the descendants of the Vikings from Norway and Sweden, but a recent genetic examination has established that the gene pool of modern Icelanders is dominated by the genes of the Irish, who in Iceland in ancient times existed in the position of slaves. On the other hand, this is in perfect agreement with the local belief that the Icelandic Vikings stole all the beautiful women from England and Ireland for the purpose of love leaks, and, well, for reproduction.

7. The Icelandic language, due to the long isolation of the island from the rest of the world, has evolved very poorly compared to other Scandinavian languages, that is, the percentage of words borrowed from other languages ​​is extremely small in it. Because of this, Icelandic is very close to the very language of the northern peoples, which the Vikings spoke in ancient times, and the Icelanders of the ancient sagas can even read, as they say, without straining.

8. Icelandic household sagas, unlike other works of folk art, are a dry enumeration of facts, because of this, it is sometimes quite difficult for a modern reader to perceive them. That is, in the sagas there is no description of the feelings of the heroes or experiences, only a meticulous enumeration of events: he went there, conquered this, married such and such, killed such and such, was killed by such and such. At the same time, much attention is paid to where exactly this or that event occurred, and in what period of time it happened. Previously, largely due to the meticulous manner of presentation and the lack of an emotional component in the descriptions, many researchers considered the Icelandic household sagas to be historical documents that did not require careful verification and historical reconstruction, but now the sagas are perceived by scientists, rather, as works of art, and the facts stated in them are subject to verification.

9. Another reflection of this feature of national thinking is the names of geographical objects. In fact, complex and multi-stage words are just a definition of the place in question. So, Reykjavik means “smoking bay”, the name of the city of Kopavogur stands for “bay of a young seal”, and the difficult-to-pronounce name of the famous volcano Eyyafyadlayokyudl, as “Island of mountain glaciers”.

10. At the same time, 90 percent of the country's population is fluent in English. No less curious is the following fact - in order to find a job in Iceland, a foreigner does not need knowledge of the Icelandic language - fluent English is more than enough. For this reason, many immigrants who have settled in Iceland do not speak Icelandic even after 10 years in the country; English is more than enough for both life and work. Another interesting thing is that if a citizen of another country has lived in Iceland for 6 years, he can apply for Icelandic citizenship and get it without any problems.

Pictured: Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik

11. Including because very few people live in Iceland, there is practically no crime. As a result, young mothers, for example, easily leave their babies to sleep in strollers on the streets of Reykjavik, while they themselves go with their girlfriends to drink coffee in a cafe, car keys are often left in cars, and the Reykjavik prison is empty, and sometimes tourists even spend the night in it, not managed to find a room in a hotel. In addition, the police in Iceland do not carry weapons, and Iceland does not have armed forces, their functions are to some extent performed by the coast guard.

12. Today, the neo-pagan religion Ásatrúarfélagið, which is a slightly modernized cult of the Scandinavian gods, is very popular in Iceland. Priests of Ásatrúarfélagið are allowed, for example, to perform a wedding ceremony, it is considered an official procedure in the country, while clergymen can also marry homosexual couples.

In the photo: the priest of the church Ásatrúarfélagið and his follower

Today, 2,400 people officially rank themselves as followers of the Ásatrúarfélagið cult, and even now in Iceland a full-fledged temple of the Scandinavian gods is being built, this will be the first such building since the Vikings.

13. The traditional date for the adoption of Christianity in Iceland is 1000, which is curious, after that Icelandic Christianity developed without the close supervision of Rome, as a result, the Icelanders retained their ancient beliefs and traditions. For example, here they still believe in trolls (giants) or Hidden inhabitants (elves). Elves are huldufoulks, these are creatures that live in round stones of a certain type, mere mortals cannot see them, except in those cases when the spirits themselves decide to show themselves to people.

In the photo: stones in which, according to legend, spirits live

The presence of such a stone, for example, at the construction site of a road or a house can cause problems, because huldufoulks should not be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, before moving the stone, it is recommended to perform magical manipulations on it.

Pictured: Northern Lights over Reykjavik

In summer, long nights are replaced by long days, compared to which the white nights in St. Petersburg are simply nothing, in June in Iceland the sun does not set at all.

25. The government of Iceland is based on democracy, and these are not empty words. Here it is worth referring to the history of the country: as the island was settled in the regions of Iceland, tings were formed - an analogue of the ancient Russian veche. At the Things, courts were held, disputes were resolved and collective discussions of vital issues relating to the community took place. Once a year, at the beginning of summer, representatives from each community gathered for a general meeting - the Althing, in order to regulate relations between the regions. As a rule, successes during the Althing were achieved by those who had the strong support of wealthy landowners. The first Althing was held in Iceland in 930, and this year is considered to be the beginning of the era of democracy. True, in the thirteenth century Iceland fell under the rule of Norway, until the forties of the twentieth century it was under the rule of Denmark, in 1940 the island was captured by Great Britain, which, in turn, transferred Iceland to the USA. The country gained independence from the United States only on June 17, 1944. So, the victory over the England team for the Icelanders is a kind of revenge for the years of occupation.

