Icelandic traditions of free sex - I live in an armful - it's very sweet. Beauty secrets of Icelandic girls
We tell you how to “freeze” your youth, the benefits of shark oil and volcanic lava, what jökull is and why beauty contests are banned in Iceland.
"No" bikini
Icelandic girls, like most women in Scandinavian countries, age late - all thanks to the climate. Regular cold really prevents the appearance of deep wrinkles, which are typical for residents of hot countries. Considering that in Iceland, even in summer, the temperature rarely rises above ten degrees, girls do not have to lose much weight: they do not often wear skimpy bikinis. Icelandic women feel quite sexy in woolen sweaters.
Natural cryotherapy
The island's residents owe their beautiful skin to natural cryotherapy. True, strong icy winds can harm the skin if not protected. Therefore, fatty creams and consistencies are found in every girl’s cosmetic bag.
Light and airy fluids and flowing serums are almost never supplied to Icelandic stores - there is no demand. The most popular is the Icelandic national product Shark Cream, that is, cream made from shark oil. It not only protects the skin from frost, but also heals, soothes, and tones it.
Blue Lagoon
Iceland is a stunning place with pristine nature, incredible cliffs and a huge number of geothermal healing springs. The most famous is the natural pool called the Blue Lagoon. It is distinguished by a rich azure-milky color and thermal water of 36.6 ° C. Naturally, Icelanders have a cult of water; they are not averse to spending all their free time in hot springs.
Tourists are usually confused by the fact that Icelanders drink water straight from the tap. The fact is that it undergoes complete purification, but is still taken from thermal springs, and therefore has a characteristic smell of hydrogen sulfide. But Icelanders firmly believe in the benefits of their water.
Take care of your nerves!
Icelandic girls are perhaps the calmest girls, but also some of the happiest. Let the world be obsessed with plastic surgery, beauty injections, losing weight and going to psychoanalysts.
Icelandic girls believe that these complexes are a manifestation of self-dislike. They accept themselves as they are. Icelanders are tolerant: in 2011 they refused to hold the national Miss Iceland competition, considering it to be discrimination. Perhaps that is why they look better: in their lives there are no stresses or complexes based on their appearance.
Always in moving
In Iceland there are strong, tall girls with mostly blond hair and full lips. Interestingly, they cannot imagine life without sports: cycling, rock climbing, rafting, swimming, horse riding, handball, golf - all this in the fresh air among the beautiful Icelandic landscapes.
Jökull and volcanic lava
Icelanders “the richer they are, the happier they are.” Women support domestic producers by choosing cosmetic products made from volcanic lava, shark oil and jökull - as Icelanders call water obtained from an iceberg.
Melt water, like lava, becomes a component for scrubs and toners. By the way, despite the constant cold, creams with SPF are also a must-buy here: snow reflects the sun and enhances its effect on the skin.
Iceland
Kidnapping of an Icelandic woman
Icelandic bards told of a good wizard named Eirikur, who owned one such book and used it to help his compatriots when dark forces began to threaten them. (Referring to the magical book of Agrippa). One of his charges was a young farmer from the Westmann Islands. Seven weeks after the wedding, his young wife got up early in the morning and, as usual, went to collect firewood. She never returned. The farmer searched all around, but did not find her. Imagining that she had drowned in the icy sea, he fell into such despair that his friends began to seriously fear for his life. They advised him not to lose hope and talk to Eirikur.
When the farmer approached the wizard's house, he realized that they were already waiting for him there. The sage first asked about the missing woman. Then he promised to put all his art at the disposal of the unfortunate husband.
For three days Eirikur studied the book and did nothing. One morning in disgusting weather, he put the farmer on a horse and took him to a pile of large stones on the side of a lonely hill. There he laid the book on a stone, and although a storm raged above them, the book remained dry and its pages did not even move.
Eirikur stared at the book, as if trying to absorb its contents. Then he walked around the rock, moving counterclockwise in the time-honored manner of sorcerers, and cast the spell.
While the wizard was casting his spell, some figures appeared from the stones and gathered on the grass. These were, Eirikur explained, mortals who were kidnapped by trolls and taken to the other world. He asked the farmer to look carefully to see if his wife was among them. The farmer walked around the silent figures with indifferent faces. His wife was not among them. The sage sadly thanked those who had come for responding to his call, and they disappeared into the rock again.
Eirikur returned to the book, found a new place in it, then walked around the rock again, muttering something. A new group of people emerged from the rock, but the farmer's wife was not among them. Eirikur made another attempt and failed again. The pale and tired sorcerer admitted that he had summoned all the trolls of Iceland, and now he did not know what to do. Suddenly his eyes lit up.
Eirikur decided to summon a couple more trolls, whose names had not yet been mentioned in his spells, and pulled out a page with an ancient inscription from under his robe. Unfolding the parchment, he placed it on the open book and quietly read the spell. A pair of terrible creatures emerged from the rock, carrying a glass cage. Inside was a figurine of a woman only a few inches tall. The farmer screamed. The little creature was his wife.
Eirikur sent the trolls back to their dark world. When they disappeared, the glass cage fell to the ground and shattered, and Eirikur freed the captive. At first she remained the same unnaturally small, as if visible from a great height, but Eirikur cast a spell, and she, taking on her previous appearance, threw herself into her husband’s arms.
For safety, the wizard escorted them to the island. Trolls, deprived of their prey, could turn out to be vengeful. He stayed in the farmer's house for three days, and every evening he lay down near the door, putting a book under his head as a pillow and listening to the sounds coming from outside. What he heard was not the crash of waves on the shore or the cries of seagulls, but the witchcraft whisper of inhuman hatred. The trolls, unwilling to accept defeat, came to demand their slave.
They hid outside behind the door, looked into the windows with red, angry eyes, and muttered threats and curses through the cracks in the wall. But Eirikur drew strength from the book that served as his pillow. He rose, and spells so terrible came out of his lips that the night sky turned white, and the kidnappers - trolls - hid in the lower world with a frightened squeal. Having heard this story, women in Iceland began to walk very carefully, realizing that somewhere nearby on a deserted shore or at the foot of a black volcano a couple of angry trolls were hiding, hunting for a new victim...
