Iceland—The Customs of the People
By DAVID OSTLUND
THE climate and other conditions have given the Icelanders a peculiar character. Even the cities bear testimony to this, but it seems even more a fact in the country. Let us observe an Icelandic farmhouse for a few moments, and we shall soon notice this. The house is, for the most part, built of sod, with walls several cubits wide. The ceiling is covered with grass and sod. The dwelling-houses have usually several rooms. The barn is built a little way from the house. The different apartments of the main dwelling are built parallel with one another, with one end toward an open court. In the most primitive form each house has but one room below. Then there is sometimes a room up-stairs. If the house is large, there may be two rooms down-stairs and two on the second floor. The light has access to these rooms only from a little window, high up, and there is very little opportunity to get fresh air. Benches around the walls, beds with canopies, at the window generally a little table—in most cases this is the only furniture. Very seldom is a chair to be seen. The kitchen is generally a house in itself. It is the only room where there is fire. This is used for cooking purposes. The dwelling-houses in Iceland are generally damp, on account of the lack of fresh air; but a reform in this is difficult, as there is no timber on the island, and importing it from other places makes it very expensive. But of late there has been much improvement. The main articles of diet are milk, dried fish, and mutton. The dried fish must, for the greater part, take the place of bread, and is eaten with butter. Potatoes are very scarce. Thus you will see that the Icelanders live mostly on animal food. There are very few amusements in Iceland. In later times there have been a few theaters erected in different cities; but one can hardly speak of art in connection with these. The meetings of the Good Templars are very well attended by the people. But in the country there are very few entertainments. The people of Iceland are great readers. They read their old histories and books and papers, and all they can get hold of. It is astonishing how much they read. You can hardly find a farmer who is not well versed in history and in the questions of the day, and can speak entertainingly in conversation of things that are happening. Especially are the Icelanders careful of their language, to speak and write it correctly. You can scarcely find a man who will be careless in the use of words. It is to be supposed that their desire for reading has produced this result; and the language has, because of this, been kept pure and just as it was written several hundred years ago. With reference to trading and commerce, the Icelanders are far behind. Although they are great readers, and have a good amount of knowledge, they have no ability in practical lines. There are no factories to speak of in the island, though there are opportunities, if the people had any inclination to make the most of them. They import their clothing and other articles that are needed from foreign countries. In agricultural lines, they are behind also. Although the country is mountainous, there are some portions which might be made to produce generously, but they are neglected, and as a result the people are poor.