I just got back from a nine day tour of Iceland. While this is not a travel blog, I thought it would be of interest to my readers. Iceland, along with all Nordic countries, is one of the most literate countries in the world. By this, I don’t mean their kids have high test scores. I mean reading and writing is a truly valued activity. All children are encouraged to explore their creativity and the arts.
I assume that part of the reason for the high literacy rate in Nordic countries is the weather. There times of the year that are very dark, and you will spend the majority of time indoors. For centuries, storytelling would’ve been the primary form of entertainment, and was passed down to future generations.
Some literary facts about Iceland and its language:
- 1 in 9 Icelanders will publish at least one book in their lifetime
- The Icelandic language has changed very little other than adding new words as new technologies emerge. A modern Icelander could read a text that is over a thousand years old with no difficulty
- Trolls and elves play prominent roles in the folklore of Iceland
- The Icelandic Sagas tell stories of Viking battles
- The English word geyser comes from Geysir a large geyser in Haukadular, Iceland
- Icelander Halldór Laxness won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1955
- Poet Jonas Hallgrimsson appears on the 10,000 Krona note
- Names for places are very literal in Iceland, for example Reykjavik means “smokey bay”
- Families don’t have the same last name. Your last name is your father’s first names followed by “son” or “dóttir”. Women do not change their name when they marry
- First names are chosen from an approved list of names. If you wish to chose a different name for your baby it must seek approval from a naming committee
