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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 22, 2006 Iceland�s national anthem Jeff Cheek Iceland is a nation of fire and ice. The northern tip of the 39,699-square-mile island brushes the Arctic Circle. It sits atop a fault in the Atlantic seabed. Molten lava often pours through these fissures, adding to the land mass. One sixth of the country is glaciers. Most of the rest is barren lava flows. About 7 percent of the land is arable. Despite its location, the warm Gulf Stream provides a climate where crops of wheat, barley and potatoes can grow. Sheep and dairy cattle thrive. And the practical Icelanders use thermal energy from their molten interior to heat their homes, generate electricity and warm hothouses for vegetables. Fishing is a major industry. They enjoy one of the highest standards of living in Europe. The first European to see the island named it Snowland. A few years later a Norse sailor, Floki Vilgeraorson, spent the winter there. He renamed it Iceland. The first settlers arrived from Norway in 874. Their chieftan, Ingolfur Arnarson, threw a carved pole overboard, pledging to settle where the gods washed the pole ashore. He named the settlement Reykjavik (Smokey River) from the steam rising from hot springs, which looked like smoke. Reykjavik has been the capital ever since. The citizens of Iceland are justifiably proud of their democractic past and the fact that their Althing is the oldest continually functioning parliament in the world. As the colony grew and prospered, conflict inevitably developed between rival clans. In 930 they all met to settle tribal disputes peacefully. The Althing has met every summer since 930. It is now the legislative body of a parliamentary republic. The rules agreed upon at the first Althing were not written down. Instead, they elected a Logsagumour or “Speaker of the Law.” His task was to memorize the decisions made and recall them when disputes arose. Much of Iceland’s early history is from these Logsagumours. Religion was a typical Althing decision. The first settlers were pagans. By 1,000 A.D., Christianity had come to Denmark, nominally Iceland’s ruler. The Althing met and voted to accept the new faith. However, those who preferred to worship their old pagan gods were allowed to continue. The island was nominally controlled by Denmark but has enjoyed self rule since 1874. During World War II, Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany. American troops arrived in July 1941 to defend Iceland and also have a base to protect Allied convoys from German submarines. On June 17, 1944, the Althing finally proclaimed Iceland as an independent republic. They have had a national anthem since 1874. To mark the millennium of Iceland’s settlement and celebrate their new status as a self-governing region, they adopted “God Of Our Land” as the national hymn. Dr. Matthais Jochumsson wrote the words, and Svienbjorn Svienbjornsson composed the music. The last few lines are: “Eternity has flowed; With its homage of tears; That reverently passes away; Iceland’s thousand years.” The Danish Ambassador is a popular sandwich. All ingredients are from Iceland except the imported Danish Esrom cheese, which gave it the name. I could not find any Esrom so I substituted Brie. Danish Ambassador 1 stick butter, softened 1 tablespoon horseradish Mayonnaise 10 slices pumpernickel 5 slices Esrom cheese 10 strips crisp fried bacon Mix butter with horseradish, spread on five slices bread. Spread mayo on the others. Place slice of Esrom on butter, then top with two strips bacon. Close with remaining bread and serve. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams