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Introduction

This blog is meant to give those who are interested a brief overview of Icelandic culture and history.
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National Identity in Iceland

     National Identity in Iceland A country’s national identity is a tricky thing to describe. No matter how wide a net you cast there will always be people who don’t fit a certain definition. Even the vaguest, all inclusive descriptor for a country’s population could only describe a portion of the people who live there. This is because of two reasons: First, even the smallest of nations have thousands people in its population. The sheer size of people living in one area makes it difficult to find one thing in common that unites them all. Second, human beings are complex. One person can change their ideology or personality throughout their life. Simple descriptors like “courageous” might define someone on a surface level, but it cannot define what they are like on the inside or explain why people can act self contradictory. This is an obstacle to leaders and demagogues of the world, who wish to build power be convincing those they rule they are a homogeneous bloc of ...
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Iceland on Stage

From 2009 to 2011 Iceland performed a series of songs for the annual Eurovision singing contest. The songs were eclectic in genre, but all had similar themes about emotion and found ways to make interesting material out of the familiar concept of the love song. “Is It True?” (2009, Iceland) by Yohanna is a soft rock ballad that portrays a troubled relationship. The premise is that the narrator has just ended a bad relationship and is struggling to cope with reality. The cause of this breakup is left vague, however we know that there were lies involved when Yohanna sings, “Tell me ‘bout the rumors /… / Are they only lies?” and “If one of us is lying / There’s no use in trying.” The distortion of truth and reality is a major theme in “Is It True” as is evident by the narrator’s confusion throughout the song. She is constantly asking questions such as, “Is it true? / Is it over? / Did I throw it away?” She wants to know, indeed, if the relationship is over, but also who is at fault....
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Iceland's National Branding

Iceland is a complex country. It prides itself on being complex. People refer to it as the “Land of Ice and Fire” because of its volcanoes and glaciers, but also because of its internal contrasts. Something I did not mention about Iceland in my first blog post is that, like other nordic countries, it prides itself on being cultured and progressive. It was Iceland who elected the first female president in 1980 and the first openly gay Prime Minister in 2009. Moreover, a 2017 study by the World Economic Forum suggests Iceland is the country with the most gender equality (2017). This equality contrasts not only with the country’s viking forefathers, but also the fact that these vikings, remembered as violent pilagers, are canonized and celebrated in Icelandic society today (Ernest, 2013, p.69). Iceland boasts of the beauty of its natural resources, such as the previously mentioned volcanoes and glaciers. However, large parts remain untouched since most of the population is urbanized, wi...
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