Collective self-destruction is a kind of »catastrophe« in the theoretical sense of representing a non-linear logic of change. The historical situation in 17th and 18th century lceland was catastrophic in this sense. All social domains were marked by disintegration and disruptive development. Old technologies were »forgotten«, ecomic rationality was repressed, and hunger was a commonplace. A demographic crisis was an imminent threat to the population. The marriage ratio was extremely low, and the mortality rate was high. Mothers gave up breast feeding and the infants died from the raw cow's milk they were given instead. The sexual organization disintegrated. Incest was frequent. Briefly, there was a remarkable negligence of all cultural standards; chaos and disorder ruled the social space. Generally speaking, it was a case of achieved helplessness connected to a collective depression.It may be read as a cultural psychological reaction to increasingly difficult historical conditions. Apart from natura( catastrophe and political submission, the Icelanders also found themselves with no symbolic exchange with »others«, and the only mirror ofself-identification was their own past. The illustrious ancestors made the Icelanders acutely aware of their own powerlessness - and their reaction was one of cultural destruction.Kollektiv selvdestruktion udgør i teoretisk forstand en katastrofe eller et kvalitativt spring, som fornægter sædvanlig udviklingslogik. Islands situation i 16-1700 tallet kan bedst beskrives som netop katastrofal i denne betydning. På alle områder af samfundslivet var der opløsning og tilbagegang. Gamle teknologier glemtes, økonomiske vækstpunkter undertryktes, og hungersnød blev hverdagskost. En demografisk krise truede med at udslette befolkningen. Ægteskabsfrekvensen var extremt lav og dødeligheden stor. Mødrene ammede ikke længere deres børn, og få nyfødte overlevede den rå komælk. Incest var almindeligt. Der var kort sagt tale om en opgivelse af enhver kulturel standard; kaos og uorden havde overtaget det sociale rum.Generelt kan man tale om en formfortillært hjælpeløshed i forbindelse med en kollektiv depression. Den kan læses som en kulturpsykologisk reaktion på en historisk situation, som blev mere og mere vanskelig.Naturkatastrofer og politisk underkastelse gjorde deres. Den symbolske udveksling med andre var gået helt i stå, og det eneste spejl, islændingene kunne se sig selv i, var fortiden. Spejlingen i forfædrenes bedrifter tydeliggjorde deres egen afmagt - og reaktionen var en næsten stædig destruktion af kulturen