"Secret Arts", M., "Terra", 1996, 144 pp.; ss. 20-22
ICELAND WOMEN
Women's Day in Iceland is celebrated annually on February 28th. This is due to the fact that around this day, according to the Old Icelandic calendar, the fifth month of the winter of Goa began, the mistress of which, according to various legends, was either the wife, or the daughter, or the sister of the previous month, Tori. This day has been celebrated since the 19th century. Men try to please their wives by shouldering the burden of housework and serving them coffee and breakfast in bed. With the advent of flowers on the Icelandic market, multicolored bouquets also became an attribute of the holiday. Nowadays it is also popular to give ladies of the heart a special cake, the recipe of which is chosen every year by a special commission, which makes the standard of “Cake of the Year” the same in all confectionery shops in the country.
Icelanders say that “if you haven’t seen Iceland, you haven’t seen anything.” Nature is diverse. A large part of the country is covered by majestic glaciers. And nearby are fire-breathing volcanoes, geysers, and lakes. Also rocky mountains and rushing rivers, fabulous caves. In winter you can swim in the lake - thermal springs heat the water all the time.
The harsh nature and living conditions have hardened the Icelandic women. Women in Iceland have always had equal rights with men. An expression of this is the fact that at the birth of a girl she is given a “surname”, which remains with her for the rest of her life. If a boy at birth receives the “surname” Hanssen, i.e. the son of Hans, then the girl is given the “surname” Hansendottir, i.e. Hansen’s daughter. This “surname” remains after marriage.
This situation can be explained historically. Before the first settlements, the island was deserted. The groups of settlers who arrived on the island were predominantly male. There were few women. That's why they were valued. As the sagas tell, it was not considered shameful if a woman married several times.
Björk (Björk) Gvüdmundsdóttir is an Icelandic singer, actress, musician, composer and songwriter:
Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir. She is 25 years old, from Reykjavik, and was crowned Miss World in 2005. Currently working as an anthropologist:
Sif Agustsdottir. Model:
Anita Briem. 27 years old, actress, known for her role in the TV series “The Tudors”, and in 2008 she starred in the blockbuster “Journey to the Center of the Earth” as Hannah. She is the daughter of drummer Gunnlaugur Briem and backing vocalist Erna Þórarinsdóttir:
A woman who had illegitimate children was not condemned; on the contrary, it was valued as a fact indicating the ability to bear children. The small Icelandic society welcomed every new citizen, no matter under what circumstances he was born.
Although the sagas say that it is humiliating to be ruled by women, married women in Iceland have always held strong positions. Iceland was originally a country of farmers and fishermen. There were no helpless non-working women of bourgeois society. Until recently, there were almost no cities in Iceland - just courtyards and places for cutting fish. Everyone was equally busy working.
Icelandic women wash clothes in a geothermal spring
The strength of Icelandic women also lies in the fact that they are eternal workers. They were the wives of fishermen who were constantly at sea and often did not return. The fishermen themselves managed the difficult peasant household and did not feel oppressed. Without their labor, families would starve to death. It is clear that in such conditions there is no time to take care of yourself. Girls begin to gain weight early, but this problem does not bother them. The main thing is health and to be resilient. Diet: fish, dairy products, a little meat and constant consumption of fish oil.
Iceland ranks first in the world for male life expectancy. Icelandic men have surpassed even the Japanese in this indicator. Life expectancy for Icelandic women was 82.9 years last year, slightly less than in Japan (85 years).
Another factor had some influence on the woman’s position. Iceland has never had an army. The country does not have this typically male organization. Iceland was the first country in the world to pass a law on equal rights for women and men. However, women still do not have equal rights in government, despite the fact that the president is a woman. In some industries, a woman earns significantly less than a man for the same work. Over 35 years, there were 4 major women's strikes. But the changes happened only on paper.
Due to high taxes, the working week is 60-80 hours. Icelandic women also have no such thing as a “female psyche”; everything is looked at through a male gaze. Women go “to the left” more often than men, so hysterics about cheating do not exist for her. With the rise to power of a woman with “pink inclinations” as Prime Minister, same-sex marriage was legalized in 2010.
Prime Minister of Iceland Johanna Sigurdardottir
Icelandic women are excellent car drivers, it is clear that they gravitate towards large and powerful cars. They also love wrestling.
The Icelandic folk style of wrestling "Glima" (literally translated "play of joy") is at least 1,100 years old. Glíma was brought to the island by Viking settlers, and Icelanders have been engaged in this struggle since ancient times. In the old days, the life of the Vikings was cruel, and wrestling was not only entertainment, but also had great practical significance for training warriors. Like most folk types of wrestling, glima was originally a purely male affair.
Probably the main feature of modern glima is special leather wrestling belts. The main belt goes around the waist, and other belts are pulled under both hips and connected by straps to the waist belt; these belts allow wrestlers to perform glima-specific holds, similar to techniques in many other folk wrestling styles.
Despite the fearlessness, strength and endurance of Icelandic women, for a long time they were not allowed to participate in glim fights; this is partly explained by the fact that until 1905 they fought in pants, which were not women's clothing (women wore long dresses and aprons). Replacing pants with belts opened the way for women to join the Glíma, and it is reliably known that Icelandic women were already engaged in Glíma wrestling as early as 1914. Since then (with some interruptions) women have been successfully mastering this sport, and since 1988, girls and women have officially competed in glime. The features of the glim technique make it very suitable for women who have a better developed lower body, because the hips and thighs are the most important levers in the fight against glim.
In ancient times, Icelandic women practiced witchcraft, although this activity was condemned, there were no obstacles to it. The belief in trolls and fairies still remains.
National women's costumes in Iceland are designed, first of all, to protect against wet and harsh weather, and are designated by the difficult-to-pronounce word fjoudbuningjurinn. The national costume of Iceland has undergone many changes over the past centuries. Today in Iceland a special commission has even been created to ensure that the national costume is modified as little as possible. There are 5 types of national costumes for Icelandic women:
Skjetbuningur. It was created by artist Sigurd Gudmundsson in the 19th century. The costume looks like a long dress and jacket in black colors with gold ornaments. This includes a black traditional Icelandic hat. Nowadays this costume is worn only on special occasions: holidays, weddings, etc.
