PHOTO: The history of Rock and Roll in Iceland runs deep, and a new museum is telling the story. (Courtesy of Icelandic Museum of Rock and Roll)
Certain attractions rise above the rest precisely because they are intrinsically entwined in the national identity of the destination. The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, the flagstaff at New Zealand's Kororareka, Tiananmen Square and other places around the globe have this special juice because they're so identified with their country's founding. National identity is at the core of a handful of buildings in this story from Iceland, Norway and Scotland.
The village of Eidsvoll is not what comes to the forefront of most people's minds when they think of Norway, but on Saturday, May 17, the village was on the minds of Norwegians everywhere as they celebrated the bicentennial of Norway's modern constitution.
That constitution was signed at Eidsvoll House (Eidsvollsbygningen), a neoclassical building located in Eidsvoll, in Akershus County. Extensive restorations have brought the historic site of the birth of the modern Norwegian state to a state of preparation for the celebrations.
Eidsvold Verk was opened by Norway's King Christian IV in 1624 as a foundry for iron, driven by water power from Andelva River. Carsten Anker bought the Eidsvold Iron Works in 1794 and settled on site in 1811, which became Norway's first national monument in 1837. When Carsten Anker created his luxurious residence around the turn of the 19th century, it became one of the country's most modern private residences and was modelled on French and Danish ideals.
No writer did more to establish his country's identity than Sir Walter Scott. There was a time when Scott (1771-1832) virtually owned the attention of the literary world. Novels like Rob Roy and Ivanhoe were read throughout the Western world and influenced writers from Lord Byron to our own James Fennimore Cooper. These days, even in his own country, Scott's light is dimmed by the great Robbie Burns. While Burns has his own museum, Scott will finally get some attention, now that Abbotsford, his home in Melrose, Scotland has been restored.
PHOTO: Walter Scott's home at Abbottsford is open after a new renovation.
The renovation has left it with new access, new signage, parking and accommodation and management. The conservation of Abbotsford, dating from 1811, as well as the arrangement of its contents, gardens and landscape will, it's hoped, revive the popularity of one of the world's greatest novelists.
Rock and roll has been a surprising and refreshing power in the emergence of Icelandic identity as it hits the world stage. The new Icelandic Museum of Rock and Roll opened recently with a focus on the history of pop and rock music in Iceland. Using images, texts, screens, projectors, tablets and various memorabilia, the museum tells the story of Icelandic teens tuning into the radio station being operated from the American Navy base at Keflavik back in the 1950s. Thus Keflavik became a center for Icelandic rock and will now be home to the museum.
Rock and roll in Iceland is a more interesting story than it appears on the surface and a new book, 'Blue Eyed Pop - The History of Popular Music in Iceland' by Dr. Gunni tells that story well.
Iceland itself is racing to the top of the tourism charts, at least in its swelling number of arrivals. Last year, overnight stays reached 4.3 million for a growth of 15 percent when compared to the year 2012. Nights spent by foreign tourists accounted for 79 percent of the total number of overnight stays in 2013 and increased by 17 percent over 2012. The lead markets Germany, Britain and the U.S. all have large rock and roll fan bases.
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