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(waters rushing and flowing)
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(waters erupting)
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Official YIFY movies site:
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(stirring music playing)
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- [Narrator] Geysers,
volcanoes, waterfalls.
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The nature in Iceland is immense.
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Here the four elements of nature
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can be experienced as raw and close up
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as in practically no other place on Earth.
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Iceland's first settlers
were bold from the offset.
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They emancipated
themselves from old Europe
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in the 10th century by introducing
a new form of government.
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A millennium later, Iceland
becomes the first country
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to elect a female Head of State in 1980.
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Three years later, the first ever
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exclusively female party
wins seats in parliament.
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Based on population, Iceland
is the most frequent winner
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of Miss World and Mr. Universe,
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while it's crime, unemployment,
and child mortality rates
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are the lowest worldwide.
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Iceland also comes out on
top for life expectancy,
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income, and level of education,
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and it's considered the
world's most peaceful country.
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And to top it off,
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they're said to be the
happiest people in the world.
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00:02:00,350 --> 00:02:03,933
But why? What's the North
Sea island's secret?
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00:02:08,695 --> 00:02:11,300
Why are Icelanders so successful,
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and supposedly happy to boot?
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(waters rushing and flowing)
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Iceland: island of sagas and legends.
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"Voluspá, Prophecy of the Seeress,"
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00:02:44,980 --> 00:02:47,310
is considered to be
the most important poem
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00:02:47,310 --> 00:02:50,600
from the Nordic region
in the medieval period,
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00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,120
and tells a story of
the imminent apocalypse.
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00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,210
The prophecy was proved to be right,
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yet everything began so full of hope.
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(wind shrieking)
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00:03:10,210 --> 00:03:12,360
The name "Iceland," can be traced back
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to one of the first settlers,
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00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:19,070
Norwegian, Ingólfr Arnarson,
gave the island it's name
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00:03:19,070 --> 00:03:21,783
upon first seeing its icy landscape.
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(seagulls crying)
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00:03:26,130 --> 00:03:27,895
During the last ice age,
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00:03:27,895 --> 00:03:32,260
Iceland was still entirely
covered by a sheet of ice.
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00:03:32,260 --> 00:03:35,680
The first life only started
to develop on the island
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00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,590
once ice began to melt towards
the end of the ice age,
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00:03:39,590 --> 00:03:41,793
a mere 10,000 years ago.
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00:03:44,490 --> 00:03:47,030
There are two elements that
have always characterized
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00:03:47,030 --> 00:03:51,093
Iceland's landscape: fire and ice.
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00:03:56,890 --> 00:03:58,740
Huge volcanic eruptions
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00:03:58,740 --> 00:04:02,050
still frequently occur
beneath the layer of ice,
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00:04:02,050 --> 00:04:04,793
up to one kilometer thick in parts.
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00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:14,030
Take the 1996 eruption
of Gjálp, for example.
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00:04:14,030 --> 00:04:17,460
The melted glacial ice triggered a deluge;
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50 million litters of meltwater
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gushed into the valley per second.
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Anything in its way didn't stand a chance.
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00:04:33,630 --> 00:04:34,890
How would someone living
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00:04:34,890 --> 00:04:38,640
in such volatile, natural
surroundings feel?
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Would they live in constant fear,
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or would the opposite be case?
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Would they perhaps get used
to the ever present danger?
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00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:08,960
From a geological perspective, Iceland,
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00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,720
at just 10 to 15 million years of age
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00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,513
is one of the youngest regions on earth.
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00:05:22,730 --> 00:05:25,550
The island has a so-called hotspot
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00:05:25,550 --> 00:05:28,130
to thank for its existence.
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00:05:28,130 --> 00:05:33,050
A huge magma bubble rose from
the Earth's upper mantle,
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00:05:33,050 --> 00:05:35,913
creating a dome in the Earth's crust.
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00:05:39,490 --> 00:05:41,700
Iceland also happens to be located
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on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
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00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,891
New oceanic crusts are
constantly being formed,
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00:05:47,891 --> 00:05:52,160
resulting in the American and
European continental plates
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00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,173
sliding two centimeters
further apart each year.
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00:05:57,810 --> 00:06:02,740
The gaping Almannagjá Gorge,
in Thingvellir National Park,
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runs right through this rift valley.
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00:06:05,850 --> 00:06:08,530
Is it a coincidence
that the first settlers
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over 1000 years ago
chose this of all places,
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00:06:12,470 --> 00:06:15,860
for their annual Althing assemblies?
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00:06:15,860 --> 00:06:17,770
Or did they have a sixth sense
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for the hidden events deep
below the Earth's surface.
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(woman sings in Icelandic)
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Besides a handful of Irish monks,
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the island was first settled
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00:06:36,470 --> 00:06:40,150
in the ninth century
by Vikings from Norway.
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00:06:40,150 --> 00:06:43,289
Although there was no group
of people named as such,
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00:06:43,289 --> 00:06:47,523
if a Norseman went plundering,
he was called a Viking.
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00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:52,430
Viking was therefore just a
temporary professional title,
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00:06:52,430 --> 00:06:53,850
but it caught on,
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00:06:53,850 --> 00:06:57,993
despite the majority being
peaceful peasants and craftsman.
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00:07:07,660 --> 00:07:11,400
The Vikings lived on farms
like these with their clan
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00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,900
that often contained many Celtic slaves.
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00:07:14,900 --> 00:07:16,680
Their traditional longhouses,
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00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,430
built from wood, peat, and turf,
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provided protection
from the wind and cold.
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The Icelanders belong to a Viking culture
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00:07:31,100 --> 00:07:35,150
that stretched from Northern
Germany, across Scandinavia,
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00:07:35,150 --> 00:07:36,673
and as far as Canada.
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00:07:40,210 --> 00:07:42,110
But what compelled them to settle
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on this cold and isolated
island at the end of the world?
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Water, and crystal clear
drinking water at that,
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00:08:12,490 --> 00:08:16,290
is still available in
abundance in Iceland,
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00:08:16,290 --> 00:08:19,280
but it's only in coastal
and protected areas
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that vegetation has a chance of survival.