Kiritl. Also created by the above artist. Kirtil is somewhat reminiscent of Viking clothing. At first the kirtil was white. Gradually, multi-colored kirtils began to appear. Kirtil is a lighter and more comfortable version of Icelandic national clothing. These clothes are also worn on holidays.
Two Icelandic women. The one on the left is wearing a skietbuningur, and the one on the right is wearing a kirtil
Sigurd Gudmundsson in 1858
Sigurd Gudmundsson (Sigurður Guðmundsson) is a famous Icelandic artist. Born in 1833. At the age of fifteen he moved to Denmark to work as a painter, but changed his mind and decided to take private drawing lessons. It was sponsored mainly by immigrants from Iceland, among whom was Jon Sigurdsson, the informal leader of the Icelandic independence movement. In 1858, Sigurd returned to Iceland, where he made a living by giving private drawing lessons. Sigurd not only painted pictures, but also participated in social activities. He was one of the ardent supporters of Icelandic independence. Sigurd's artistic talent came in handy in planning the city of Reykjavik, as well as in creating two national Icelandic costumes - Kirtil and Skatebuningur. Along with Gudjoun Samuelsson, he is one of the most important architects of the city of Reykjavik.
Faldbuningur
. The oldest version of women's clothing. It was created back in the 17th century. A distinctive feature of this costume is a hat with a curved ornament.
1. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with about 320 thousand people living here, and before the Second World War the population of the country was only 50 thousand.
2. Since everyone in Iceland knows each other, when a couple separates or divorces, they always try to maintain good relations. Cases when an ex-boyfriend does not communicate with an ex-girlfriend or ex-spouses do not talk to each other are extremely rare, because in any case, they have almost all of their friends and acquaintances in common.
Icelandic women and Icelandic girls are amazing. I get asked this question quite often: what are Icelandic women? People all over the world have often heard about the strong and independent Icelandic women. Quite often they have also heard about sexy and beautiful Icelandic women - there always seems to be quite a lot of foreign men who just hear the words "beautiful Icelandic women" which they automatically translate to "sexy Icelandic women" but don seem to listen when they appear words like “strong, independent and feminist Icelandic women.”
3. Instead of surnames in Iceland there are patronymics, that is, an analogue of our patronymic. The particle “son” (that is, son) or “dottir” (if this is a daughter) is added to the father’s name, which results, for example, Silia Palmarsdottir, that is, Silia is the daughter of Palmars.
4. In the event that the father for some reason does not recognize the child, the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but after the mother’s name.
Or at least that's what they indicate. Singer Nanna Brines from Monsters and Men is a great role model. Some time ago I was interviewed by a girl from Kenya who wanted to know more about Icelandic women and what they are like - and why exactly they are so strong and independent. What is it about Icelandic society that allows this equality to grow and flourish?
Icelandic women in international media
I wonder, however, why these two women were thrown into the international spotlight, one to show off their breasts and the other to abandon a competition based on a woman's physical beauty. Is that all the world cares about? Nudity and beauty? This is what the Icelandic news covers.
5. Since everyone in Reykjavik knows each other, house doors are often left unlocked, car keys are thrown in cars, and children in strollers are left unattended at the entrance to a cafe, bar or store.
6. In Reykjavik, it is considered normal to go out to the nearest grocery store in your pajamas.
Very few international media articles have mentioned that Miss Iceland is a member of the national track and field team, none of them have mentioned that she is a "pole vaulter". No one mentioned anything about what she was doing. They all just focused on her beauty and her ridiculous body, shameful.
Nobody criticized beauty pageants themselves. In Iceland, people were proud of her for leaving, but she also opened up a discussion about why colorful pageants still exist in modern society. However, beauty pageants do not help relieve this pressure. Another piece of international news about Iceland should have received the most attention, as it was about the thousands of Icelandic women who left work early to protest the wage gap between men and women.
7. Residents of Reykjavik almost always pay for purchases with bank cards, even if they order coffee at a bar. Cash payments are not accepted here.
8. Icelanders are sure that blowing your nose is harmful to health, so in winter everyone here sniffles, that is, sorry, they suck in the snot.
9. But spitting, on the contrary, is not considered indecent; even girls spit on the street and in public places without any problems.
This happened on the same day that Miss Iceland left the beauty pageant, but it looks like Miss Iceland received a lot more media coverage. The country has reached a dead end. When videos like the ones below are made, they all make Iceland look like a fairytale land where women have already achieved equality in Iceland. They often highlight how Iceland is slowly but certainly closing the pay gap.
This means that Icelandic women will not receive equal pay to men for the next 52 years. Change takes time, but of course there is no need to spend so much time on such a basic issue. There are a number of notable Icelandic women who are doing amazing things to promote equality, either by actively fighting for it or simply by being strong and powerful and good role models.
10. In fact, in Iceland in winter it is not as cold as we used to think; the temperature here rarely drops below - 6 degrees.
11. But in winter it is dark in Iceland, December 21 - on the shortest day of the year, dawn comes at 10.30, and the sun sets at 16.00. In summer, long nights are replaced by long days, compared to which white nights in St. Petersburg are simply nothing; in June in Iceland the sun sets for only a couple of hours.
Significant pros and cons of migration
Vigdi Finnbogadottir is the first female president of Iceland. She is loved and respected by everyone in Iceland. The country will take a huge step towards women's equality, no matter how it handles this position. At least little girls and grown women will know that it is possible to become president.
I hardly need to introduce Björk, she is very famous all over the world. She has influenced artists all over the world and has complete creative control over all her work. She definitely paved the way for other influential female artists from Iceland, such as Emiliana Torrini and Nanna Brindin Hilmarsdottir from Monsters and Men.
12. The lack of sunlight in winter is compensated to some extent by the northern lights; they can be observed constantly, so after a couple of weeks you no longer pay attention to them.
13.
