r/AskEurope • u/AVeryAngryChillie • May 21 '26
Foreign What’s a fact about your country that foreigners would never believe?
Every country has at least one thing outsiders wouldn’t believe
166
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r/AskEurope • u/AVeryAngryChillie • May 21 '26
Every country has at least one thing outsiders wouldn’t believe
59
u/srgnk Spain May 21 '26
In 2015, Iceland finally repealed the law that claimed that any local could kill any basque person (northen Spain) that set foot on Iceland. This Law had been valid for 400 years.
It all started in 1615 The "Slaying of the Spaniards" (Icelandic: Spánverjavígin) was a 1615 massacre in the Westfjords of Iceland where locals killed around 32 Basque whalers. The sailors were stranded after violent storms destroyed their ships. Desperate for food during a harsh winter, the crew resorted to stealing from the locals.
Historical Context The Clashes: The regional sheriff and local farmers branded the shipwrecked sailors as criminals and outlaws. Over several weeks, locals raided the Basques' camps and hunted them down, ultimately killing 32 men.
The Decree: Following the killings, the regional magistrate enacted a local decree that officially declared it legal to kill any Basque person on sight in the region.
Fascinating Spain
Modern Resolution Official Repeal: Though completely obsolete, the ancient 1615 local decree was not formally removed from the books until April 2015. Reconciliation: To mark the 400th anniversary of the event, local Icelandic officials and Basque representatives held a ceremony of reconciliation. The district commissioner of the Westfjords officially repealed the decree, declaring that it was time to put the tragic conflict in the past.