Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.07.2015, Page 18

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The third official “Friend of Iceland,”
Mr. James Bryce of Belfast, Ireland,
received the title in 1890. An article in
biweekly magazine Þjóðólfur named
him as the most important “Friend of
Iceland” in Britain, sang his praises as
author of several historical works, and
even called him a British “Njáll,” in his
capacity as advisor to Prime Minister
Gladstone. Gladstone himself was even
quoted as saying that he was half-Celtic,
like the Icelanders, and that he had never
seen a people more like the English than
the Norwegians, even though he expect-
ed the Icelanders to be even more Eng-
lish than they were. Gladstone said that
he hoped to see both Ireland and Iceland
independent in his lifetime.
Kind of a big deal
Being named an official friend of Iceland
has historically been kind of a big deal.
Joining the club means that the local me-
dia will report on, emphasize and exag-
gerate your every achievement, up until
your passing, which will in turn inspire
some heartfelt obituaries.
Sovereignty and independence
brought inflation to Iceland, to honor-
ary friendship titles as well as to the cur-
rency. Friends of Iceland are no longer
expected to write books about us or to
represent our cause to foreign dignitar-
ies. We are no longer a small country
struggling for independence, and are
hence no longer in dire need of friends.
Yet, Icelanders still get very proud
when a person of note visits the country.
With the rise of celebrity culture, the
local media has taken to bestowing the
title upon literally every star that makes
it over, and will employ it in every men-
tion of them thereafter. For instance, The
Kinks and Led Zeppelin have not been
discussed without a nod to their friend-
status since they played shows (and ar-
guably wrote songs) here in the 60s and
70s.
Being a “Friend of Iceland” comes
with privileges as well as duties. In 1972,
Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky played
the World Chess Championship in Reyk-
javík, firmly putting Iceland on the map.
In 2006, some still-grateful Icelanders
got the by-then disgraced Fischer out of
jail in Japan by awarding him citizen-
ship in absentia. The world might have
turned its back on Bobby, but we did not.
What are friends for?
In the 1990s, more and more friends
were added to the list. Many of them
were part of the Britpop scene, which
seemed to see Iceland as a haven at the
height of their excesses. This trend cul-
minated when Blur’s Damon Albarn fa-
mously bought a house (and 1% of a bar)
in Reykjavík, making him one of the first
friends to attempt a lasting relationship.
Still kind of a big deal
One would think that with all the for-
eign stars walking around Reykjavík
these days, the title would have lost all
meaning. Gone are the days when a re-
spectable newspaper like Tíminn would
run a famously erroneous story about
Sylvester Stallone wanting to make a
movie in Iceland. It turned out to be a
cover, planted by professional abductors
who were trying to bring a child back to
an American father who had lost a court
case court against the Icelandic mother.
The headline to the story was of course
“Will we get Stallone as a friend of Ice-
land?” The year was 1993.
Yet, the title keeps being constantly
employed by Icelandic media (if some-
times jokingly). Earlier this year, a
Morgunblaðið story about a golf match
in California came with the headline
“Friend of Iceland is Number One.” A
recent RÚV story on the Russian oli-
garch Usimov exclaims: “Friend of
Iceland richest man in Britain.” Even
Barack Obama received the honorary
title after speaking warmly about geo-
thermal energy, without ever even hav-
ing been here.
Geopolitics have changed a lot since
the Victorian Era, when a mere men-
tion of Iceland by the UK Prime Min-
ister was reported by the Icelandic me-
dia. However, Iceland’s enthusiasm for
itself has not.
Words by Valur Gunnarsson
Photo by Axel Sigurðarson
The term Íslandsvinur, “Friend of Iceland,” first appeared
in Iceland’s media in 1874, in the annal Fréttir frá Íslandi
(“News from Iceland”). Fréttir frá Íslandi bestowed the epi-
thet upon one Dr. Konrad Maurer of Munich, for writing a
book about Iceland on the occasion of its 1,000 years of set-
tlement, which was celebrated that year. American scholar
Willard Fiske, who amassed a large Icelandic library and
wrote a book on Icelanders and chess, was also mentioned
in the same paragraph. Both were mentioned several times
in Icelandic papers in the following years.
What Does It Take
To Become A
“Friend of Iceland”?
Politics | Bright?Iceland | Friends
18 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 10 — 2015