Since the sun does not shine in Iceland in winter, all residents of the country, in order to avoid rickets and other unpleasant diseases, are required to take fish oil, but not in liquid form, but in tasteless capsules.
14.
Almost all Icelandic residents have profiles on Facebook; according to the latest data, Iceland is an active country on the social network.
They showed few Icelandic girls that women can be successful rappers - without having to take off all their clothes in their music videos. A great example of how they combat this is by citing the number of Icelandic girls and women who participate each year and what happened a few years ago.
In all this talk about how strong and independent Icelandic women are, men tend to get forgotten. But Iceland would not be the most equal country in the world if men did not want equality, thereby making it increasingly easier to strive for it together. Icelandic men are supportive and respectful. If something needs to be done, they expect women to be able to do it as well as they can.
15. Even if a resident of Iceland for some reason does not have a Facebook profile, he can still be easily found online. All residents of the country, of their own free will, register on the website www.ja.is, where they indicate their first and last name, telephone number, address and place on the map where their home is located.
It is also very rare for Icelandic men to close their doors to women or even offer to pay for drinks - they usually expect women to be able to open their doors and pay for their drinks. We learn from our mothers and fathers and grandparents. She had just started her own company and couldn't afford to rest.
Always in moving
Plus, as her own boss, she was already helping close the pay gap on her own terms. You don't always have to do the same thing as everyone else to be part of this change. Change happens in small doses, but someone has to be the one to start it. And you can help him in many ways. If you don't want to organize meetings or negotiate, you can write messages or blogs or share positive articles. No matter whether you are a man or a woman.
16. In Iceland, if a person is well disposed toward you, he demonstrates this by touching you every now and then.
17. There are an order of magnitude more blondes in Iceland than brunettes, so local women like to dye their hair a darker shade.
18. In order to spend the night with an Icelandic girl, long courtship is not required; most Icelandic women are, as they say, easy going, which is also why Italians and Spaniards love to come to Reykjavik.
Economic situation in the region
And hopefully one day all people will be treated equally, no matter what they look like, where they come from or what gender they are - and children will read about unequal pay in school books and find it baffling because the fact that women were not allowed to ride bicycles - just earlier this year he was unhappy that women were riding bicycles in Iran.
We still have a long way to go. A description of Iceland's "country feel" and what it means to you when it comes to women. This is why you should visit Reykjavik rather than worry about other cities The type of accommodation and supplies you'll need to maximize your chances of getting romance How to do Iceland on the cheap Low drinking culture: most common liquors, typical prices and Icelandic drinking customs. Important tips about visiting the year so you don't arrive when it's dead. . Most of the book is dedicated to women.
19. Icelanders are very tolerant, a gay pride parade is regularly held in Reykjavik, homosexual marriages have been allowed here since 2010, and the percentage of bisexuals in the country is very high.
20 . The most popular professions in Iceland are artist, musician or designer. Every second bartender or waiter is trying to get an education in a creative profession, and at the same time plays in some rock or folk band.
Icelandic nightlife is arguably the best in the whole world
How to deal with the skeptical, non-flirty, shy and feminist nature of an Icelandic girl. The two qualities Icelandic girls use to choose a man for an instant romance A detailed breakdown of the five types of Icelandic girls and who most wants to meet a foreigner. How many approaches are you likely to have to make to have an affair with an Icelandic girl. How to arrange to meet girls on Iceland's largest dating site before you even arrive. How to convince the Icelandic girls you keep bumping into on Notes about how you will be perceived based on your race. A depressing description of an Icelandic guy's game that should make you feel better about yourself. What type of clothing for packaging, for which it turns out to be one of the most stylish countries in the world. Stories: six short stories from my time in Iceland guides: details about the capital.
- Description of the appearance, shape and size of the Islamic figure, character and vibration.
- Welcome to Iceland: country history and logistics.
- Girls: how they look and act.
- Game: How to effectively meet local women.
21. For the reason described above, no one here uses the services of designers, for example, to come up with the design of an apartment or a wedding dress. Residents of Iceland are sure that each of them is their own artist, so they prefer to come up with both the interior of the apartment and the design of the dress themselves.
22. Repairs in apartments are also done mainly with their own hands, without hiring workers.
Read Iceland explosion without risk today
Another problem that Roush faced was that, having walked through the country blind, he was seen and treated as an outsider, and they are all about the social circle. The paperback is also available for a few more dollars. After submitting your credit card payment, you will be immediately sent to the book download page.
A 15-year-old Icelandic girl has been given the right to legally use the name given to her by her mother, despite opposition from authorities. On Thursday, the court ruled that the name "Blair" can be used. It means "light breeze". The decision overturns an earlier rejection by Icelandic authorities who said it was not a proper girl's name. So far, Blair Bjarkardottir has been identified simply as "Girl" in communications with officials.
23. Icelanders are crazy about Eurovision, the competition for young performers is taken very seriously here, and during the live broadcast the whole country follows what is happening on TV.
24. There are no McDonald's restaurants in Iceland; the last one closed in 2008 during the crisis.
The Reykjavik District Court ruled on Thursday that the name "Blaer" can be used. Finally, I will have Blair's name on my passport. Like several other countries, including Germany and Denmark, Iceland has official rules about what a baby can be named.
Blair's mother, Björk Eidsdóttir, fought for the name to be recognized. The court decision means other girls are also allowed to use the name in Iceland. In an interview earlier this year, Eidsdottir said she didn't know "Blair" was not on the list of accepted girl names when she gave it to her daughter. The name was rejected because the panel viewed it as a masculine name, which was inappropriate for a girl.
25. The most popular names in Iceland: male - Jon and female - Guvrun. Old mythological names are also still common, such as aðalsteinn, which means "main stone".
26. Icelanders, like Russians, like to use in everyday life not full, but abbreviated versions of names, so David in the diminutive Icelandic version will be Dabby, Guvrun - Gunna, Stefan - Steppie, Jon - Nonny, etc.
The court found, based on testimony and other evidence, that the name could be used by both men and women, and that Blair had a right to her name under the Icelandic constitution and human rights conventions in Europe. He rejected the government's argument that her request should be denied protection for the Icelandic language.
