The scene is legendary:
Friday night in Reykjavik,
and hordes of besotted teens have
overtaken the streets. On foot and in
cars, they scream and yell, dance, and
weave along with their friends. This
ritual, which is far more intimidating in
appearance than it is in fact, is known
as the runtur. It is a spectacle
similar to the "cruising" that
took place in America in the 50s and 60s,
though here the teens seem to be far more
innocent and far more loaded. Inside the
bars and nightclubs their older brothers
and sisters, even their parents, doing
the same thing - albeit with a bit more
moderation. The runtur illustrates
one of the dualities of the Icelandic
soul: they work hard, and play even
harder.
 When it comes to play,
Icelanders do nothing half way. Almost
everyone here dabbles in a hobby, very
often artistic in nature. Per capita,
Iceland publishes more books than any
other nation on Earth. On average, about
1 in 10 people will publish a book of
prose or poetry within their lifetime, a
storytelling tradition that goes back to
the sagas of the Vikings. A stiff-lipped
man in a bar might tell you he's a
computer programmer, but he could also
very well be a playwright or a violinist
in the local orchestra. Being
well-rounded is a very valued
trait.
In the same vein, Icelanders like to
travel. Long ago, one of the most common
ways a Viking could gain fame in his
homeland was to ship off to a foreign
land, coming back years later with gifts
and stories galore. This is still a
highly respected tradition, and an
Icelander who is well-traveled is
referred to as someone who is
"sailed." Iceland may be a
remote island, but its people know the
world. She Work Vikings
Play Nation
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