The A to Z of Iceland
The A to Z of Iceland

Author: Gudmundur Halfdanarson

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2010-05-10

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13: 0810872080

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While Iceland is the second largest inhabited island in Europe, with only 313,000 inhabitants in 2007, the Icelanders form one of the smallest independent nations in the world. Around two-thirds of the population lives in the capital, Reykjavík, and its suburbs, while the rest is spread around the inhabitable area of the country. Until fairly recently the Icelandic nation was unusually homogeneous, both in cultural and religious terms; in 1981, around 98 percent of the nation was born in Iceland and 96 percent belonged to the Lutheran state church or other Lutheran religious sects. In 2007, these numbers were down to 89 and 86 percent respectively, reflecting the rapidly growing multicultural nature of Icelandic society. The A to Z of Iceland traces Iceland's history and provides a compass for the direction the country is heading. This is done through its chronology, introductory essays, appendixes, map, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects.

Historical Dictionary of Iceland
Historical Dictionary of Iceland

Author: Sverrir Jakobsson

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2016-02-15

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 1442262915

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Iceland demonstrates most of the characteristics of a modern liberal democracy. It has maintained political stability through a democratic process which enjoys universal legitimacy. Rapid economic modernization has also secured its inhabitants one of the highest living standards in the world, and a comprehensive and highly developed health system has ensured them longevity and one of the lowest rates of infant mortality in the world. Icelanders face, however, formidable challenges in maintaining their status as an independent nation. First, the Icelandic economy is fairly fragile, as overexploitation threatens the fish stocks that remain among Iceland’s principal economic resources. Second, the country is rich in unused energy resources, because many of its rivers are still not harnessed, and geothermal power is abundant. But using these resources will necessarily damage the pristine nature of the country, forcing the politicians and the Icelandic public to choose between environmental protection and industrial expansion. Finally, it remains to be seen if a country with just over 329.740 inhabitants will be able to manage its foreign relations in a complex and constantly changing world. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Iceland contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 200 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Iceland.

A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture
A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture

Author: Rory McTurk

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2008-03-11

Total Pages: 584

ISBN-13: 140513738X

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This major survey of Old Norse-Icelandic literature and culturedemonstrates the remarkable continuity of Icelandic language andculture from medieval to modern times. Comprises 29 chapters written by leading scholars in thefield Reflects current debates among Old Norse-Icelandicscholars Pays attention to previously neglected areas of study, such asthe sagas of Icelandic bishops and the fantasy sagas Looks at the ways Old Norse-Icelandic literature is used bymodern writers, artists and film directors, both within and outsideScandinavia Sets Old Norse-Icelandic language and literature in its widercultural context

Old Norse-Icelandic Literature
Old Norse-Icelandic Literature

Author: Carol J. Clover

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2019-06-30

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1501741659

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The current revival of interest in the rich and varied literature of early Scandinavia has prompted a corresponding interest in its background: its origins, social and historical context, and relationship to other medieval literatures. Even readers with a knowledge of Old Norse and Icelandic have found these subjects difficult to pursue, however, for up-to-date reference works in any language are few and none exist in English. To fill the gap, six distinguished scholars have contributed ambitious new essays to this volume. The contributors summarize and comment on scholarly work in the major branches of the field: Eddie and skaldic poetry, family and kings' sagas, courtly writing, and mythology. Taken together, their judicious and attractively written essays-each with a full bibliography-make up the first book-length survey of Old Norse literature in English and a basic reference work that will stimulate research in these areas and help to open up the field to a wider academic readership.

Historical Dictionary of Iceland
Historical Dictionary of Iceland

Author: Gudmundur Halfdanarson

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2008-10-23

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13: 0810862743

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While Iceland is the second largest inhabited island in Europe, with only 313,000 inhabitants in 2007, the Icelanders form one of the smallest independent nations in the world. Around two-thirds of the population lives in the capital, Reykjav'k, and its suburbs, while the rest is spread around the inhabitable area of the country. Until fairly recently the Icelandic nation was unusually homogeneous, both in cultural and religious terms; in 1981, around 98 percent of the nation was born in Iceland and 96 percent belonged to the Lutheran state church or other Lutheran religious sects. In 2007, these numbers were down to 89 and 86 percent respectively, reflecting the rapidly growing multicultural nature of Icelandic society. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Iceland traces Iceland's history and provides a compass for the direction the country is heading. This is done through its chronology, introductory essays, appendixes, map, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects.

The Invasion of Books in Peripheral Literary Fields
The Invasion of Books in Peripheral Literary Fields

Author: Petra Broomans

Publisher: Barkhuis

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 9491431064

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Cover -- Table of contents -- Preface -- The Invasion of Books -- Contra-flows in Literary Journalism? Coverage of Foreign, Non-Western and Ethnic Minority Literatures in French, German, Dutch and American Newspapers, 1955-2005 -- Monsters and Blowflies. The Representation of Nynorsk and its Speakers in Three Norwegian Newspapers -- The Colour of Female Choice. Czech and Flemish Women's Magazines as Cultural Patchworks -- A New Golden Era for Finnish Poetry? Nuoren Voiman Liitto and Nihil Interit as Cultural and Literary Transmitters in the 1990s and 2000s -- In the Wake of a Nobel Prize. On Modern Icelandic Literature in Swedish1940-1969 -- Ways of Being. Familiarity with Playwrights as Expression of Taste -- Transmitter Profiles, Power Circles and Canonising Cultural Transfer. The Case of Annie Posthumus - the First Modern Scandinavist within Dutch Academia -- A Foreigner to Her Mother Tongue. Zenta Mauriņa (1897-1978) and Konstantin Raudive (1909-1974) as German-speaking Latvian Writers in Swedish Exile -- About the Authors -- Bibliography -- Index

The Oxford History of Literary Translation in English:
The Oxford History of Literary Translation in English:

Author: Peter France

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2006-02-23

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 0191554324

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In the one hundred and ten years covered by volume four of The Oxford History of Literary Translation in English, what characterized translation was above all the move to encompass what Goethe called 'world literature'. This occurred, paradoxically, at a time when English literature is often seen as increasingly self-sufficient. In Europe, the culture of Germany was a new source of inspiration, as were the medieval literatures and the popular ballads of many lands, from Spain to Serbia. From the mid-century, the other literatures of the North, both ancient and modern, were extensively translated, and the last third of the century saw the beginning of the Russian vogue. Meanwhile, as the British presence in the East was consolidated, translation helped readers to take possession of 'exotic' non-European cultures, from Persian and Arabic to Sanskrit and Chinese. The thirty-five contributors bring an enormous range of expertise to the exploration of these new developments and of the fascinating debates which reopened old questions about the translator's task, as the new literalism, whether scholarly or experimental, vied with established modes of translation. The complex story unfolds in Britain and its empire, but also in the United States, involving not just translators, publishers, and readers, but also institutions such as the universities and the periodical press. Nineteenth-century English literature emerges as more open to the foreign than has been recognized before, with far-reaching effects on its orientation.