Blaer told the court she was very happy with her name and had problems with it when she dealt with government agencies who rejected her. The court did not grant her any damages. The government has not indicated whether it will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
27. The language of Iceland has remained virtually unchanged over the past 1,000 years, so it contains letters that have disappeared from English, plus the inhabitants of the country can read the ancient Viking sagas in the original without any problems.
28. The local population generally loves to read; today, according to some sources, Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.
29. The cost of wine in Iceland is often influenced not by the year of its production or quality, but by strength. Thus, an expensive but light French wine can cost several times less than a 15-degree babble.
30. Iceland has no armed forces; its functions are performed to some extent by the coast guard.
31. Police officers in Iceland do not carry weapons and are not issued pistols.
32. Residents of Reykjavik, for the most part, are terrible at parking, and can abandon their car right across the street. The presence of tow trucks and fines for parking in the wrong place are of little help.
33. Icelanders try to use only renewable energy sources; gas and gasoline are used here only to fuel cars and boats, and this is because electric cars have not taken root in the country.
34. There is no need to pay for water in restaurants and cafes; it is still poured from the tap. This is water from local thermal springs, and therefore it is absolutely suitable for drinking.
35. But hot tap water in Iceland smells like rotten eggs. The fact is that it also enters the water supply system directly from hot thermal springs, and they are rich in hydrogen sulfide.
36. Taking a hot thermal bath is a popular evening activity in Reykjavik; the cost of visiting when purchasing a subscription is about 5 euros.
37. In the houses of Iceland, as in Russia, there is a central heating system, which distinguishes the country favorably from Italy or France, where you have to pay for each time you turn on the heater.
38. Until the seventies of the twentieth century, Icelandic legislation allowed residents of the country to kill Turks with impunity. This is due to the fact that in the past, Turkish pirates often robbed Icelandic ships and coastal villages.
39. To this day, Icelandic legislation allows residents of the country to kill polar bears for food.
40. Liquorice is very popular in Iceland; it is added to any dish, plus they produce chocolates filled with licorice.
41. The national dish of Iceland is hakarl - rotten Greenland shark meat cut into small pieces. If you don’t chew it and just swallow it, it’s still quite edible, but if you chew the meat, you’ll feel the “magical” taste of urea. The fact is that the Greenland shark does not have a urinary tract and its meat contains poisonous ammonia. In order for the meat to be eaten, it is left to rot underground or in a basement for three months. The creators of The Simpsons mocked the taste of this dish in one of the episodes of the animated series.
42. In Iceland they eat mainly fish, and all dishes are topped with mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, after which the real taste of the fish may not be recognized.
43. Most Icelanders have very bad teeth, and Iceland is one of the main sugar-consuming countries, and they also love Coca-Cola.
44. Most Icelanders still believe in elves and trolls, which makes it difficult to build a house or a road. Before starting construction, local “witches” are consulted to determine whether this or that stone can be moved, or whether an elf lives under it. Sometimes, in order not to “offend” the elf and move the stone, Icelanders have to perform magical rituals, for example, keeping the stone in honey for some time.
45. 2,148 people in Iceland adhere to the pagan teachings of the Ásatrú Association, which is based on the revival of Icelandic and Norwegian pagan beliefs. This religion is officially accepted, and its ministers can perform a wedding ceremony, which is equivalent to traditional marriage registration.
46. In addition to the well-known Santa Claus, in Iceland there are 15 more Santa Clauses of different types, by and large they are all elves, in whom the locals believe.
47. Every major store in Reykjavik has a children's play area.
48. All Icelanders wear lopapeysa - a knitted sheep's wool jacket with a characteristic national pattern. We can say that this is the very example of a national costume that has not disappeared over time.
Typical Icelandic appearance? How are Icelandic women different? How to get $10,000?
I took these screenshots three months ago for a Telegram chat dedicated to Iceland (https://t.me/epiciceland). Since then, while scrolling through photos on my phone, I sometimes come across them and tell myself that it’s time to add a publication to the site about Icelandic girls. It looks like the time has come.
I’ll say right away that I don’t want to offend anyone with my opinion and I don’t pretend to be objective. This post will be my subjective attempt to answer a question that is often asked about Iceland - “ What do girls look like in Iceland?”.
I tried to find and select several photographs with the most typical “Icelandic” appearance.
Yes, in most cases they are blondes with blue eyes. When compared with other nations, the average Icelandic woman (and man too) is much larger than representatives of other nations. No, I'm not saying that they are full, they are just large. That is, a girl can have a beautiful, proportional figure, but she will have a lot of “everything”. Features of the northern peoples.
This “northernness” is also noticeable in communication. After hot, southern countries, where all the locals simply sparkle with cordiality and goodwill, Icelandic indifferent and cold glances act as a contrast shower. I don’t know what affects them so much, but even in the simplest everyday situations, like going to the supermarket, such detachment creeps in that it becomes uncomfortable.
After the Internet exploded with the news that immigrants to Iceland would be paid 5,000 euros a month to marry local girls, crowds of our men rushed to Iceland. But is it really that good there and do they really pay 5,000 euros?
We found our immigrant who, on condition of anonymity (he still has a wife here), agreed to give an interview. So, our hero's name is Sergei.
Sergey, tell me why you decided to go to Iceland?
– In my homeland, to earn 5,000 euros, I need to work for 2 years. Here I get this per month, without doing anything at all.
And what, in Iceland they actually pay 5,000 euros a month to marry an Icelandic woman?
- Not really for marriage. It's all about unemployment assistance and helping young families. But marriage is an important factor for both of these payments, because on the basis of marriage with a native Icelandic woman, you can obtain a residence permit in this country, and in the future, citizenship. As a result, it turns out to be even more than 5,000 euros per month.
And what is this amount enough for you and Iceland?
– I live in my wife’s house, so I don’t have to pay rent or a loan. Utility bills here are very high - for our house 250 meters away we pay almost 1,500 euros per month, but this is my wife and I’s common expenses. We hardly cook at home, so we spend about 5,000 euros a month on restaurants. Also, I bought myself a new Mercedes-Benz and pay 350 euros per month on the loan. My wife works as an assistant director of a small local company and earns about 15,000 euros per month. In total, we have enough for everything we could wish for.
