Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 2014, Page 166

165ÞJÓÐMINJAR SEM INNVIÐIR
Summary
National heritage as infrastructure
In Icelandic the term þjóðminjar (often translated as “national heritage”) has special
resonance and a long history of use. It is the referent of terms like Þjóðminjasafn
(“National Museum”) and þjóðminjalög (“National Antiquities Act”). While the
element þjóð can be glossed simply as “nation” the second element, minjar, has a wider
meaning not caught by a single English term. Its basic meaning is “remains” with
strong connotations of “memory/remembrance,” but also (originally) “testimony/
evidence” and “symbol.” The paper traces the history of this term in Icelandic since
the mid 19th century with the aim to show how its meanings changed, how the
original meanings have become obsolete and to argue that the term can still be used
to represent the responsibilities of the modern nation state for its cultural heritage.
Originally the term þjóðminjar was used in a wide sense to refer to any evidence
for Icelandic nationality, be it antiquities, contemporary material culture, texts,
language, and even ideas and customs. In the second half of the 19th century the term
had currency in discussions about the need to identify and preserve evidence for the
separate and unique character of Icelandic nationality. By the early 20th century, the
term developed a more narrow meaning and began to be used primarily to refer
to antiquities, the sorts of things curated in the National Museum, which changed
its name from Forngripasafn (“Antiquities Museum”) to Þjóðminjasafn in 1910. The
concept has deep roots in nationalistic discourse and, whether the word was used in
a broad or narrow sense, it reflects a concern to identify, protect and venerate that
which is specifically Icelandic, that which sets Icelanders apart and supports their
claim to be a distinct nation which should govern itself. This emphasis has produced
tensions over definitions, as a significant proportion of Icelandic archaeological
remains do not bear direct testimony to Icelandic nationality as such. But the term
has lost prevalence, not because of such tensions, but because the nationalistic project
has been realised: Iceland is an independent state and has been so now for 70 years
and its citizens no longer feel the need to convince themselves or others about the
reality of a separate Icelandic nationhood.
Although the term þjóðminjar has lost its original resonance the paper argues that
it could, with a conscious effort to change its meaning, still have a role in reminding
modern Icelanders of their responsibilities to protect their national heritage, not only
for themselves but also for the rest of mankind.