ICELAND

• Students:
Letícia Castilho
João
Lilian Silva
Luciana Kele
Rute Dantas
ICELAND LITERATURE
WHAT'S SO UNIQUE ABOUT ICELANDIC
LITERATURE? WHAT ARE THE ANCIENT
ICELANDIC SAGAS AND WHAT MODERN
ICELANDIC AUTHORS SHOULD NOT GO
UNNOTICED? 
 BOOK LOVERS

• Every year, over 1300 titles are published

in a language spoken by only 330
thousand people. To say that Icelanders
are book lovers is an understatement. They
are utterly obsessed with books.
•  Every 10 Icelanders has published a book
 BOOK LOVERS BEST PHRASES

• ‘It is better to be without shoes than

without a book’ and ‘A man’s best
friend is a book’ (not a dog). ‘To walk
around with a book in your stomach’
is a common phrase meaning ‘to have
an idea for a book.’
 SOME CURIOSITIES

• Each year in November, every household in

Iceland receives a free catalogue,
Bókatíðindin or ‘book tidings’, listing every
book about to be published in the next
weeks.
• The most popular item to give as a
Christmas present in Iceland is a book.
 ICELANDIC SAGAS

• Nobody knows the authors of these Sagas, if there are any. A theory states
that these might be true stories who were mainly passed down orally from
generation to generation. 
• The Sagas are a large body of medieval literature depicting the life of
Icelandic settlers in the 9th, 10th and early 11th century;
•  Epic battles and larger-than-life heroes where the main themes are honour,
glory and revenge;
• The Icelandic Sagas will give you the chance to see the world through the
eyes of the Vikings.
 ICELANDIC SAGAS

• Bloody and with a lot of battle

•  Njáls Saga (nhans) (also known as Njála, Brennu-Njálssaga or ‘The
Story of Burnt Njall’). It is as popular today as it was 700 years ago
when it was first written down. 
• Njáls Saga’s principle characters are they lawyer and wise man Njáll
Þorgeirsson and Gunnar Hámundason, a great warrior. The saga deals
with the process of blood feuds and shows how minor insults can
escalate into destructive and prolonged bloodshed, all in the name of
honour.
SPORTS IN ICELAND

Sport is an important part

of Icelandic culture, as
the population is
generally quite active.
The main traditional sport
in Iceland is Glíma.
Popular sports include
football, track and field,
handball and basketball.
 The Icelandic national
football team qualified for
the UEFA European
football championship for
the first time in 2016.
Following up on this,
Iceland qualified for the
FIFA World Cup in 2018.
 ICELAND...

Has excellent conditions for

skiing, fishing, snowboarding, ice
climbing and rock climbing.
Although mountain climbing and
hiking are preferred by the general
public. Iceland is also a world-
class destination for alpine ski
touring and Telemark skiing.
 ICELAND...

• Is also one of the leading countries in ocean rowing.

• Has a great percentage of the population playing golf.
• Goes Horseback riding, a common pursuit for many Icelanders.
• Has also produced many chess masters.
• Has participated in a number of international tournaments of
Bridge.
• Has widespread geothermally heated outdoor pools because
swimming is popular.
•
 ICELAND

• Iceland is an European country located in the Atlantic Ocean, near the artic circle. It's
territory, known as Iceland, has no frontier land, being far from the continental portion.
• The water of the Atlantic Ocean, which bathes Iceland, are fundamental to the
realisation of fishing, which is the main national product exported. The Fish also drives
the industrial sector, especially the food segment. Other important revenue-earning
activities are software production, biotechnology, financial services and tourism.
• The capital is Reykjavik.
• Climate is mostly subpolar. Very cold.
• The government is formed by a republic with a mixed form of government. The
administrative division is among 79 municipalities.
• The official language is Icelandic. A currency: Icelandic krona.
 RELIGION

The main Icelandic religion is Lutheranism ,

which belongs to Protestant doctrine ,
whose main institution in the country is
the National Church of Iceland . Although
this church has links with the state, there is
complete freedom in the country for all
creeds without discrimination. 
Other religious groups have less
representation, such
as Buddhists , Muslims, and members of the
Bahá'í faith , but together these groups have
fewer than five hundred followers across the
country. 
 CUISINE

Icelandic cuisine is known for the use of fresh produce, free of pesticides and other chemical
substances. Their fish are renowned for responsible fishing and high quality standards.
Some popular products in the country include lamb, famous for being tender and tasty,
and skyr , a dairy-like yogurt. As in many other countries, quick snacks have become popular
in Iceland and one of the most popular and cheap dishes is pylsa , a kind of hot dog. 
Some peculiar Icelandic foods include sausages made with liver and mutton blood and
dehydrated fish that are used in light meals. At a certain time of the year,
called Þorrablót (reads thorrablot) between January and February, it is tradition the
consumption of food that the old Icelanders ate. This food, called Þorramatur (thorramatur)
has several ingredients of animal origin, such as singed sheep's head, smoked lamb, liver
sausage and various cured meats, such as sheep's testicles, lamb's breast and seal fins.  
CUISINE
 MUSIC

• Historically, Icelandic music has always been associated with religion. For this reason it was
very common to present choirs in schools, churches and community meetings, and this
tradition still exists today, even though it is not as closely linked to religious beliefs as it was
in the past. The songs sung by corals have their origin in the works produced in the 13th and
14th centuries, with the traditional rhyming poems known as rímur. This relationship with
the past represents a symbolic cultural importance for the Icelanders up to the present time.
Until the early twentieth century, there were practically no musical instruments in the
country, so the country's musical history is so different and peculiar of other countries, with
folk and religious songs originating from other Nordic countries being sung a cappella.
• One of Iceland's most important music festivals is the Iceland Airwaves, created in 1999
with annual editions taking place in October. In addition to the performance of world-
renowned singers, the festival is a kind of showcase for new Icelandic and worldwide music.
 DANCE

Icelandic Dance
Icelandic Schottische

Traditional dance of the past in the very active Iceland, in which the
dancers must have much pique and agility. The pairs dance in a circle,
parallel feet, with the arms passed by the shoulders, that is, side by side,
evolving with steady, alternating, bouncing and repetitive steps. As they
shrug their shoulders, couples dance face to face hand in hand, and the
gentlemen surround the ladies with tied hands as well.
 REFERENCES

• https://guidetoiceland.is/history-culture/literature-in-iceland
• https://hiveminer.com/Tags/glima%2Ciceland/Recent
• https://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/nigeria-sports-news/255183-nigerias-world-cup-challenger-iceland-play-indonesia.html
• http://www.icelandnaturally.com/article/icelands-olympic-handball-recap
• https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/asa1/glacier-hiking-and-ice-climbing-in-iceland
• https://www.scoop.it/t/speleo/p/4055202184/2015/11/14/mountain-climbing-glacier-ice-cave-iceberg-the-iceland-trifecta-
theinertia-com
• http://www.bergmenn.com/en/courses/rock-climbing-course
• http://icelandmag.is/article/watch-trailer-amazing-video-featuring-icelandic-snowboarding-champion
• https://www.icelandfishingguide.com/another-great-summer-for-iceland-fishing-guide/
• https://www.luex.com/aurora-arktika.html
• http://www.gbbasketball.com/news/3490.php#.Wyxr2KdKjIU
• https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2016/07/17/meet_team_iceland_for_rio_2016/
• https://www.groupon.ie/deals/ga-bargain-late-holidays-273
• https://br.depositphotos.com/115987426/stock-illustration-iceland-republic-of-iceland-flag.html