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00:08:22,550 --> 00:08:25,690
Put the two together, and
you have decent conditions
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for successful pasture farming.
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00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:34,470
Three quarters of the country
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is made up of glaciers and wild rivers
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00:08:37,990 --> 00:08:42,000
all in fertile barren land or tundra,
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00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,090
with a stony, underlying surface,
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meaning agriculture is not possible.
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00:09:08,410 --> 00:09:12,210
Living conditions in the
Viking's old homeland of Norway
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were not much better however.
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00:09:14,740 --> 00:09:17,530
Despite only just over 100,000 people
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00:09:17,530 --> 00:09:22,270
living in medieval Norway,
it was seen as overpopulated.
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The arid land simply had
nothing left to give,
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resulting in a mass exodus.
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00:09:43,470 --> 00:09:46,539
The settlers didn't have a
bad time of it to begin with.
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00:09:46,539 --> 00:09:49,120
A warming of the climate granted them
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00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,507
relatively pleasant living conditions,
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00:09:51,507 --> 00:09:54,773
as Iceland began to show
its more attractive side.
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00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:11,710
But settling on the
island was no mean feat.
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00:10:11,710 --> 00:10:13,232
Mountains could be crossed,
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00:10:13,232 --> 00:10:17,200
but the raging torrents with
their colossal waterfalls
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00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:21,023
provided insurmountable
obstacles in many places.
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00:10:51,830 --> 00:10:56,010
The Dettifoss in Northern
Iceland: larger volumes of water
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00:10:56,010 --> 00:10:59,043
crashed down here more
than else in Europe.
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00:11:04,810 --> 00:11:07,860
Why did the settlers
choose this wet country
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at the end of the world of all places?
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00:11:16,580 --> 00:11:19,210
The many rivers here
are primarily supplied
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by the notorious Icelandic lows.
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00:11:22,670 --> 00:11:24,627
Warm air masses from the south
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00:11:24,627 --> 00:11:28,640
are confronted with
polar air over Iceland.
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00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,513
Clouds form, and often
empty, there and then.
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00:11:40,260 --> 00:11:43,490
As a minor compensation for
the/their tough climate,
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the Vikings had the hot springs
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00:11:45,740 --> 00:11:48,690
that are to be found all over the island.
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00:11:48,690 --> 00:11:51,533
If you had the chance, you
settled close to one of them.
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00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:07,060
Famous Edda poet, Snorri Sturluson,
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00:12:07,060 --> 00:12:10,020
had an underground passage
leading from his house
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00:12:10,020 --> 00:12:11,633
to the nearest hot spring.
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00:12:13,870 --> 00:12:16,050
If you didn't have your own spring,
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00:12:16,050 --> 00:12:18,400
you met others to bathe.
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00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,060
These hot pots were
popular meeting points.
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00:12:21,060 --> 00:12:23,300
Even in medieval Iceland,
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people would meet to converse,
relax, or do business,
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00:12:27,810 --> 00:12:30,800
and that has remained
the case to this day.
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00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:32,930
Instead of heading to a bar,
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00:12:32,930 --> 00:12:36,507
you meet up at the heitir
pottar, the "hot pot."
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00:12:55,260 --> 00:12:59,340
It appears that it was this
thousand year old institution
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00:12:59,340 --> 00:13:03,310
that promoted the coming
together of Icelandic society,
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00:13:03,310 --> 00:13:05,523
even if it can't be factually proven.
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00:13:17,830 --> 00:13:20,640
In addition to the countless hot springs,
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there are around 170
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00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:27,073
primarily geothermally heated
outdoor pools in Iceland.
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00:13:27,990 --> 00:13:31,777
The most famous is Blaa
Lonid, the "blue lagoon."
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00:13:41,190 --> 00:13:44,920
Geyser is derived from
the Icelandic "geysir"
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00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:47,423
which means to gush, to erupt.
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00:14:02,270 --> 00:14:03,103
(waters erupt splashing)
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00:14:03,103 --> 00:14:05,100
There are records of the great geyser
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as early as the 13th century
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00:14:07,810 --> 00:14:10,913
and it gave its name to
all the world's geysers.
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00:14:16,592 --> 00:14:19,140
Unlike the smaller Strokkur, however,
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it rarely erupts.
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00:14:20,710 --> 00:14:24,210
Strokkur sprayed a 30
meter jet of boiling water
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00:14:24,210 --> 00:14:26,793
into the air every seven minutes.
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00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,400
The Mývatn, meaning "mid-lake,"
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00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,910
is surrounded by volcanic
craters, lava fields,
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and what are known as active
high temperature areas.
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00:14:55,680 --> 00:15:00,113
Hverarond, at the foot of
Namafjall, is one such area.
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Here rumbles can be heard below
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00:15:14,180 --> 00:15:16,470
in the hot underlying surface
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00:15:16,470 --> 00:15:18,349
while all kinds of mud pools,
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00:15:18,349 --> 00:15:23,349
fumaroles, and sulfur powders,
stir up sulfurous mischief.
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00:15:29,454 --> 00:15:32,065
(mud bubbling)
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00:15:32,065 --> 00:15:34,200
How would the first settlers have reacted
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00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,870
when they first saw such eerie places
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00:15:36,870 --> 00:15:40,883
for which they had no
explanation; with humility?
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00:15:41,820 --> 00:15:43,800
What forces did they imagine
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00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,463
were behind such devilish phenomena?
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00:16:09,066 --> 00:16:10,407
In the beginning,
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"God created the heaven and the earth,
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00:16:13,317 --> 00:16:17,047
and the earth was without form, and void."
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00:16:22,270 --> 00:16:25,750
The Christian story of creation
from the book of Genesis
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is palpable here in Iceland.
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Yet the people who settled here,
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knew nothing of the Christian faith.
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00:16:37,370 --> 00:16:41,930
Their creation myth is derived
from Germanic mythology,
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like in "Voluspa,"
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00:16:44,183 --> 00:16:48,766
where the history of the
world is related in 57 verses.
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00:16:55,131 --> 00:16:59,250
It ends with Ragnarök,
the battle of the gods,
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00:16:59,250 --> 00:17:01,463
culminating in the end of the world.