In the photo: the building of the Icelandic Parliament

However, the Icelandic Althingi was re-assembled in 1845, and today it is considered the oldest parliament in the world. In finalizing the last text of the Constitution of Iceland in 2012, the entire population of the country took part, the proposals of citizens were accepted through social networks and even through youtube. But, the most curious thing, with all this, the country has had one and the same president for the past 16 years - Olavur Ragnar Grimsson. He ruled the country from 1999 to 2016. For the second term, Grimsson remained due to the lack of contenders for the post of head of state, for the third time he won during the voting, for the fourth term he went again due to the lack of candidates for the presidency, and for the fifth time he again won the elections. On June 26, 2016, 48-year-old history teacher Gudni Johannesson became the new president of Iceland.

26. In Iceland - socialism, here everyone gets about the same salary and lives in the same houses. At the same time, it is believed here that “all professions are needed, all professions are important”, that is, it doesn’t matter if you work as a waiter or a scientist, you are equally worthy of respect. It is curious that many local celebrities, before fame fell on them, worked in not very honorable positions, for example, Hafthor Bjödnson is the most powerful person on the planet and who plays the role of Grigor "Mountain" Kligon in the Game of Thrones, like many Icelanders , for a long time not only engaged in bodybuilding, but also worked part-time in a restaurant.

In the photo: Hafthor Bjodnson as Grigor "Mountain" Kligon

In general, almost all Icelanders have not one job, but two, the first for money, the second for the soul. That is, almost every waiter or bartender here is also an artist, decorator, photographer, designer or jeweler.

27. And the local population is very fond of reading, today, according to some reports, the Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.

28. Iceland has an absolute tolerance for everything, gay marriages have been allowed here since 2010, the percentage of open bisexuals in the country is also very high, and a gay parade takes place in Reykjavik every summer. At the same time, all couples, regardless of whether they are hetero or homo, when parting, try to maintain friendly relations, because the country is a small one and it will still not work to completely stop communication. Icelanders easily marry and divorce easily, in the event of a divorce, children, as a rule, live 50/50 with each parent. At the same time, almost all Icelandic girls are feminists, they do not allow to pay for themselves in restaurants, they themselves carry bags without any difficulties, make repairs, hammer nails, and so on. True, the pluses of tolerance also give rise to minuses, in Iceland with personal space is extremely difficult, because everyone knows everything about everyone.

29. Iceland exists practically according to the rules of the Austrian economy, which is based on self-reliance and the construction of a system of closed reproduction of the community with minimal dependence on exchange with the external environment. No, of course, you can buy Western food here, but they cost several times more than local ones, and the choice is small. With wine, in general, it’s funny, it’s expensive regardless of the type, that is, a bottle of decent wine and frank chatter will cost about the same. Clothing is also mostly locally produced. And the main national thing that is in the wardrobe of any Icelander is with a recognizable national pattern. By the way, lopapeysa is quite expensive, but the thing is worn for years.

30. Iceland is statistically one of the most active countries on social media. Almost all of its inhabitants have accounts on facebook, however, in addition to facebook, there is also a local social network in the country, where all Icelanders, young and old, are registered. When registering on this site, users indicate not only their first and last name, but also their phone number, address and place on the map where their houses are located. So if you want to meet one of the Iceland national football team players and he still lives in the country, look for him at www.ja.is

The calm fury with which Icelandic footballers perform at Euro 2016, and the fans support them, makes one believe that Icelanders are the most proud nation on the planet.

About football. The first closed fields appeared 15 years ago

Even the most optimistic Icelanders did not believe that Iceland would beat England at Euro 2016, although, of course, everyone hoped in their hearts.

In fact, football has never before held any place of honor in the Icelandic sports hierarchy. For many years, handball was considered the national sport, which brought Iceland silver at the 2008 Olympics and bronze at the 2010 European Championships.

But about 15 years ago, football began to develop actively - at the suggestion of the authorities, who financed the construction of seven closed fields. Prior to that, only open areas existed in the country. Like residential buildings, they were heated by geothermal energy.

About the fans. After the match with England, many Icelanders did not come to work

The nation is very small - a little more than 300 thousand people, so everyone stands behind the other mountain.

Already after the first performances of the national team at Euro 2016, the whole world started talking that Iceland has the best fans and the warmest relations between football players and fans. And many got goosebumps through the almost ecstatic action that the athletes performed when they defeated the England team - they hooted menacingly and clapped their hands in sync with the crowd of thousands of compatriots in the stands.

Huge screens were put up in the center of Reykjavik by the beginning of the championship, as if calling everyone to cheer in the crowd. More than 10,000 people dressed in T-shirts of the national team watched the match with England on the square. The victory was celebrated until morning. Many after that could not come to work, and the authorities treated this with understanding. The match between the Icelandic team and the Austrian team took place at 16:00 local time, so the end of the working day across the country was officially announced at 15:30, so that everyone could get to the TV.