There is a rumor about the incredible beauty of Icelandic girls. Why then do they pay so much money to marry them?
– I say again, they pay not for marriage, but for the fact that you live in Iceland - you receive social assistance. In principle, there are no poor people here, and the amount of 5,000 euros just covers current expenses. Regarding the beauty of local girls, everything here is the same as everywhere else. Some are beautiful, and some are not so good. The only difference is that here girls are taught from childhood to take care of themselves - a gym, a cosmetologist, beauty salons - here this is not a luxury, but the minimum that every girl regularly allows herself.
Sergey, tell me honestly, are you happy?
– Yes, here I finally found myself. No one tells me what to do, demands money or tells me that I owe anything. Here, no one owes anyone anything and all decisions are made solely at will. Even the institution of marriage here is more likely not a necessity during pregnancy, but a beautiful tradition. By the way, most marriages here are between partners of the same sex, so a traditional family in Iceland is rather rare.
Are you going home?
– I’ll tell you honestly, there is nostalgia. But as soon as I remember how I had to work for $200-300 a month, it immediately disappears. Here I spend this money in a day and don’t even notice.
Thank you for the interview, we wish you good luck!
- Same to you. Thank you!
Of course, the main heroes of EURO 2016 were the players of the Icelandic national team, who managed to snatch victory from the English national team, and, perhaps, this is the only team at the Championship that is warmly regarded by fans from all over the world. Today we are publishing a selection of 30 interesting facts about what kind of country Iceland is and what kind of people live there.
1. Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with a population of just over 320 thousand people, and before the Second World War the population of the island was only 50 thousand people. About 30 thousand fans came to the European Football Championship, that is, approximately 10 percent of the country's population.
2. If you noticed, all the names of the Icelandic National Team players are similar, they end in “son”. The whole point here is that in Iceland patronymics are used instead of surnames; in fact, this is an analogue of our patronymic name. For boys, the particle “son” (son) is added to the father’s name; for girls, “dottir” (daughter). Thus, for example, if there are two children of different sexes in a family, then they will have different “surnames”, for example, the girl Palmarsdottir, that is, the daughter of Palmars and the son Palmarsson, that is, the son of Palmars. In 1925, Iceland even passed a special law prohibiting citizens of the country from acquiring surnames in the classical sense. By the way, if the father for some reason does not recognize the child, then the son or daughter receives a matronym as a surname, that is, the same patronymic, but after the mother’s name.
3. However, this does not mean that Icelanders do not strive to preserve the surname at all, they simply do it in a unique way, some give their children the same names after a generation, that is, they name the child after their grandfather or grandmother, so that, so to speak, they can trace the line kind.
4. The classic names of Icelanders are well known to many of us, because we met them in the ancient Scandinavian sagas. Yes, Ragnar, Sigur or Aðalsteinn, which means "main stone", are the same normal human names in Iceland as Ivan, Dmitry or Alexander in Russia. The most popular names in Iceland are: male - Jon and female - Gudrun.
5. In Iceland, in everyday life, especially long and complex names are abbreviated, for example, a young man named Aðalsteinn can be called simply Ali, Guvrun - Gunna, Stefan - Steppie, Jon - Nonny, and so on.
6. Until recently, it was generally accepted that Icelanders are descendants of Vikings from Norway and Sweden, but recent genetic examination has established that the genes of the Irish, who existed as slaves in Iceland in ancient times, prevail in the gene pool of modern Icelanders. On the other hand, this fits perfectly with the local belief that the Icelandic Vikings stole all the beautiful women from England and Ireland for the purpose of love affairs, and for reproduction.
7. The Icelandic language, due to the long-term isolation of the island from the rest of the world, has evolved very little compared to other Scandinavian languages, that is, the percentage of words borrowed from other languages is extremely small. Because of this, Icelandic is very close to the very language of the northern peoples, in which the Vikings communicated in ancient times, and Icelanders can read the ancient sagas, as they say, without straining.
8. Icelandic household sagas, unlike other works of folk art, are a dry listing of facts, which is why it is sometimes quite difficult for a modern reader to perceive them. That is, in the sagas there is no description of the heroes’ feelings or experiences, only a meticulous listing of events: went there, conquered such and such, married so and so, killed so and so, was killed by so and so. In this case, much attention is paid to where exactly this or that event occurred and in what period of time it happened. Previously, largely due to the meticulous manner of presentation and the lack of an emotional component in the descriptions, many researchers considered Icelandic household sagas to be historical documents that did not require careful verification and historical reconstruction, but now the sagas are still perceived by scientists, rather, as works of art, and the facts stated in them are subject to verification.
Pictured: Hallgrimskirkja Church in Reykjavik
9. Another reflection of this feature of national thinking is the names of geographical objects. In fact, complex and multi-stage words are simply a definition of the place in question. Thus, Reykjavik means “smoking bay”, the name of the city Kopavogur stands for “young seal bay”, and the difficult-to-pronounce name of the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano means “Island of Mountain Glaciers”.
10. At the same time, 90 percent of the country's population speaks English fluently. The following fact is no less interesting: in order to find a job in Iceland, a foreigner does not need knowledge of the Icelandic language - fluent English is more than enough. For this reason, many immigrants to Iceland do not speak Icelandic even after 10 years of living in the country; They have more than enough English for both life and work. Another interesting thing is that if a citizen of another country has lived in Iceland for 6 years, he can apply for Icelandic citizenship and receive it without any problems.
In the photo: the priest of the Ásatrúarfélagið church and his follower
11. Also because very few people live in Iceland, there is practically no crime here. As a result, young mothers, for example, easily leave their babies sleeping in strollers on the streets of Reykjavik, while they go with their girlfriends to drink coffee in a cafe, car keys are often thrown in cars, and the Reykjavik prison is empty, and sometimes tourists even spend the night there, not managed to find a room in a hotel. In addition, police officers in Iceland do not carry weapons, and Iceland does not have a military force; their functions are to some extent performed by the coast guard.