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00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,243
The "Voluspa" was proven to be right,
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00:17:06,120 --> 00:17:08,543
but how did the people
know this back then?
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00:17:09,420 --> 00:17:11,543
Could they see into the future?
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00:17:16,070 --> 00:17:17,410
The settlers from Norway
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00:17:17,410 --> 00:17:20,210
brought their Germanic myths with them.
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00:17:20,210 --> 00:17:22,220
They feared Odin and Thor,
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00:17:22,220 --> 00:17:25,010
whose kingdom was connected
to the world of mortals
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00:17:25,010 --> 00:17:28,053
via Bifrost, a rainbow-like bridge.
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00:17:41,260 --> 00:17:45,190
The name Godafoss,
"waterfall of the gods,"
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00:17:45,190 --> 00:17:47,580
is proof that Icelanders remain faithful
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00:17:47,580 --> 00:17:50,340
to their Nordic gods for a long time.
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00:17:50,340 --> 00:17:52,900
The last remaining pagan idols
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00:17:52,900 --> 00:17:55,460
were sunk here around the year 1000.
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00:18:04,060 --> 00:18:05,990
70 years earlier,
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00:18:05,990 --> 00:18:08,767
something happened in
the Southwest of Iceland
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00:18:08,767 --> 00:18:11,563
that for the time was quite unbelievable.
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00:18:15,530 --> 00:18:19,140
The Iceland settlers
founded their Althingi,
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00:18:19,140 --> 00:18:20,633
a parliament in Thingvellir.
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00:18:21,770 --> 00:18:25,110
It is the oldest existing
parliament in the world,
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00:18:25,110 --> 00:18:27,383
and the oldest democracy in Europe.
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00:18:28,753 --> 00:18:32,413
German historian, Adam von
Bremen, wrote in disbelief,
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00:18:33,377 --> 00:18:35,977
"They don't have kings, only laws."
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00:18:51,900 --> 00:18:54,870
But how did the Icelanders
come up with an idea
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00:18:54,870 --> 00:18:57,590
that only filtered through
to the Western world
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00:18:57,590 --> 00:18:59,283
many centuries later?
219
00:19:01,900 --> 00:19:05,399
Because only together could they master
220
00:19:05,399 --> 00:19:08,610
the tough living conditions
here at the end of the world?
221
00:19:08,610 --> 00:19:12,703
Because social cohesion was
more important than dominion?
222
00:19:26,340 --> 00:19:31,340
Not far from Thingvellir, the
Gullfoss, "golden waterfall,"
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00:19:32,060 --> 00:19:33,883
plunges into the depths.
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00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:39,693
Icelanders see the first
approximately 250 years
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00:19:39,693 --> 00:19:43,230
following the establishment
of the Althingi,
226
00:19:43,230 --> 00:19:46,730
as their godord, or "golden age."
227
00:19:46,730 --> 00:19:49,500
People enjoy relatively
good living conditions
228
00:19:49,500 --> 00:19:53,720
for those times, as they had
everything they needed in life,
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00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:55,260
even firewood,
230
00:19:55,260 --> 00:19:58,323
as Iceland was still
covered in trees back then.
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00:20:05,810 --> 00:20:09,890
Skógafoss, meaning "forest waterfall."
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00:20:09,890 --> 00:20:12,612
The forest here has long
since disappeared however,
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00:20:12,612 --> 00:20:17,612
only around 1% of the island
is tree covered today.
234
00:20:17,690 --> 00:20:21,313
At the time of settlement,
this figure was around 40%.
235
00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,430
Ásbyrgi, in the north of the island.
236
00:20:35,430 --> 00:20:37,801
Many parts of Iceland must
have looked similar to this
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00:20:37,801 --> 00:20:40,850
around 1200 years ago.
238
00:20:40,850 --> 00:20:43,520
The cause of the gorge's horseshoe shape
239
00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,840
was allegedly Odin's horse, Sleipnir,
240
00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,583
which sunk its hooves
into the ground here.
241
00:20:54,350 --> 00:20:56,552
A somewhat less disputed claim
242
00:20:56,552 --> 00:21:00,240
is that Vikings were handy with an axe.
243
00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:01,830
Countless trees were felled
244
00:21:01,830 --> 00:21:04,550
for the construction of houses and ships.
245
00:21:04,550 --> 00:21:06,070
The land was cleared;
246
00:21:06,070 --> 00:21:08,250
the wood, all used up.
247
00:21:08,250 --> 00:21:11,363
Soon there were barely any
trees left on the island.
248
00:21:12,609 --> 00:21:16,240
It was the settlers
themselves who suffered.
249
00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:20,053
How was a seafaring nation
supposed to live without wood?
250
00:21:20,890 --> 00:21:22,090
The construction material
251
00:21:22,090 --> 00:21:25,113
for their elaborate
vessels was irreplaceable.
252
00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:31,010
The wild sheep in the highlands
253
00:21:31,010 --> 00:21:33,250
then became an additional problem,
254
00:21:33,250 --> 00:21:36,693
as they ate any tree seedling
they set their eyes upon.
255
00:21:41,070 --> 00:21:42,680
All vegetation periods
256
00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,670
in these Northern
latitudes are very short.
257
00:21:45,670 --> 00:21:47,663
Young trees, barely stood a chance.
258
00:21:56,963 --> 00:21:58,570
And the Icelanders were
259
00:21:58,570 --> 00:22:02,640
quickly made to feel the
consequences of their actions.
260
00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,700
The concept of reforesting
was yet to be thought of.
261
00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:24,560
It was pure luck
262
00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:28,160
that the Icelanders didn't
run out of wood altogether.
263
00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:30,830
This could have been one of
the first reasons for their,
264
00:22:30,830 --> 00:22:34,683
what occasionally seems
like, unfounded optimism.
265
00:22:37,610 --> 00:22:41,160
It was a freak of nature
that brought salvation.
266
00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,450
Along some of the country's coastlines,
267
00:22:43,450 --> 00:22:45,500
it wasn't just the whales and seals
268
00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:47,424
splashing about in the water.
269
00:22:47,424 --> 00:22:48,998
A vast number of trees
270
00:22:48,998 --> 00:22:51,434
that could be used to
build houses and ships
271
00:22:51,434 --> 00:22:54,070
washed up on the shores.