About appearance. Beards are out of fashion

A few years ago in Iceland, almost all men wore beards (such as those of the Vikings in the pictures) - this trend appeared here much earlier than throughout Europe. Now it has practically disappeared, although you can still meet a bearded Icelander. A bright representative is the captain of the football team Aron Gunnarsson.

Typical Icelanders are tall (seventy meters and above) and mostly slender people with porcelain skin, blond hair and blue eyes. Icelandic women have a completely unique beauty, but, unfortunately, they don’t really try to emphasize it (especially young girls). The manner of dressing can be described as indifference to what you are wearing. Older ladies, as well as most men, pay much more attention to their appearance and manners. But by nature it is a very beautiful nation!

About life. Everybody knows each other

In Iceland, especially in small towns and villages, everyone knows each other. This is true even for the capital of the country - Reykjavik, whose population is 125 thousand people. In your environment, there will definitely be a person who knows who you need. There is even an online directory containing information about every inhabitant of the country with addresses and telephone numbers, the so-called "Book of Icelanders". When a young man and a girl enter into a romantic relationship, they can check the degree of their relationship by entering information about themselves into an online directory.

About families. Vikings are happy to change diapers

Most Icelanders respect family values, despite the fact that more than half of the population is not officially married. Even if the family breaks up, then, as a rule, both parents are equally involved in the upbringing of the child: one week he lives with his father and his new family, the other with his mother and her family. Such a schedule is in order here. Fathers spend just as much time with their children as mothers, and on weekends, somewhere on a walk in the city center or a shopping center, you can easily meet a bearded two-meter Viking with a stroller in which two small children are sitting, and the third one is running nearby. He walks alone with them and, if necessary, changes diapers, straightens pink bows, calms the roar, and does it all with undisguised pleasure!

About work. Jack of all trades

It is impossible to say that Icelanders are all sailors. Of course, many are involved in fishing, but this is far from the only thing they do here.

A distinctive feature of the Icelanders, perhaps, is their versatility. Heimir Hallgrimsson - football coach and dentist at the same time - is not an exception, but rather the rule. You can often meet, for example, an accountant-actor (he works in the office during the day, plays in the theater in the evening), an IT musician-musician (writes code during the day, performs with a group in clubs in the evening) and so on.

About leisure. Dinner in Iceland is always at 7pm

The working week in Iceland is 37.5 hours. Many work from 8 am, so at 4 pm they are already moving towards the house or playing football with friends. Around 7 pm, the roads in the city are empty, as this is dinner time, and dinner is a sacred thing. If you are invited to dinner in Iceland, then in 99% of cases you will be expected by 7 pm.

Icelanders are very fond of traveling and, as a rule, the whole family. Domestic tourism is very popular in the country, it is customary to relax either with tents or rent summer houses. This is something like our dachas, but without a garden, since you can’t grow much on lava fields, and there is no such culture here, just as there are no natural forests. But Iceland has its own strawberries all year round, its own cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, greens, which are grown in geothermal greenhouses and without the use of inorganic fertilizers. The fact that all vegetables and fruits must be washed before eating, my Icelandic husband learned from me at the age of 37 and laughed.

About weather. In a snowstorm on bicycles

The weather forecast plays an important role in the life of Icelanders, which is understandable, because their country is a small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and not far from the Arctic Circle. The weather changes literally a hundred times a day. Moreover, if the forecast is bad, then you can be sure that it will be so, and if it is good, then there is always a chance that the weather will quickly change for the worse. That is why all warm (+12-15 degrees) and sunny days in June-August are just worth their weight in gold and all Icelanders sincerely rejoice at them.

But in general, everyone is used to frequent changes in the weather and has adapted to such a life: people ride bicycles around the city almost all year round and even during snowfalls in winter (unless they have announced a storm warning and asked citizens not to leave their homes), and also commit running in pouring rain or squally winds. They say that if they wait for good weather, they will never start playing sports.

About politics. Icelanders learn Danish in schools

The citizens of Iceland take a very active part in the political life of the country. For example, last Saturday the presidential elections were held here, and everyone considered it their duty to vote. None of those with whom I spoke said: nothing depends on me anyway, so I'd better stay at home in the rain, as is often the case in Russia.

Iceland gained full independence from Denmark in 1944, since then more than one generation of people has grown up who consider themselves absolutely free Icelandic citizens. Nevertheless, in schools, children are required to study Danish (as, indeed, English), many of them then leave for Denmark to receive higher education. Icelanders do not consider Denmark their big brother, they talk more about friendship and warm relations between the two countries. But Iceland has a younger brother - the Faroe Islands, which are part of Denmark, but support Iceland in everything - from the football team to the financial system in the 2008 crisis.