12. Today in Iceland, the neo-pagan religion Ásatrúarfélagið, which is a slightly modernized cult of the Scandinavian gods, is very popular. Priests of the Ásatrúarfélagið are allowed, for example, to perform a wedding ceremony; it is considered an official procedure in the country, while ministers of the cult can also marry homosexual couples.
Today, 2,400 people officially count themselves among the followers of the Ásatrúarfélagið cult, and even now a large-scale construction of a full-fledged temple of the Scandinavian gods is underway in Iceland, this will be the first such structure since the times of the Vikings.
In the photo: stones in which, according to legend, spirits live
13. The traditional date for the adoption of Christianity in Iceland is the year 1000, which is curious, after that Icelandic Christianity developed without the close supervision of Rome, as a result, the Icelanders retained their ancient beliefs and traditions. For example, people here still believe in trolls (giants) or Hidden Residents (elves). Elves are huldufouls, these are creatures that live in round stones of a certain type; mere mortals cannot see them, except in those cases when the spirits themselves decide to show themselves to people.
The presence of such a stone, for example, at the construction site of a road or house, can cause problems, because huldufoulks should not be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, before moving the stone, it is recommended to perform magical manipulations on it.
14. Christmas in Icelandic will be Yule, that is, it is a direct copy of the word “Yule” - the ancient holiday of the winter solstice among the Germanic peoples, so it is not surprising that Santa Claus is an unpopular character here. Here Yule Lad work for him at Christmas, but they don’t give gifts to children; on the contrary, the heroes of folklore are the evil spirits of winter. There are fifteen spirits, and they come from the very Hidden inhabitants of the huldufoulks. The spirits come to the cities strictly on schedule; the first to descend from the mountains on December 12 are Gryla and Leppaludi - the mother and father of thirteen Yule Lad. In this case, dad is a lazy and overweight male spirit, and his wife is an evil old woman, an analogue of the Russian Baba Yaga, by the way, she also has a stick. Following the parents, one after another, their children come to the cities - the evil spirits of Yule.
Each of the spirits, according to beliefs, engages in sabotage according to their strength and capabilities: one steals dishes, another blows out candles in houses, a third steals sausages, a fourth licks milk supplies, a fifth tangles the wool of sheep, in a word, everyone is at work. The spirits are accompanied by the evil cat Yolokotturin; according to legend, she steals small children and eats them. Yule Lad figurines in Reykjavik can be seen on every corner on the eve of Christmas, their images are also pasted on Icelandair planes, and projections of them are broadcast onto store windows and house facades.
15. It is believed that the national dish of Iceland is hakarl - rotten Greenland shark meat cut into small pieces. The Greenland shark does not have a urinary tract, its meat contains poisonous ammonia, therefore, in order for the meat to become edible, it is left to rot underground or in a basement for three months. Haukarl tastes (and smells) like pure urea, which is how it usually stinks in some dirty public toilet. So, in fact, modern Icelanders almost never eat hakarl - this is entertainment for tourists, many of the locals have never tried this disgusting thing, as they say, one smell was enough to fully understand the scale of the disaster.
16. But fried bird breast is a dead end, on the contrary, a popular local dish, a kind of delicacy. Puffins are caught in the summer, when they fly to the island to nest, puffin meat is very tasty, but I really feel sorry for the bird, look how cute they are, they even know how to kiss! In a word, he ate and cried, ate and cried.
It is also shocking to many that in Iceland they eat whales; by the way, they taste like steak. But, according to Icelandic fishermen, if the whale population is not thinned out, they multiply very quickly and then eat all the commercial fish. Iceland regularly violates whale slaughter quotas, and animal rights activists and the whole of Europe are regularly unhappy with this.
In the photo: the national Icelandic dish Plokkfiskur
17. In general, if we talk about Icelandic cuisine, cod, haddock, smoked salmon, lamb in a variety of forms are popular here, especially lamb fillet, small lobsters (they are a little larger in size than large shrimp) and, of course, herring . Of course, potatoes are popular among vegetables; by the way, the delicious local dish Plokkfiskur is prepared from leftover haddock and potatoes.
In addition, Icelanders love to generously sprinkle their food with ketchup and mayonnaise; the most popular local drink is Coca-Cola. Among the sweets, sweets and licorice lollipops are held in high esteem here, and in the summer locals indulge in berries, which are good in Iceland. But there are no McDonald's restaurants in the country; the last one closed in 2008 during the crisis.
18. They also eat horse meat in Iceland, and this is also a little sad, because local horses are a real miracle of nature. They are short, hardy, and covered with thick fur in winter. At the same time, Icelandic horses are not afraid, there are no dangerous predators on the island, so the horses are not used to fearing for their lives, they easily approach strangers, allow themselves to be stroked and fed.
There is still debate about how horses originally got to the island. In ancient times, Icelanders assumed that all local horses were descendants of Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of the god Odin. Historians believe that horses were brought to Iceland by the Vikings in the 9th - 10th centuries AD, and geneticists claim that horses were brought to the island from the shores of Scotland. Hippotherapy is also popular in Iceland - the treatment of neurological disorders through communication with horses.
19. Iceland is located on thermal springs, so it mainly uses renewable energy sources. As a result, thermal water flows from the tap, which, however, smells very strongly of hydrogen sulfide, but you gradually sniff it, houses are also heated generously, and since pipes with hot thermal water in Reykjavik are laid directly under the sidewalk, the streets of the Icelandic capital can never ice up, so there is no point in sprinkling them with chemicals.
In the photo: an Icelandic jeep for winter off-road travel
20. But don’t think that everything is so wonderful. Outside the cities, many roads in Iceland become impassable in winter: there is icing, drifting snow, and snow piles. Therefore, the most popular type of vehicle used if you need to travel from Reykjavik to Akureyri in winter is a jeep, and the bigger the better. On excursions to national parks or to geysers, tourists are even taken on such monsters as in the photo below.
21. But what is truly wonderful in Iceland are the thermal pools with hot water, built in the open air. Of course, everyone has heard about the famous Blue Lagoon, built near a thermal power plant, but this is more entertainment for tourists. Icelanders themselves most often go to ordinary thermal pools, which are open in the amount of approximately one per 10 houses. Everything is simple there: you go in, wash, and climb into the outdoor thermal pool. When purchasing a subscription, the cost of visiting is around 2 euros.
