The Alternative History of Iceland

Send us a Text Message.What happened in the autumn of 2008 that made the country's whole economy seemingly go under? What had brought a country with very little experience of banking to believe it could bethe financial capital of the world? And how did an erupting volcano eventually save Iceland?

Send us a Text Message.Iceland had a rather comfortable war, being occupied by the British and later Americans. Yet, it was a time that changed everything, the beginning of modernity and Iceland emerged from the war as one of the richest countries in the world. But what if the Nazis had come instead? Valur and Jón explore what did happen and what could have.

Send us a Text Message.The Nordic Countries are prosperous but small countries on Europe's periphery, peaceful now but given to feuding in the past. What if they had united? Would they play a greater part on the world stage as a single power? Could a united Nordics have stayed out of World War II? Or even averted the rise of Germany or Russia? There were several instances in history when they very nearly united, and once they actually did. What if they had stuck together?

Send us a Text Message.In the autumn of 1921, Ólafur Friðriksson came back home from Moscow where he had attended the 9th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. With him he had a boy whom he intended to adopt. When the 15- year-old was diagnosed with glaucoma, an eye disease which was feared could be contagious the authorities decided to deport him. This was seen as a political act by Ólafur and other socialists who barricaded themselves in Ólafur’s home at Suðurgata....

Send us a Text Message.In Tasmania, off the coast of Australia, there is a grave marked "King of Iceland." Even more bizarrely, the title of the person was actually real. Sort of. During the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark and Britain found themselves fighting on opposing sides. An English soap salesman and a Danish POW decided this was an opportune time to conquer the Danish colony of Iceland. This could have led to Iceland being incorporated into the British Empire. Or Sweden. Bu...

Send us a Text Message.For almost a thousand years, nature had been torturing the poor residents of Iceland. Then, in 1783, it decided to finish the job. A volcano erupted that was felt around the world, nowhere more so than in Iceland itself. About a third of the population perished and the Danes considered transporting the survivors to Denmark. What if they had? How would they have fared? And what would have become of the unpopulated island?

Send us a Text Message.There is little arguing with the maxim attributed to Oscar Wilde that Icelanders are the smartest people in the world, they found America but had the good sense to lose it again. Wisely or not, how exactly did Icelanders manage to misplace a whole continent? Did they do it on purpose? Why didn’t Icelanders settle in North America as later Europeans were to do? What if a religious war in Iceland in the year 1000 had induced them to do just that?

Send us a Text Message.The year 1066 is remembered for the Normans conquering England, which was to be the last successful invasion of that country (so far). Just a few weeks earlier, however, Vikings from Norway also invaded England but were repulsed at Stamford Bridge. What if they had succeeded? Could a Viking Empire have come into being? And would something close to modern-day Icelandic have become the world language?