Icelandic nationalism
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Þjóðernishyggja is the Icelandic term for nationalism; nationmindedness is a rough translation of the term. Its use was instrumental in the Icelandic movement for independence from Denmark. This term, however, long preceded the rise of Nazism in Germany. Therefore þjóðernishyggja as it was used at the time has very little to do with Nazism, Fascism or other similar extremes of nationalism. Enmity against other nations was not part of the pack and parcel, with the possible exception of the Danes, who, after all, were the governing nation of Iceland at the time.
Þjóðernishyggja is now commonly used for patriotism in Icelandic interchangeable with another word: Föðurlandsást, i. e. Love of one's country. There is little difference between the two in Icelandic, and most Icelanders would probably count themselves as being some sort of patriots, but outright nationalism in the English meaning of the term is much rarer. That would be referred to as simply Nazism, or the German word of wich it is a shorthand for, Nationalsocialism translated into Þjóðernissósíalismi in Icelandic. The difference is mainly, if the English language is anything to go by, that nationalism refers to a belief in the superiority of one's country and culture to the detriment of everybody else, but patriotism would refer to a natural love or fondness of one's own cultural roots, while accepting similar sentiments in others.
Icelandic Nationalism or Þjóðernishyggja or Föðurlandsást is based upon the idea of resurrection of the Icelandic Free State, and its values (or what was believed to be its values): democracy, freedom of the individual, the need for the country to be independent, and respect for the cultural and religious traditions, specially the long preserved language. Icelanders see their current republic to be the reincarnation of the old Free state, and thus is Icelandic Nationalism today based upon preserving what was gained by the independence movement. Thus is the Icelandic nationalist sentiment highly respectful of democratic parliamentary powers (see resurrected Althing) and sceptical of foreign control over Iceland, which is partly responsible for the fact there is little will in Iceland for joining the EU.
