The Faroe Islands - and the Arcticfication of the North

Bergur Djurhuus Hansen, Dean at the University of the Faroe Islands gave a lecture titled "The Faroe Islands and the Arcticfication of the North at Scandinavia House

At times described as a borderland in the North Atlantic or as stepping stones towards another world, the Faroe Islands were settled by Irish monks around 600 BC, then colonized by Norse Vikings around 800 BC, Christianised around the year 1000 BC and integrated into the Norwegian and later the Danish Kingdom in the Early and Late Middle Ages. Developments in the 19th century gave rise to a national movement and a flourishing literature written in the native tongue, Faroese.

Starting from oral traditions, old myths, legends, and poetry, Faroese literature of the modern era continued to be influenced by internal as well as external factors, mixing the geographical and cultural uniqueness of the Faroe Islands with characteristics of modern European literature.

Belonging to the Danish Kingdom and governed directly from Copenhagen for centuries the establishment of a Home Rule Government for the islands in 1948 was significant, and the founding of the Faroese University in 1965 marked a peak in the national building process that characterized Faroese society in the 20th century. With a strong economy, a vibrant art and music scene and publications of literature receiving international attention, the Faroe Islands of today are engaged in international trade and cultural activities and are dependent on good and close relations to other nations.

Recent developments in the North Atlantic have revitalized old descriptions of the islands as stepping stones towards something else, in this case the Arctic. Numerous opportunities for collaboration and economic growth, but also threats from geopolitical competition and militarization form a dynamic new context and create new narratives about the whole region surrounding the islands.

From being first and foremost a Nordic nation with close connections to Scandinavian societies, the Faroe Islands are becoming more and more interesting to the outside world as a gateway to the Arctic. Travel writers in the 18th and 19th centuries saw the islands as a scarcely populated borderland. Further to the north was the Arctic, a region of snow and ice, devoid of people. Some of these old narratives and images now seem to reemerge as the North Atlantic and northern parts of Scandinavia undergo an “Arcticfication”, meaning an increasing focus on the North as a region of ice and heavy seas, climate change, crisis, and military tensions.

Based on historical developments, presenting significant and fascinating excerpts from historical accounts as well as from travel writings and contemporary pieces of literature, the lecture addressed present and future challenges in Faroese society with reference especially to current events in the Arctic region.

See the presentation here.