272
00:22:54,070 --> 00:22:57,310
This source of wood is yet
to be exhausted to this day.
273
00:22:57,310 --> 00:23:01,680
The wood is chiefly larch,
pine, birch, and spruce,
274
00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,390
that winds and ocean
currents have washed over
275
00:23:04,390 --> 00:23:08,503
from the vast Siberian
forests via the Arctic Ocean.
276
00:23:09,820 --> 00:23:13,100
Interestingly, the number
of trees washing up
277
00:23:13,100 --> 00:23:17,313
decreased significantly after
the fall of the Soviet Union.
278
00:23:23,670 --> 00:23:27,910
Iceland is still suffering
the consequences of logging.
279
00:23:27,910 --> 00:23:29,770
The state has been investing heavily
280
00:23:29,770 --> 00:23:33,313
in reforestation since 1974 however.
281
00:23:36,230 --> 00:23:38,260
But it's not quite that simple.
282
00:23:38,260 --> 00:23:41,663
To plant trees, you first need top soil.
283
00:23:45,570 --> 00:23:47,280
Pioneer plants,
284
00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:51,610
including the lupines, that
have been sown all over Iceland,
285
00:23:51,610 --> 00:23:54,360
grow even where nothing else grows.
286
00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:57,230
They enrich the soil with nitrogen,
287
00:23:57,230 --> 00:23:59,600
and over the years form a top soil,
288
00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:03,823
upon which entire forests
will hopefully thrive someday.
289
00:24:12,510 --> 00:24:16,240
However, tree coverage in
Iceland is now so sparse
290
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:18,093
that some people make jokes about it.
291
00:24:19,162 --> 00:24:23,513
What do you do if you get
lost in an Icelandic forest?
292
00:24:24,730 --> 00:24:25,653
Stand up.
293
00:24:37,150 --> 00:24:39,670
Up until the time the
Vikings settled here,
294
00:24:39,670 --> 00:24:43,833
there were no mammals in
Iceland apart from Arctic foxes.
295
00:24:54,020 --> 00:24:55,990
Just like Noah with his ark,
296
00:24:55,990 --> 00:24:59,520
they brought pretty much
everything with four legs: dogs,
297
00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:04,520
cats, pigs, goats, cows, and
especially horses, and sheep.
298
00:25:05,020 --> 00:25:08,193
There are still more sheep
than people in Iceland today.
299
00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:18,610
However, at the time
there were no streets,
300
00:25:18,610 --> 00:25:22,040
which is one reason for
the vast number of horses.
301
00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:25,973
They are now also bred for
export, or slaughtered for meat.
302
00:25:31,550 --> 00:25:32,545
Until they're slaughtered,
303
00:25:32,545 --> 00:25:35,990
the horses can live in
freedom all year round.
304
00:25:35,990 --> 00:25:38,740
The island provides
enough space for everyone
305
00:25:38,740 --> 00:25:41,380
and it was a given norm
for the first settlers
306
00:25:41,380 --> 00:25:42,990
that the horses and sheep
307
00:25:42,990 --> 00:25:46,090
would be sent off to the
Highlands over summer.
308
00:25:46,090 --> 00:25:48,800
Not much has changed to this day;
309
00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,143
a spectacle in which
the whole family helps.
310
00:25:58,110 --> 00:26:01,850
The circumstances were
comparable to the wild west.
311
00:26:01,850 --> 00:26:04,700
Icelandic sociologists
found character traits
312
00:26:04,700 --> 00:26:07,520
in their countrymen that
are in line with those of
313
00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:11,050
Scandinavians, and the American pioneers,
314
00:26:11,050 --> 00:26:13,823
such as their strong
work ethic, for example.
315
00:26:14,770 --> 00:26:16,410
Authorities, on the other hand,
316
00:26:16,410 --> 00:26:18,970
are not so important to Icelanders.
317
00:26:18,970 --> 00:26:21,800
People live more in the here and now
318
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:23,543
and look less to the past.
319
00:26:24,490 --> 00:26:26,440
Their optimism is another trait
320
00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,880
that Icelanders share with Americans,
321
00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:32,350
who also immigrated from mainland Europe.
322
00:26:32,350 --> 00:26:33,343
Coincidence?
323
00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:56,690
The Vikings' pasture farming
324
00:26:56,690 --> 00:27:00,253
completely exhausted the
country's agricultural potential.
325
00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:03,990
The land had nothing more to a give,
326
00:27:03,990 --> 00:27:06,150
but they still had the sea.
327
00:27:06,150 --> 00:27:07,110
Sure,
328
00:27:07,110 --> 00:27:09,150
it was fierce and unpredictable,
329
00:27:09,150 --> 00:27:10,746
but the great number of sea birds
330
00:27:10,746 --> 00:27:12,780
was a sign to the Vikings
331
00:27:12,780 --> 00:27:16,033
that there were ripe pickings
to be had out at sea.
332
00:27:21,020 --> 00:27:26,020
Seagulls, terns, eiders,
razorbills, oyster catchers;
333
00:27:26,300 --> 00:27:30,630
the list of seabirds native
to Iceland is a long one.
334
00:27:30,630 --> 00:27:34,993
There are 377 species
of birds here in total.
335
00:27:40,230 --> 00:27:43,040
With a population of
three to four million,
336
00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:46,800
there are more puffins here
than anywhere else in the world.
337
00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,580
This exotic bird, whose
species is endangered,
338
00:27:50,580 --> 00:27:52,104
is an excellent swimmer
339
00:27:52,104 --> 00:27:55,820
that has been seen at
depths of up to 50 meters,
340
00:27:55,820 --> 00:27:57,790
although the puffins seldom have to dive
341
00:27:57,790 --> 00:28:00,090
too deep from Iceland's cliffs,
342
00:28:00,090 --> 00:28:04,180
as the sea here is
abundant, abundant in fish.
343
00:28:04,180 --> 00:28:06,770
Fish, in addition to lamb and horse meat,
344
00:28:06,770 --> 00:28:10,930
therefore commonly featured
on Viking dinner tables,
345
00:28:10,930 --> 00:28:13,150
as did bird's eggs,
346
00:28:13,150 --> 00:28:15,983
if the family happened to
have a fearless climber.
