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molded a remarkable people and an
equally remarkable country.
How the Nation Began
lceland did not become permanent–
ly settled until the ninth century
A.D. Viking explorers probing the
Atlantic in their longships settled
here with their Celtic servants.
These tough, fiercely independent
people sought to carve out a new
life from a wild and inhospitable
land. In A.D. 930 the families of
the first settlers met in the valley of
Thingvallir to establish the laws
that would govern life in the Com–
monwealth of Iceland. The assem–
bly, of
Althing,
met in the valley
annually for centuries. Thingvallir
remains a national shrine to this
day. It is a bleak and lonely spot–
but then, life in the new nation was
a bleak and lonely prospect.
But l celand survived. The Parlia–
ment established at Thingvallir still
meets today-although now in a
fine building in the center of Reyk–
javik. It is the oldest continuing
governing assembly in the world–
predating even the British "mother
of Parliaments."
During the ensuing centuries,
lcelanders endured appall ing
hardships. Famine was a constant
threat, as the peasants scratched
out a meager living from the poor
soil. The plagues of the Middle
Ages did not spare them. Two
thirds of Iceland's people perished
in the Black Death. They lost
their independence, becoming a
colony first of Norway, and later
of Denmark. Eruptions from the
ever-active volcanoes further deci–
mated the population, nearly wip–
ing out the livestock and ruining
the scant acres of pasture. More
than once, when the harsh climate
deteriorated sti ll further, the colo–
nial authorities seriously consid–
ered abandoning the settlement
altogether, leaving Iceland to the
volcanoes and sea birds. But the
l celanders clung stubbornly to
their homeland. And somehow
they survived.
After the fall of Denmark in
World War 11, Iceland for the first
time became of strategic impor–
tance. Fearing the Nazis would use
it as a submarine base, British
troops occupied lceland in 1940.
They were replaced by American
24
servicemen a year later. (The U.S.
still maintains a base at Keflavik.)
After the war, Iceland once more
became completely independent.
Today, it is a flourishing modern
nation. Its small population (only
230,000 in a country the size of
lreland) is proud of its Viking past.
Their unique language has changed
little in the last 1,000 years.
If
the
first settlers could walk the streets
of Reykjavik today, they could eas- ·
ily understand what is said.
Icelanders are among the world's
most literate people. They publish
Iceland's fishermen are
among the world's
most skillful and best
equipped. Iceland's
majar export is fresh
and frozen fish.
and buy more books per person
than any other people. Reykjavik
alone has more than 40 bookstores,
and severa! daily newspapers.
There is also a great interest in the
ancient literature of Iceland-tbe
famous
sagas.
These sagas are sto–
ríes of the struggle for survival of the
early settlers. Written down in the
11th and 12th centuries, they pro–
vide a fascinating link with history.
Perhaps because until fairly recently
their history has been fraught with
obstacles and setbacks, the adven–
tures of tbe pioneers stir the hearts
of Icelanders to this day.
Among modern nations, perhaps
only the people of tbe state of Israel
have sucb an ardent feeling for their
ancient roots. (lcelandic roots can
actually be traced back far further
than even the ninth century. Few
people seem to be awar.e of the origin
and true identity of the peoples of
northwestern Europe. Interested
Icelanders should read our free book
The United States and Britain in
Prophecy.
Although this book does
not deal specifically with Scandina–
via, sorne valuable keys to Icelandic
national origins would be gained.)
Life Today
Life for Icelanders today has never
been better. The years of courage
and determination have paid off.
The people seem to have a knack of
not only making the best of a situa–
tion- but making it
the
best. Ice–
landic products enjoy a worldwide
reputation for excellence.
For most of its history Iceland was
sparsely settled. Today about half
the population lives in and around
Reykjavik. It is the most northerly
capital in the world- much closer to
the North Pole even than Anchor–
age, Alaska. The warming waters of
the Gulf Stream spare it the worst of
the Arctic winters, and the climate is
surprisingly mild. Most houses are
heated by hot water that líes in abun–
dance beneath the surface. The hot
water is brought by pipeline to tbe
city, and then stored in huge tanks
before being distríbuted to the
homés. Since Reykjavik ís entirely
smokeless, it ís one of the cleanest
and brightest cities in the world.
An even more remarkable exam–
ple of lcelandic resourcefulness can
be found at Hveragerdi, a small town
30 miles from Reykjavik. Here tbe
subterranean hot springs are tapped,
and the boiling water ís piped
through hothouses. Vegetab1es,
flowers and even grapes and bananas
are grown on the edge of a glacier,
only a few hundred miles south of
the Arctic Circle. Once again, Ice–
landers found a way to take advan–
tage of their harsb conditions.
Even so, much food and most
manufactured goods must be
imported. Iceland is especially vul–
The PLAIN TRUTH