Between religions..
The Icelanders are very religious, as well as followers of a god as of multiple pagan traditions which give their name to many places. The Lutheran religion really took off in 1551 when the Danish king, Christian III, imposed it on all the Icelandic people, who had been converted to Christianity since the Alþing session of the year 1000.
But this decision only increased the fights between rival clans that were taking place at the time. Indeed, Catholicism had then taken a great importance within the country. The Icelanders had converted to it without any real difficulty. The execution in 1550 of the last Catholic bishop, Jon Arason, brought this religion to an abrupt end. Shortly after Lutheranism became official, the Danes ensured the longevity of their religion by threatening to deport anyone who wanted to return to Catholicism. Nowadays, another neo-pagan religion is reviving in the heart of Iceland, Ásatrú, an ancient Norse religion. It is an officially recognized sect that gained prominence through the efforts of an Icelandic farmer in 1970.
However, the religion remains closely linked to the state. Even today, elementary schools are obliged to teach the ethical foundations of Christianity. However, there are exceptions for non-Christian schoolchildren, who may be exempted from these lessons out of respect for their beliefs. Sixty per cent of the population is in favour of a separation of the two entities, the State and the Church.
In 2015, there were approximately 875 Muslims in Iceland, or about 0.27% of the population.... and beliefs
Even if Icelanders do not like to be reduced by foreigners to elf lovers, there are still many beliefs taken very seriously by the local population and which give a history to the smallest place, to the smallest stone. The myths of elves, trolls, gnomes and witches are thus part of the Icelandic culture. This is why many shops still sell troll figurines.
The island was discovered by the Vikings, colonized by a pagan society whose deities were none other than the gods of War, Earth, Thunder and Lightning. In Icelandic mythology, Odin was the king of the gods. He led, among other deities, the gods of Magic, Poetry, War, as well as those of Inspiration and the Dead. His wife, the Queen of Heaven, was called Freyja. Þór was the god of Strength and Fertility, but also of Heaven and Thunder, while Ægir was the god of the Sea and Loki "the Trickster", the companion of the gods. There are many stories about these characters, including that of the wolf Fenrir and Tyr. Icelanders also believe in the existence of thirteen Santas who come down from the mountains to reach the inhabited areas of Iceland. These Santas are not especially well known. Their names are enough to prove it... Faldafeykir means "skirt-blower", Gluggagægir "privacy-seeker", and Pottasleikir "pot-licker". The parents of these Santas, trolls, are not very appealing, since their mother Grýla cooks the particularly unruly children, while their father, Leppalúdi, is incapable of many things. In this household there is also a black cat, nicknamed Jólakötturinn, who devours the children who receive nothing at Christmas because they are unloved. During the festive season, you can see a giant representation of this mythical cat in Lækjartorg square.