347
00:28:34,950 --> 00:28:38,010
A few chieftains who
inherited their positions,
348
00:28:38,010 --> 00:28:39,493
led the Gothis.
349
00:28:40,470 --> 00:28:41,470
Over time,
350
00:28:41,470 --> 00:28:45,410
this created a concentration
of power within a few clans
351
00:28:45,410 --> 00:28:49,050
who fought against one another
and soon plunged the country
352
00:28:49,050 --> 00:28:51,633
into something resembling civil war.
353
00:28:53,330 --> 00:28:56,300
Blood feuds were soon raging
throughout the country.
354
00:28:56,300 --> 00:29:01,250
There was no executive authority
to maintain law and order.
355
00:29:01,250 --> 00:29:04,490
And the Norwegians shrewdly
took advantage of this.
356
00:29:04,490 --> 00:29:09,024
The country was brought under
the crown of Norway in 1262,
357
00:29:09,024 --> 00:29:12,320
signaling an end to independence
358
00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:14,893
after approximately 300 years.
359
00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,563
The people longed for peace,
360
00:29:26,430 --> 00:29:28,853
even if it had to be under Norwegian rule,
361
00:29:29,790 --> 00:29:31,170
but they had no idea
362
00:29:31,170 --> 00:29:33,893
that everything was going
to get a whole lot worse.
363
00:29:42,100 --> 00:29:47,100
In 1397, Danish monarchs
took control of the country.
364
00:29:47,660 --> 00:29:52,630
A trade monopoly, high taxes,
and frequent pirate attacks
365
00:29:52,630 --> 00:29:54,413
made people's lives hell.
366
00:30:00,260 --> 00:30:02,710
The Danish King, Christian III,
367
00:30:02,710 --> 00:30:06,080
rejected proposals to
build houses for the poor
368
00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,890
and homeless, on the grounds
that the poor should trust
369
00:30:09,890 --> 00:30:12,203
in the helpfulness of their fellow people.
370
00:30:16,250 --> 00:30:18,110
This era of repression
371
00:30:18,110 --> 00:30:22,081
has been etched into the
collective memory of Icelanders,
372
00:30:22,081 --> 00:30:24,770
which can still be seen today,
373
00:30:24,770 --> 00:30:28,863
for example, in Icelanders
restraint towards the EU.
374
00:30:47,003 --> 00:30:51,930
There are two seasons in
Iceland: summer and winter.
375
00:30:51,930 --> 00:30:54,263
Winter lasts from September to May.
376
00:30:55,380 --> 00:30:56,610
Don't they get depressed
377
00:30:56,610 --> 00:30:59,063
and unhappy during these long winters?
378
00:31:04,270 --> 00:31:07,230
If scientific research is to be believed,
379
00:31:07,230 --> 00:31:09,233
the opposite could in fact be true.
380
00:31:10,340 --> 00:31:13,430
According to the "get
along or die" theory,
381
00:31:13,430 --> 00:31:17,170
survival is very easy in warm regions.
382
00:31:17,170 --> 00:31:18,480
To exaggerate,
383
00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:21,963
fruit falls from the trees
straight into people's mouths.
384
00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:26,170
In colder climes,
385
00:31:26,170 --> 00:31:29,083
people have to pull together
to survive the winter.
386
00:31:30,010 --> 00:31:32,410
That gives them a sense of community;
387
00:31:32,410 --> 00:31:34,717
happiness is a social thing after all.
388
00:31:51,710 --> 00:31:52,740
The weather is still
389
00:31:52,740 --> 00:31:56,860
an inexhaustible topic of
conversation in Iceland.
390
00:31:56,860 --> 00:31:59,710
One thing that can be said with certainty
391
00:31:59,710 --> 00:32:02,003
is that there are no certainties.
392
00:32:05,060 --> 00:32:08,423
Icelanders carry weather
trauma in their bones.
393
00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:12,450
This could be the root of their reluctance
394
00:32:12,450 --> 00:32:16,453
to make long term plans
or far-reaching decisions.
395
00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:20,794
At the time of settlement,
396
00:32:20,794 --> 00:32:25,264
it was still possible to
cultivate cereal crops in Iceland,
397
00:32:25,264 --> 00:32:27,640
but the country froze over
398
00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:30,003
towards the end of the medieval period.
399
00:32:44,190 --> 00:32:48,380
This spelled disaster for
the already cold island.
400
00:32:48,380 --> 00:32:49,670
The glaciers advanced
401
00:32:49,670 --> 00:32:52,818
even deeper into the valleys and fjords
402
00:32:52,818 --> 00:32:55,183
which until that point had been fertile.
403
00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:04,170
Unlike their counterparts in
heavily populated Germany,
404
00:33:04,170 --> 00:33:05,450
where the long term planning
405
00:33:05,450 --> 00:33:08,203
and farming of fields was key to survival,
406
00:33:08,203 --> 00:33:11,920
Icelandic farmers had only
their sheep left to farm,
407
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:14,593
which were left alone
during the summer anyway.
408
00:33:17,387 --> 00:33:19,030
(sheep bleating)
409
00:33:19,030 --> 00:33:22,486
A rich person was someone
who had lots of sheep.
410
00:33:22,486 --> 00:33:25,930
Even today, the Iceland word
(foreign language term),
411
00:33:25,930 --> 00:33:28,900
means both sheep and money.
412
00:33:28,900 --> 00:33:31,510
And the old word for shepherd, "theodor,"
413
00:33:31,510 --> 00:33:33,633
is still used to mean treasurer.
414
00:33:35,150 --> 00:33:38,570
So does this disprove the
"get along or die" theory,
415
00:33:38,570 --> 00:33:40,890
which can have racist overtones,
416
00:33:40,890 --> 00:33:43,713
or are the Icelanders just a special case?
417
00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:57,760
Everyday life did not get
any easier for the Icelanders
418
00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:01,010
who, already feeling the
effects of climate change,
419
00:34:01,010 --> 00:34:03,382
suffered constant volcanic eruptions
420
00:34:03,382 --> 00:34:07,600
as well as plague and smallpox epidemics,
421
00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:11,200
resulting in famine and widespread death
422
00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:13,793
with less than half of
the population surviving.
