Iceland is a young country since it broke away from the Danish Crown in 1944, taking advantage of the chaos during the Second World War when Denmark was occupied by the Germans. But, who are the original inhabitants of Iceland?

The first settlers in Iceland were Vikings that were fleeing the King of Norway´s taxes. The first colonist, Ingolfur Arnason, arrived in what is now Reykjavik in 874 and it is well known where his farm was. The Book of Settlers states that the first inhabitants arrived on the island between 874 and 930. Before then, it was considered that Iceland was uninhabitable due to its volcanic nature. Nevertheless, there is evidence that some Irish hermits arrived before that date.

Today´s Icelanders have inherited from the old Vikings tenacity, a respect for nature and the refusal to surrender

How would you define the character of the Vikings and their influence on today´s Icelander?

The Viking character is reflected, above all, in the Sagas. They were warriors that could be fighting in battle and reciting poems at the same time, such as Egil¹. They were a warlike nation that never surrendered and believed in gods that emerged from nature. Today´s Icelanders have inherited from the old Vikings tenacity, a respect for nature and a refusal to submission.

What are the Sagas? Do they still influence Icelandic thinking, culture and the way of thinking in the 21^st century?

The Sagas are Iceland´s great literary milestones. For centuries, parents would read them to their children by the light of the fire during the long winter nights. They are epic stories based on true events of the first settlers, distorted over time, with imaginative additions and the appearance of trolls and other dark beings. They were written down in the 13^th century and the Icelanders still adore them today.

The Thingvellir valley is very special from the geological point of view, as the expression of the opening between the Eurasian and North American plates. However, above all, for the Icelanders, it is a symbolic place from the socio-political point of view. What happened there more than ten centuries ago and still occurs each year?

Thingvellir is a marvellous place where the first settlers of the island would meet, once a year at an assembly. In 930 the Althing was born there and it is the oldest Parliament that is still active. The Spokesman of the Law would quote the laws by memory from the top of a rock and the disputes between neighbours would be resolved. When independence was proclaimed on June 17th 1944, 20,000 Icelanders met there and each year on that date, they still gather.

In Reykjavik, opposite the Cathedral (Dómkirkjan), there is a statue of Leifur Eriksson, the first Viking and European to explore the Vinland region, in about the year 1000, which is now part of Terranova and Labrador in Canada. This statue was a gift to the Icelanders from the U.S. in 1930 to commemorate the millennium since the founding of Althing (the Icelandic Parliament). Why do you think that such an important discovery, far before Christopher Columbus´ birth, has not transcended to the European history books?

The discovery of America (in fact, only Vinland) in the year 1,000 by Leifur Eriksson, the son of Eric the Red, has a very different connotation to the discovery by Columbus. Both Erik and Leifur were fleeing Iceland in search of new lands where they could live outside the law. So, they were not going to broadcast it as opposed to Columbus who went in the name of the Spanish kings and, since it involved taking possession of land in the name of the Crown, his discovery was proclaimed from the rooftops.

Volcanic eruptions are, in fact, the reason why Iceland was considered to be uninhabitable for a long time. When Laki erupted in 1783, the King of Denmark considered evacuating the island

It is said in Iceland that the master Jules Verne described the marvellous landscapes and the mysterious atmosphere of the Sagas very successfully in his science-fiction novel- “Voyage to the centre of the Earth”. However, many tourists discover when they get to the Snæfell volcano, that they cannot descend the chimney since it is blocked by an icecap. If he never visited the country, how do you think that Jules Verne obtained all of this information?

Jules Verne was a visionary writer that set his novels in many countries which he had not set foot in. But he was well documented. According to his biographer, Herbert Lottman, he wrote this novel in 1864 because he was fascinated by volcanoes. In fact, René de Pont-Jest accused him of plagiary as he had published a philosophical tale in the Revue Contemporaine with a similar subject. Anyway, the Icelanders say, sarcastically, that if it was true that you could reach Sicily by the Snaefellness crater, the island would have been deserted a long time ago.

The historical record, which can still be seen, reveals that the eruption of Eldgja in the year 934, Hekla in 1104, Laki in 1783 and Askja in 1875, were of cataclysmic proportions. What do you know of the suffering of Iceland´s population from this era during these catastrophes?

