The National Identity of Iceland

National identity is often described as shared language, stories, and culture. But I also think national identity is highly subjective. A person has to consider themselves a part of that culture for them to actually belong to the culture. This paper uses the following definition of national identity: a shared culture of language, social values, and collective memory that people personally choose to identify with, understood as an “imagined community” built on common history and perceived distinctiveness (Anderson, 1983). Using this idea of national identity, I will cover four core aspects of Iceland’s national identity. its language, its literary tradition, its people’s connection to Iceland’s nature, and its strong sense of social trust and community cooperation. I will also explain how Iceland’s identity has been shaped through contrast with the United States, which has pushed Icelanders to defend what they see as uniquely their own.

 

Language

              The Icelandic Language plays a crucial role in Icelandic culture. The Icelandic language is most famously known for its continuity.  The Icelandic language has changed very minimally since medieval times, enabling modern day Icelandic people to read centuries old texts. This is a pretty rare phenomenon, especially in Europe. Magnusson (1968) says that the continuity of the Icelandic language comes from a collective choice rather than just a happenstance. This is reflective of Iceland’s strong national identity. This coincides with the idea that national identity relies on what a group of people choose to associate with its Identity. Interestingly, medieval texts are often still used to teach students in school about Iceland’s history and culture. Even though Iceland’s language holds huge importance in their culture, it's still vulnerable to its small number of speakers globally. Also, English is increasingly taking up space once kept for the Icelandic language, particularly on social media. So speaking Icelandic can be a form of resistance against cultural dilution for Icelander’s.

 

Literary Traditions

              The Icelandic language serves as the building blocks for Iceland’s literary traditions, which likes it language serves a huge purpose in its national identity. Iceland’s ancient stories have served as an anchor in its identity, by helping Icelanders create an idea of what it meant for previous generations to be Icelandic. Harris (1993) notes that Icelandic culture has long been framed as a project of “preserving a distinct national spirit rooted in medieval literature.” Shared stories serve a major role in pretty much every culture across the world, and in Iceland its ancient stories are used to teach moral ideologies, and Iceland’s deep connection to the land throughout its history. These long-standing traditions give Icelanders their strong identity of cultural continuity. These traditions continue in modern Iceland with writers like Halldor Laxness, who uses similar themes to portray modern world issues. He writes about how Iceland is facing the decision of resisting foreign influence, which poses a threat to its national identity through assimilation. Iceland’s literary traditions reflect the idea the national identity is highly subjective, while still being a collective thing.

 

The Landscape

              Another major aspect of Iceland’s national identity is her nature. Iceland has a striking, rugged, and unforgiving landscape, which shapes everyday life. Iceland is made up of glaciers, volcanoes, and wide-open plains. Scholars like Barraclough (2021) mention how medieval Icelandic texts often included the topic of Iceland’s Geography. Descriptions of woodlands, deforestation, and the daily struggle of living in Iceland’s environment come up often in medieval texts. This reflects the huge impact that Iceland’s nature has on daily life. When Iceland was first settled, settlers had to learn how to survive on finite resources, which cultivated a society that values resilience and the ability to overcome. The Icelandic landscape also serves as a symbol of its Nordic heritage, reflecting the impact that the landscape of Northern Europe can have on its inhabitants.

 

U.S & Iceland

              It’s important to understand what other nations consider separates them from other nations. To determine what separates one culture from another, you must have a country to compare and contrast with. Triandafyllidou (1998) refers to these countries as “significant others.” For many countries, including Iceland, the US has been that significant other. But as the US began to establish themselves culturally all around the world, many countries including Iceland began to have their national identity “diluted.” Many Icelanders are worried about “cultural colonization” (Magnusson, 1968) due to their relatively small global influence and small population of roughly 367,000. The U.S being Iceland’s “other” helped Iceland define its identity including reinforcing their language, literature, and Landscape. The global pressure to learn English has made Icelander’s more protective of the Icelandic language, over fear of eventually losing the language. Icelandic authors have also often use fiction writing as resistance against American cultural influence. American cultural pressure helped clarify exactly what it means to be Icelandic. This fits national identity because it shows how identity is a personal and collective agreement.

 

Social Reliance

              Another core aspect of Icelandic national identity is its strong social and communal connection. Nordic cultures, including Iceland, typically revolve around collective responsibility, popular movements, and shared social values (Thaler, 2012). Despite Iceland being one of the least populated European countries, its social foundation relies on trust and working in unison, especially in response to economic, environmental, and social challenges. This fits the given definition of national identity by demonstrating how it’s shared and subjective. Icelanders believe that community engagement is a huge part of what it means to be part of the culture. We can see this sense of engagement in everyday life. For example, voting is highly encouraged within the community, and being involved in local politics and the community is seen as a civic duty. Participation in town meetings and volunteering helps support the idea that individuals contribute to everyone’s wellbeing, reinforcing cooperation and mutual support. This collective involvement strengthens social connection and helps Iceland stay connected.

 

Conclusion

               The national identity of Iceland is built on a shared culture that includes its distinctive language, rich literary tradition, and unique geography. But Icelandic identity is not only rooted in collective cultural elements, but also in personal identification and everyday life. Icelanders take pride in their heritage, which reinforces a sense of belonging and shared responsibility for preserving national traditions. With the United States serving as Iceland’s significant other, this dynamic further strengthens Iceland’s national identity by encouraging resistance to American cultural and political influence. In pushing back against external influence, Icelanders more clearly define what it means to be Icelandic. This process demonstrates that national identity is not fixed. National identity is actively embraced, maintained, and shared through conscious social and cultural choices over time.

 

 

References

Barraclough, E. R. (2021). Trees, woodlands, and forests in Old Norse-Icelandic culture. Journal of English and Germanic Philology, 120(3), 281–310.

 

Harris, J. (1993). Review of Icelandic Culture by Sigurður Nordal & Vilhjálmur T. Bjarnar. Scandinavian Studies, 65(2), 275–279.

 

Magnússon, S. A. (1968). Icelandic literature: Preserver of national culture. Mosaic, 1(3), 83–93.

 

Triandafyllidou, A. (1998). National identity and the “other.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, 21(4), 593–612.

 

Anderson, B. (2006). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism (Revised ed.). Verso.

 

Thaler, P. (2014). Nordic paths to modernity, edited by Jóhann Páll Árnason and Björn Wittrock (Review). Scandinavian Studies, 86(4), 484–487.