423
00:34:15,780 --> 00:34:19,231
Barely a family or farm was not affected.
424
00:34:19,231 --> 00:34:22,383
What expectations would the
people have held future?
425
00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:48,510
When the Laki craters
erupted again in 1783,
426
00:34:48,510 --> 00:34:51,330
decimating the population
by another third,
427
00:34:51,330 --> 00:34:53,880
and the number of sheep by 80%,
428
00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:55,910
the Danish government considered
429
00:34:55,910 --> 00:34:58,263
evacuating the entire country,
430
00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,173
but the plan was deemed impractical.
431
00:35:20,500 --> 00:35:23,023
The survivors continued to suffer.
432
00:35:29,010 --> 00:35:30,630
Many sailors and fishermen
433
00:35:30,630 --> 00:35:33,453
lost their lives out on the stormy seas.
434
00:35:39,700 --> 00:35:43,813
The once proud republic had
become an oppressed poor house.
435
00:35:45,980 --> 00:35:47,419
Up until the 19th century,
436
00:35:47,419 --> 00:35:51,823
only one in two Icelanders
reached confirmation age.
437
00:35:53,033 --> 00:35:55,270
If the head of a household was to die,
438
00:35:55,270 --> 00:35:57,120
the property would be cleared out
439
00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:59,083
and the land auctioned off.
440
00:36:00,930 --> 00:36:04,100
The women stood at the end of the chain.
441
00:36:04,100 --> 00:36:06,450
They were left with
nothing but their children.
442
00:36:10,810 --> 00:36:12,363
Sheep were everywhere.
443
00:36:13,240 --> 00:36:16,120
They were available even for maidservants.
444
00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,050
In Iceland, it is still common
445
00:36:18,050 --> 00:36:21,230
for children to look after
the motherless lambs.
446
00:36:21,230 --> 00:36:23,940
Everyone had their own heimaalið,
447
00:36:23,940 --> 00:36:26,460
meaning "brought up at home."
448
00:36:26,460 --> 00:36:29,893
That was the name they would
give to their little adoptee.
449
00:36:43,150 --> 00:36:45,510
And what about the adults?
450
00:36:45,510 --> 00:36:46,880
What else could they do
451
00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:50,363
other than find solace in
the hope for a better future?
452
00:37:05,070 --> 00:37:08,280
There were also the daily kvöldvaka,
453
00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:11,400
literally meaning "evening wake,"
454
00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:14,510
where people would tell
each other old sagas,
455
00:37:14,510 --> 00:37:16,900
which, as historians know now,
456
00:37:16,900 --> 00:37:19,740
reflect a 13th century Iceland
457
00:37:19,740 --> 00:37:22,780
that was plagued by blood feuds.
458
00:37:22,780 --> 00:37:26,850
The hero usually dies by the
end of these gruesome tales,
459
00:37:26,850 --> 00:37:30,413
but not before he has
restored balance in society.
460
00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:47,850
What impact did the
sagas have on listeners?
461
00:37:47,850 --> 00:37:52,410
Was their effect similar
to today's antidepressants?
462
00:37:52,410 --> 00:37:55,560
Although most of the sagas
give little cause for optimism,
463
00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:57,270
they do provide a sense
464
00:37:57,270 --> 00:37:59,993
that the hero had died for a noble cause.
465
00:38:08,130 --> 00:38:10,757
Just like the predicted
end of the world in
466
00:38:10,757 --> 00:38:13,970
"Voluspa: the Prophecy of the Seeress,"
467
00:38:13,970 --> 00:38:16,063
is anything but optimistic.
468
00:38:31,470 --> 00:38:33,518
After centuries of exploitation,
469
00:38:33,518 --> 00:38:38,330
resistance began stir in the
first half of the 19th century.
470
00:38:38,330 --> 00:38:40,700
Icelanders studying in Copenhagen
471
00:38:40,700 --> 00:38:43,230
returned to the country with new ideas
472
00:38:43,230 --> 00:38:46,120
and founded an independence movement.
473
00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:51,000
Around 1000 years after the
establishment of the Althingi,
474
00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:54,063
a Republic was again
proclaimed in Thingvellir.
475
00:38:59,190 --> 00:39:03,270
One year later, construction
began on the Hallgrímskirkja,
476
00:39:03,270 --> 00:39:05,963
which would soon become
a landmark in Iceland,
477
00:39:06,860 --> 00:39:09,723
taken to represent this new confidence.
478
00:39:15,770 --> 00:39:17,150
The population finally
479
00:39:17,150 --> 00:39:20,220
began to reap the fruits of their labor.
480
00:39:20,220 --> 00:39:22,600
The country became more affluent,
481
00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:25,310
thanks to its fishing
and whaling industry,
482
00:39:25,310 --> 00:39:29,720
and an EU ruling in
1977, that gave Iceland
483
00:39:29,720 --> 00:39:33,640
exclusive use of a 200
nautical mile fishing zone.
484
00:39:38,900 --> 00:39:42,150
The concert hall is the
latest emblem of a country
485
00:39:42,150 --> 00:39:46,423
that is still swimming in money,
despite the banking crisis.
486
00:39:50,470 --> 00:39:53,910
However, conversations with
foreign business partners
487
00:39:53,910 --> 00:39:55,807
were difficult at first.
488
00:39:55,807 --> 00:39:59,460
"Þetta reddast," "it will all be okay,"
489
00:39:59,460 --> 00:40:02,240
This common phrase was enough to drive
490
00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:06,283
entire management teams of
foreign companies insane.
491
00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:14,130
Icelanders are always
prepared for anything
492
00:40:14,130 --> 00:40:16,953
and try to make the best
out of every situation.
493
00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:21,920
Does this perhaps explain
the high birth rate,
494
00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:24,000
one of the highest in Europe,
495
00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:26,500
or the number of children
born out of wedlock?
496
00:40:26,500 --> 00:40:28,953
At 60%, it's the highest worldwide.
497
00:40:35,060 --> 00:40:36,840
Having children out of wedlock
498
00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:40,464
has always received very
lax punishment in Iceland.