Interestingly, when visiting a thermal pool, guests must wash their hair, and since most pools are located outdoors, the very fact that locals swim with wet hair and do not get sick is admirable. In general, visiting the thermal baths in Iceland is the same option for evening leisure as going to a bar; this is where young people most often invite girls on a first date. It turns out to be very convenient, and cheaper than going to a bar, and you can immediately see the person in all the details.
22. In fact, in Iceland in winter it is not as cold as we used to think, the temperature here rarely drops below minus 6 degrees, but the piercing and sometimes knocking wind fully compensates for this. But in summer it’s never hot in Iceland, the air temperature here rarely rises above 20 degrees, and there’s still the same wind, don’t forget about the wind.
23. If until recently the most popular resort for Russians was Turkey, then the Canary Islands still perform the same function for Icelanders. The reasons for Icelanders’ love for the Canary Islands are prosaic: the nature is similar, the flight is relatively close, by Icelandic standards it’s very affordable, but most importantly, it’s warm, and the fact that the water in the ocean is cool doesn’t bother them at all.
In the photo: Northern Lights over Reykjavik
24. In winter in Iceland it is not just dark, but very dark; on December 21 - the shortest day of the year - dawn comes at 10.30, and the sun sets at 16.00. But in winter you can regularly observe the Northern Lights here; in Iceland they are usually green, and there is even a website that shows the likelihood of the Northern Lights appearing in a particular area of the country, its address: http://www.vedur.is .
In summer, long nights are replaced by long days, compared to which white nights in St. Petersburg are simply nothing; in June in Iceland the sun sets for only a couple of hours.
In the photo: the Icelandic Parliament building
25. The basis of the Icelandic government is democracy, and these are not empty words. Here it is worth turning to the history of the country: as the island was settled, tings were formed in the regions of Iceland - an analogue of the ancient Russian veche. At the Things, courts were held, disputes were resolved, and collective discussions of vital issues concerning the community took place. Once a year, at the beginning of summer, representatives from each community gathered for a general meeting - the Althing - in order to regulate relations between the regions. As a rule, successes during the Althing were achieved by those who had the powerful support of wealthy landowners. The first Althing took place in Iceland in 930, and this year is considered to be the beginning of the era of democracy. True, in the thirteenth century Iceland came under the rule of Norway, until the forties of the twentieth century it was under the rule of Denmark, in 1940 the island was captured by Great Britain, which, in turn, transferred Iceland to the United States. The country gained independence from the United States only on June 17, 1944. So, the victory over the England team for the Icelanders is a kind of revenge for the years of occupation.
However, the Icelandic Althing was reassembled in 1845, and today it is considered the oldest parliament in the world. The entire population of the country took part in finalizing the last text of the Constitution of Iceland in 2012; citizens’ proposals were accepted through social networks and even through YouTube. But, the most curious thing is that for all this, the country has had the same president for the last 16 years - Olavur Ragnar Grimsson. He ruled the country from 1999 to 2016. Grimsson remained for the second term due to the lack of candidates for the post of head of state, for the third time he won the vote, for the fourth term he went again due to the lack of candidates for the post of president, and for the fifth time he won the elections again. On June 26, 2016, 48-year-old history teacher Gudni Johannesson became the new president of Iceland.
Pictured: Hafþór Bjödnson as Grigor "The Mountain" Kligon
26. In Iceland there is socialism, here everyone receives approximately the same salary and lives in the same houses. At the same time, it is believed here that “all professions are needed, all professions are important,” that is, it doesn’t matter whether you work as a waiter or a scientist - you are equally worthy of respect. It is curious that many local celebrities, before fame fell on them, worked in not very honorable positions, for example, Hafþór Bjödnson - the strongest man on the planet and the performer of the role of Grigor "The Mountain" Kligon in "Games of Thrones", like many Icelanders , for a long time not only was engaged in bodybuilding, but also worked part-time in a restaurant.
In general, almost all Icelanders have not one job, but two, the first for money, the second for the soul. That is, almost every waiter or bartender here is also an artist, decorator, photographer, designer or jeweler.
27. And the local population loves to read; today, according to some sources, Icelanders are the most reading people in the world.
28. In Iceland there is absolute tolerance for everything, gay marriage has been allowed here since 2010, the percentage of open bisexuals in the country is also very high, and a gay pride parade takes place in Reykjavik every summer. At the same time, all couples, regardless of whether they are hetero or homo, try to maintain friendly relations when breaking up, because the country is small and it will still not be possible to completely stop communication. Icelanders get married easily and divorce easily; in case of divorce, children, as a rule, live 50/50 with each parent. At the same time, almost all Icelandic girls are feminists; they do not allow themselves to be paid for in restaurants; they carry bags, do repairs, nail nails, and so on without any difficulties. True, the advantages of tolerance also give rise to disadvantages; in Iceland, personal space is extremely difficult, because everyone knows everything about everyone.
29. Iceland exists practically according to the rules of the Australian economy, which is based on self-reliance and the construction of a system of closed reproduction of the community with minimal dependence on exchange with the external environment. No, of course, you can buy Western food here, but they cost several times more than local ones, and the choice is small. In general, it’s funny with wine, it’s expensive regardless of the type, that is, a bottle of decent wine and outright mumbo jumbo will cost about the same. Clothing is also mostly locally produced. And the main national item that any Icelander has in their wardrobe is the lopapeysa - a knitted sheep's wool jacket with a recognizable national pattern. By the way, the lopapeysa is quite expensive, but the thing lasts for years.
30. Iceland, according to statistics, is one of the most active countries in
in social networks. Almost all its residents have accounts on Facebook, but in addition to Facebook, the country also has a local social network www.ja.is, where all Icelanders, young and old, are registered. When registering on this site, users indicate not only their first and last name, but also their phone number, address and the location on the map where their homes are located. So if you want to meet one of the Icelandic National Football Team players and he is still living in the country, look for him on www.ja.is, he will definitely be there.