It is a fact that the volcanic eruptions are the reason why Iceland was considered to be uninhabitable for a long time. The numerous fields of lava throughout the island provide an idea of the damaged that they caused and one should also consider the toxic emissions. Hekla was considered to be the Gate to Hell and, up until 1750, nobody had reached its peak. When Laki erupted in 1783, the King of Denmark considered evacuating the island. The Askja eruption caused strong emigration of Icelandic farmers to America because the lava destroyed their best land.

Statistics indicate that there is a volcanic eruption in Iceland every four years. Recently, Europeans were very conscious of Eyjafjallajökull for its effect on air traffic in 2010. Where do the volcano experts expect the next eruption to happen?

The Icelandic volcanologists think that the Katla vulcano, that erupts more or less every 50 years, may be the next. Hekla is another of the volcanoes that is being watched closely.

The eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano in 2004 kept the scientific community on edge as it happened underneath the Vatnajökull glacier, melting an enormous quantity of ice which, on release, caused huge flooding in the Southeast of the country. What were the effects on the infrastructure in the affected area?

Highway number 1, which goes around the island, was cut off due to the flooding produced by the melting of the ice which was on top of the volcano. If this were to happen on a grand scale, it would undoubtedly be a huge problem, as the Vatnajökull glacier occupied an area equivalent to two times the size of Majorca.

The Icelandic volcanologists think that the Katla vulcano, that erupts more or less every 50 years, may be the next

Driving in winter in Iceland on the Ring Road, or even on the inland roads, must not be an easy job. What experiences have you had on the road?

The Ring Road is good, mostly asphalted, but problems arise when you go on the secondary roads where you often have to cross rivers and rocky or waterlogged areas. If you kill one of the many sheep on the island by accident, you have to pay for it. People there are very responsible. I remember that in Reykjavik we scraped a car whilst parking and an Icelandic friend with whom we were travelling immediately reported it to the police.

What was the economic situation in Iceland before the crisis and how did they get to the downfall?

Prior to the crisis there was euphoria in Iceland. The economy was going well, the banks were announcing optimistic years ahead and, as if that was not enough, a survey showed that Iceland was the place where the happiest people in the world lived. The collapse arrived in 2008 due to a group of bankers and financiers that risked too much and speculated, promising very high interest rates and acting with a casino capitalism mentality. In the end they crashed.

The collapse arrived in 2008 due to a group of bankers and financiers that risked too much and speculated, promising very high interest rates and acting with a casino capitalism mentality. In the end they crashed

Who was responsible for Iceland´s economic crash as from October 2008?

The unconscious bankers who were allied to corrupt financiers and politicians are the ones to be blamed. Whilst all was going well, the politicians closed their eyes to irregular operations. When the bubble burst, people did not stand still and sought out the guilty ones.

Why do you think that women play such an important role in the country´s society and politics?

For centuries, when Iceland was just a county of fishermen, the men went off to sea for weeks on end and women stayed in charge of the family economy. In fact, Vigdis Finnbogadóttir was the first female President in 1980 and was re-elected in 1996. The people have an excellent memory of her.

What economic sectors does the Icelandic economy currently depend on?

Cod fishing is still the basis of Iceland´s economy although, in recent years, the Government has been promoting the aluminium manufacturing industry. Tourism is on the rise but it is concentrated only in the summer months.

Icelanders are very conscientious with regard to nature. They consider that it has to be preserved and passed down to their children in good condition

Preservation of the environment forms part of the inhabitants of Iceland´s religion. What are the opinions with regard to the Kárahnjúkar dam in the fjords on the East coast?

Icelanders are very conscientious with regard to nature. They consider that it has to be preserved and passed down to their children in good condition. For this reason, dams such as the Kárahnjúkar, which have flooded various valleys in the Northeast of the country, are not well looked upon. The Government alleges that they are necessary for supplying the aluminium factories but the majority of the Icelanders are against them and have gone out onto the street in protest.

What smells remind you of Iceland?

When you open the water tap, the smell of sulphur immediately embraces you. This is normal because the hot water comes from the underground volcanic activity. The use of geothermal energy, on the other hand, means that there is almost no pollution in Iceland.

Are you thinking of returning to Iceland to write more books?

I have travelled to Iceland a dozen times as I love the country and I am lucky to have friends there. I have already written two books: the first, “La isla secreta” to narrate my fascination for the island and explain how life is there. The second, “Islandia, revolución bajo el volcán” was written to explain what the 2008 crisis meant and how the country has changed.

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¹ The Egil Skallagrímson Saga is an Icelandic tale written by at the beginning of the 8^th century by Snorri Sturluson. The main character is the Egil Skallagrímsson, the poet-warrior.

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