Across the street from the National Library is the National Museum. Both are near the University of Iceland in a neighborhood of academia.
The National Museum has information regarding the political development, settlement, and identity of Iceland. While the museum focuses primarially on historical artifacts and information, it has a wealth of information regarding literature's place in Iceland's culture. Come on in!
Iceland has a culture of storytelling. The Book of Settlements is the most extensive ancient text that chronicles Iceland's founding as a nation.
A rune is a mark from an ancient alphabet. Iceland's Norse history is recorded in part through runes such as these. Imagine how old they are!
Find out more about runes, the influence (or lack thereof) of Latin in language development in Iceland, and the role of religion in language use in this country.
In the early modern period, Iceland wrote prodigiously. Icelandic and its ancestor, Old Norse, are notoriously difficult languages. Many citizens are passionate about maintaining the unique vernacular and the stories that are written in the language. In the middle ages, sagas were written and spread that expressed the history and folklore of Icelandic heroes and traditions. These sagas were written in Old Norse rather than in Latin.
Sagas and similar legends have traditionally been spread verbally through storytelling. Because of this, Iceland's early saga tales were shared by word of mouth rather than by popular books. This changed with the acceptance of Christianity in the country. Latin increased in popularity in Iceland, since Latin was the language of the church, and people began to write more for religious purposes and translated or produced religious texts in the native language of Icelandic.
Below are several examples of early Latin and Icelandic religious texts written after the acceptance of Christianity in the previously-pagan country.
Storytelling is an influential part of Iceland's essence, historically and in modernity. From where does this tradition emerge, though? Watch the following video to learn more.
The printing press industrialized literature. After many countries received printing press technology, literacy rates increased and more people of different social statuses could afford to purchase books. A similar situation occured in Iceland with the arrival of a printing press. While the printing press was originally used exclusively for religious purposes (such as printing Bibles), it was later made avaliable for newspapers, books, and other printing purposes. It was the birth of Icelandic literature culture as we know it, in which citizens buy one another books for Christmas gifts.
As a break from the intriguing items we have seen thus far, the museum offers two small library spaces in which visitors can rest. The space on the left is for adults while the cozy option on the right is for children. Both spaces offer free books for visitors, reinforcing the importance of literature in the development of Iceland and in the daily lives of its contemporary citizens.
After we have read and rested for a moment, we can return to the exhibit with this new display titled Iceland in the World. The purpose of the exhibit is to demonstrate Iceland's influence in other countries and the influence of multiculturalism in Iceland. Much of this cross-cultural interaction is done through books and literature, as we will see through the artifacts included in the display.
This space is particularly powerful because it acknowledges that not all dialogue between nations is beneficial. Here is a section on racism in early Icelandic children's literature in books featuring stereotyped characters of color.
The final aspect of the Iceland and the World exhibit is a wall with six different Icelandic citizens of different backgrounds and careers and how they are contributing to society. None of the citizens are traditionally "famous" but are depicted in the museum due to their embodiment of Icelandic values such as hard work, creativity, and productivity. Two out of the six people featured are literature students and/or writers of some sort, reinforcing the cultural importance of writing and producing texts and stories in Iceland.
The second floor of the museum has more contemporary artifacts. Follow us up the steps and we will go and take a look.
Welcome to the second floor of the National Museum. I hope that you are excited to go and take a look around.
Earlier in our tour, we saw a Bible printed on an early printing press and we learned that the first printing presses were reserved for Christian purposes. Now, we will learn how these devices were utilized outside of the sphere of religion. We will also see pictures of other printer's tools of the time.
After printing technology increased, literature and academic pursuits outside of strict religion were accessible to the Icelandic people. Below we will learn about a famous Icelandic scholar and student of literature who created the Icelandic Literary Society. His writings earned him the favor of the Danish government and he used this influence to help promote the cause of Icelandic political independence from the Danes, as well as to speak out against censorship of writing and other media of the time.
Below are some items having belonged to "President Jon" including notebooks, a portfolio, and writings.
"President Jon" was not the only Icelandic figure who utilized literature as a gateway to shaping national identity. When Iceland began forming its own sense of political independence, which was only granted in 1944, literary Romanticism was a catalyst for rejuvinated interest in Icelandic language and culture. A periodical published by four literature students focused on such Romantic ideals and promoted Icelandic conviction in political autonomy. It was widely read and helped pave the way for Icelandic demands to separate from the Danish. During this time of political turmoil, Iceland found strength in shaping its national identity through its stories and sagas, collecting them in their written format as proof of their unique history and historical figures. Because of this, Iceland is (metaphorically) a nation built on literature.
While Christianity was connected to the rise in book production and reading in Iceland, the older traditions of paganism and magic also found great use of the enhanced reading and press. Here is a display with the paradox of Christian vs. Magic literature. Old Norse and pagan texts existed and were not completely destroyed or forgotten in the time of increasing Christianity.
These display cases show Christian song hymnals and Bibles in comparison to magic books with enchantments. At this point, people of these two different brands of faith had access to printing presses and tools to create and distribute information in a book format.
We have finished our official tour of the literature artifacts at the National Museum of Iceland; why not pick up a momento on our way out? Fittingly, the majority of gifts in the shop are books. Since Christmas in Iceland is fast approaching, now would be a marvelous time to pick out a book or two to give to family and friends to celebrate the holiday.
Even if you have decided not to purchase a new book, our exit from the museum is still marked with literature in the form of these two last-minute displays, filled with typewriters and books.
The National Museum has, personally, been one of my favorite stops thus far. I hope that you have enjoyed it just as much as I did. In the meantime, follow us to our next destination!