 | This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Icelandic nationalism" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2018) |
Þjóðernishyggja is theIcelandic term fornationalism;nationmindedness is a rough translation of the term. Its use was instrumental in the Icelandic movement for independence fromDenmark, led byJón Sigurðsson.
Icelandic nationalism orÞjóðernishyggja is based upon the idea of resurrection of theIcelandic Free State, and its values (or what was believed to be its values): democracy, freedom of the individual, the need for the country to be independent, and respect for the cultural and religious traditions, especially thelong preserved language. These ideas are often encoded in the popular phraseland, þjóð og tunga ('land, people, and language').[1] Historically, Icelanders have seen their current republic to be the reincarnation of the old Free State, and thus Icelandic nationalism today is based upon preserving what was gained by the independence movement. Thus Icelandic nationalist sentiment, having some aspects ofcivic andethnic nationalism, is highly respectful ofdemocratic parliamentary powers (see resurrectedAlthing) and skeptical of foreign control over Iceland, which is partly responsible for there being little will in Iceland for joining theEuropean Union.
Icelandic nationalism primarily arose in the 19th century, during a time when it wasunder Danish hegemony. It arose not only due to pride inIceland's achievements in the Middle Ages and a desire to embrace Icelandic cultural peculiarities, but also in reaction towards the increasingeconomic liberalism of the Danish government and thus a defense of Icelandic peasant life.[2] One towering figure wasJón Sigurðsson, who was the preeminent figure of Icelandic nationalism in the 19th century and on whose birthday,17 June 1944, the modern Icelandic republic intentionally declared independence.[3]