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What are Icelanders like?

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Studies show that original Icelanders were Nordic (mostly male) and Celtic (mostly female). Today, the population is a mixture of Norse and Celtic descendants with perhaps some other European influences. Much of this information is available because the people of Iceland have kept detailed medical and geological records since the beginning of the country.

Between 40,000 to 60,000 people lived in Iceland in the 17th to 19th centuries. Unfortunately the cold weather, volcanic eruptions, and plagues often wiped out large portions of the population during those years. In 2005, the census showed that Iceland is now the home to about 300,000 people.

The people in island speak Icelandic (a Germanic language) as their primary language and often Danish, English, German, and other languages as well. In general, Icelanders love intellectual activities including literature and chess and have one of the world’s highest literacy rates.

One very important aspect of the lives of people in Iceland is their respect and pride for their past. They consider their independence and self-reliance, as well as their Viking heritage, of utmost importance. Even the modern Icelandic language sounds much like the Old Norse originally spoken there. They also place very high value in women; in general, females do not struggle in the culture to gain positions of leadership as they do in many other cultures. They even keep their own names after marriage.

A couple of the personal favorites of Icelanders are their cuisine (their food is very traditional) and spas (geothermal spas can be found throughout the country being used by locals and tourists). The food especially is something that they’re very proud of, especially with favorites like Þorramatur – the national food – which often includes such things as rotten shark, blood pudding, sour ram’s testicles, and butter.

One cultural aspect of Icelanders often discussed is their religion. Iceland’s constitution grants freedom of religion; however there is no separation of church and state as in America. The state church is Lutheran, so most of the population is Lutheran. However, Icelanders in general are considered to be very liberal. Many claiming a denomination do not attend church at all.

According to the 2004 census, 85.5% of the Icelandic population are members of the Church of Iceland. 3.6% claim affiliation with the Free Lutheran Churches; 2.4%, no religious group; and 2%, Catholic. The remaining population is part of other Christian denominations, Ásatrú, and others religious groups.

Next Page: How does Iceland handle their politics?

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