499
00:40:40,464 --> 00:40:42,430
After the fourth child,
500
00:40:42,430 --> 00:40:45,790
you have the choice
between being flogged or,
501
00:40:45,790 --> 00:40:47,593
no joke, getting married.
502
00:40:51,570 --> 00:40:56,360
The Icelanders also have a
relaxed attitude towards failure.
503
00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:59,870
In a country where roads and
bridges simply wash away,
504
00:40:59,870 --> 00:41:03,730
this forced optimism is
perhaps the only option.
505
00:41:03,730 --> 00:41:06,880
Success is boring, but when you fail,
506
00:41:06,880 --> 00:41:10,063
people applaud, and encourage
you to start afresh.
507
00:41:11,830 --> 00:41:13,410
According to psychologists,
508
00:41:13,410 --> 00:41:15,740
this has an incredibly liberating effect
509
00:41:15,740 --> 00:41:17,173
on the human spirit,
510
00:41:18,830 --> 00:41:21,700
which is what Iceland has
infectiously demonstrated
511
00:41:21,700 --> 00:41:26,033
at the European Football
Championships in 2016.
512
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,620
When it comes to female emancipation,
513
00:41:36,620 --> 00:41:38,943
no country tops Iceland.
514
00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,560
The island has been
undisputed world leader
515
00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:44,410
in this respect for years.
516
00:41:44,410 --> 00:41:45,710
No country in the world
517
00:41:45,710 --> 00:41:49,623
has a higher percentage of
females in leadership positions.
518
00:41:54,060 --> 00:41:58,780
For decades, Iceland's economy
has relied on fish exports.
519
00:41:58,780 --> 00:42:02,190
In recent years however,
tourism has overtaken it
520
00:42:02,190 --> 00:42:04,623
as the most important export industry.
521
00:42:08,720 --> 00:42:12,610
To meet the needs of the ever
increasing influx of visitors,
522
00:42:12,610 --> 00:42:15,580
new buildings are being
constructed everywhere,
523
00:42:15,580 --> 00:42:17,843
with fatal consequences.
524
00:42:22,857 --> 00:42:25,650
"Elf Lobby Blocks Road Project."
525
00:42:25,650 --> 00:42:28,520
This news headline achieved worldwide fame
526
00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:31,690
referring to a non-existent
elf commissioner
527
00:42:31,690 --> 00:42:34,610
who allegedly halted construction work,
528
00:42:34,610 --> 00:42:37,600
but the Icelanders are more
than happy to play along.
529
00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:41,333
Tourism in the country is
reaping the rewards of elf fever.
530
00:42:49,090 --> 00:42:50,820
The number of overnight stays
531
00:42:50,820 --> 00:42:53,040
by foreign nationals in Iceland
532
00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:56,860
has increased almost 20 fold since 1980,
533
00:42:56,860 --> 00:42:58,470
which is why many people are now
534
00:42:58,470 --> 00:43:01,083
calling for tourism to be contained.
535
00:43:02,700 --> 00:43:04,410
Icelanders are more than capable
536
00:43:04,410 --> 00:43:07,240
of taking quick action if necessary.
537
00:43:07,240 --> 00:43:08,320
The small country,
538
00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:10,570
where almost everyone seems to be related
539
00:43:10,570 --> 00:43:11,900
or to know each other,
540
00:43:11,900 --> 00:43:15,723
often appears to be one,
large, extended family.
541
00:43:16,860 --> 00:43:18,370
In their pragmatism,
542
00:43:18,370 --> 00:43:21,493
they never shy away from
taking drastic action.
543
00:43:26,330 --> 00:43:29,560
Iceland was the first
industrialized country
544
00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:34,203
to introduce a flat tax of 36% in 2007.
545
00:43:35,130 --> 00:43:38,253
Tax declarations? Not in Iceland.
546
00:43:44,690 --> 00:43:48,630
Economically speaking, Icelanders
are still in good health
547
00:43:48,630 --> 00:43:50,373
despite the banking crisis.
548
00:43:51,210 --> 00:43:53,400
But is this why they're happy?
549
00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:55,670
If recent surveys are to be believed,
550
00:43:55,670 --> 00:43:58,083
one thing has little to do with the other.
551
00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:03,350
Calling Icelanders "the
Italians of the North,"
552
00:44:03,350 --> 00:44:05,470
does seem a little over the top however,
553
00:44:05,470 --> 00:44:08,150
despite their legendary tardiness,
554
00:44:08,150 --> 00:44:11,050
there is a certain sadness and gravity
555
00:44:11,050 --> 00:44:12,540
to be sensed from these people
556
00:44:12,540 --> 00:44:14,980
from the edge of the Arctic circle.
557
00:44:14,980 --> 00:44:17,763
It makes them enjoy the
warm days even more.
558
00:44:29,070 --> 00:44:32,930
Iceland produces more
energy than it can consume.
559
00:44:32,930 --> 00:44:34,790
Geothermal power plants
560
00:44:34,790 --> 00:44:38,630
use the warmth of the earth
to generate electricity.
561
00:44:38,630 --> 00:44:41,770
Low temperature geothermal
areas are used to heat
562
00:44:41,770 --> 00:44:45,110
apartments, outdoor pools, or greenhouses,
563
00:44:45,110 --> 00:44:47,213
via district heating pipes.
564
00:44:50,590 --> 00:44:53,440
The number of tomatoes
grown in greenhouses
565
00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:58,440
has increased tenfold since
the 60s, from 200 to 2000 tons.
566
00:45:03,010 --> 00:45:05,160
Thanks to geothermal energy,
567
00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:09,200
greenhouses do not contribute
to the greenhouse effect,
568
00:45:09,200 --> 00:45:11,108
and are far better for the environment
569
00:45:11,108 --> 00:45:14,860
than the recently built aluminum smelters,
570
00:45:14,860 --> 00:45:16,813
according to conservationists.
571
00:45:23,130 --> 00:45:26,630
Despite generally having
an ecological approach,
572
00:45:26,630 --> 00:45:28,300
Iceland is more wasteful
573
00:45:28,300 --> 00:45:31,210
than almost every other country on earth.
