Helgafell og Mosfellsdalur

The mount Helgafell and the valley Mosfellsdalur just north of Reykjavík, with small livestock and horticultural farms. The valley is perhaps best known for being the birthplace and longtime residence of Halldór Laxness, Iceland's preeminent modern writer and its only Nobel Prize winner. He wrote a wonderful short fact-based novel about its inhabitants, centred around a debate about moving the parish church in the late 19th century. There is a famous passage on the conduct of that debate, here (poorly and unofficially) translated: „It has been claimed that Icelanders pay scant heed to factual arguments, largely ignore financial arguments and least of all have any deference to the authority of religion, while they conduct their debates by wordsmithing and arguing about bird droppings that are besides the point; they become terrified and struck with silence whenever someone touches upon the core of the matter. On the other hand they will eagerly climb a vertical mountain to obey the pleas of friends and family, and Iceland would have long time since have become emptied of people if this was not so. There is though one type of argument that Icelanders are ready to take to heart if all else fails, but that is funniness, even silly humour. A laughable story, true or otherwise, will soften up the audience and illuminate it; the soil of the soul becomes accepting." Many claim this description is largely accurate today.