574
00:45:31,210 --> 00:45:35,610
Per capita, only the USA
consumes more electricity
575
00:45:35,610 --> 00:45:37,833
and owns more cars than Iceland.
576
00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:43,800
Is this what makes them the
happiest people in the world?
577
00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:45,453
Not according to studies.
578
00:46:04,050 --> 00:46:07,170
Iceland: the land of extremes.
579
00:46:07,170 --> 00:46:10,920
While the capital, Reykjavík,
is bursting at the seams,
580
00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:14,560
rural areas are becoming
increasingly desolate.
581
00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:17,455
All that remains are the abandoned farms
582
00:46:17,455 --> 00:46:21,690
that have been passed down
from generation to generation:
583
00:46:21,690 --> 00:46:23,223
rural exodus.
584
00:46:45,020 --> 00:46:48,410
In some places, like here in Ellidaar,
585
00:46:48,410 --> 00:46:50,560
resourceful farmers have at least set up
586
00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:54,490
an open air museum with
the relics of the past,
587
00:46:54,490 --> 00:46:57,260
sadly in vain, as practically no one
588
00:46:57,260 --> 00:46:59,913
embarks on the long journey to visit it.
589
00:47:32,910 --> 00:47:36,150
Djúpavík, in the far north of Iceland.
590
00:47:36,150 --> 00:47:38,720
80 years ago, this was the largest
591
00:47:38,720 --> 00:47:42,110
and most modern herring factory in Europe.
592
00:47:42,110 --> 00:47:46,853
Today, it's industrial
wasteland; deserted, ghostly.
593
00:47:55,860 --> 00:48:00,860
Growth and decay, rise and
fall, beginning and end.
594
00:48:01,830 --> 00:48:04,210
It all somehow becomes intertwined here
595
00:48:04,210 --> 00:48:07,600
on this rugged island
in the north Atlantic,
596
00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:11,550
a country in which misfortune
is only one step away,
597
00:48:11,550 --> 00:48:15,003
and the next volcano eruption
could spell disaster.
598
00:48:22,010 --> 00:48:25,280
In "Voluspa: The Prophecy of the Seeress,"
599
00:48:25,280 --> 00:48:29,023
it led to the end of the
world, the battle of the gods.
600
00:48:32,010 --> 00:48:36,750
Iceland, in the year 1000,
one part of the population
601
00:48:36,750 --> 00:48:39,113
has already converted to Christianity.
602
00:48:45,120 --> 00:48:48,733
The other still believes in Thor and Odin.
603
00:48:51,340 --> 00:48:53,313
The two groups are irreconcilable.
604
00:48:57,110 --> 00:48:58,900
To avert disaster,
605
00:48:58,900 --> 00:49:00,863
They gather at Thingvellir.
606
00:49:03,660 --> 00:49:05,630
The situation escalates
607
00:49:05,630 --> 00:49:08,343
and an armed conflict seems unavoidable.
608
00:49:09,305 --> 00:49:11,972
(thunder rolls)
609
00:49:13,313 --> 00:49:17,620
Suddenly the sky darkens:
there are crashes of thunder,
610
00:49:17,620 --> 00:49:20,620
a column of smoke rises upwards.
611
00:49:20,620 --> 00:49:23,103
The world is on the brink of destruction.
612
00:49:29,760 --> 00:49:33,513
The cause is yet another
volcanic eruption, one of many.
613
00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:40,020
That's why, even well into the modern era,
614
00:49:40,020 --> 00:49:43,030
people in old Europe and even the Vatican
615
00:49:43,030 --> 00:49:46,760
believed that hell is
a real place on Earth
616
00:49:46,760 --> 00:49:48,983
and it's here, in Iceland.
617
00:49:51,550 --> 00:49:53,450
But we cannot say how strongly
618
00:49:53,450 --> 00:49:58,130
this natural phenomenon
ultimately influenced Icelanders.
619
00:49:58,130 --> 00:50:01,600
In any case, they didn't turn
their weapons on each other.
620
00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:04,500
They showed their
pragmatic side once again
621
00:50:04,500 --> 00:50:07,710
and opted to preserve
unity within the country
622
00:50:07,710 --> 00:50:09,713
and to introduce Christianity.
623
00:50:22,680 --> 00:50:26,410
A millennium after the
founding of the Republic,
624
00:50:26,410 --> 00:50:30,070
Iceland has now entered
its second golden age.
625
00:50:30,070 --> 00:50:34,910
The country is rich, and even
so close to the Arctic circle,
626
00:50:34,910 --> 00:50:38,450
the many technological
advances now allow them
627
00:50:38,450 --> 00:50:42,290
to enjoy an almost hazard free
life, in the comfort zone.
628
00:50:44,790 --> 00:50:48,880
And their previously so
inhospitable natural environment,
629
00:50:48,880 --> 00:50:50,470
which only survived into the present
630
00:50:50,470 --> 00:50:53,540
because of its indomitability,
631
00:50:53,540 --> 00:50:55,993
is now giving back where it once took.
632
00:50:56,830 --> 00:50:59,160
It provides a clean environment.
633
00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:01,400
It's a source of energy,
634
00:51:01,400 --> 00:51:03,740
and attracts stressed out city dwellers
635
00:51:03,740 --> 00:51:05,213
in need of relaxation.
636
00:51:11,320 --> 00:51:12,540
Icelanders have had
637
00:51:12,540 --> 00:51:15,810
no other option throughout their history.
638
00:51:15,810 --> 00:51:17,230
They lived here
639
00:51:17,230 --> 00:51:21,160
and they had to fight for
survival for a thousand years,
640
00:51:21,160 --> 00:51:24,530
a test they passed with flying colors.
641
00:51:24,530 --> 00:51:26,273
It's what made them strong.
642
00:51:32,140 --> 00:51:35,520
Just one question remains to be answered.
643
00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:39,560
How do we explain their
happiness, their contentedness?
644
00:51:46,388 --> 00:51:48,805
(birds call)
645
00:51:53,745 --> 00:51:58,078
(waters rush, and flow, and bubble)
646
00:52:20,016 --> 00:52:23,791
(waters spew and splash)
647
00:52:23,791 --> 00:52:27,041
(stirring music plays)
48942
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