Greenlandic sense of humour
Published: 12/06/2020
Reading time: 2 minutes
Greenlanders have a dark, slap-stick sense of humour, which is a strange combination where I come from. I’m more used to either dark or slapstick, but not both at the same time. Seeing someone in the throes of an unfortunate incident, or even seeing someone hurt themselves is apparently hilarious in Greenland. A friend witnessed this in a small settlement on the east coast. He was watching some locals fishing, when one man slipped on the wet rocks and fell into the sea. The onlookers howled with laughter as the unfortunate man scrabbled helplessly, and unsuccessfully, at the steep rocky shore, desperately trying to escape the freezing water. When, my friend wondered, would they stop laughing and help him?
I witnessed a similar, though less life-threatening, humorous event on my commute one stormy winter morning in Nuuk. The previous night had been cold and rainy, leaving the roads coated in black ice, so the morning buses were long-delayed. The bitter wind blew icy snow in my face as I stood with a throng of commuters at the bus stop, hunkered in our hooded down jackets, waiting resentfully. Cars appeared through the blowing snow and crept past cautiously. Finally, a very late bus emerged from the blowing whiteness and we all crowded on board, the bus now completely packed to overflowing. As the bus continued its journey and approached the crowd of waiting commuters at the next stop, I could sense a growing gleefulness in the passengers around me, murmuring and snickering amongst themselves. And as the bus sailed past the bus stop without so much as slowing down, an angry man on the roadside waved his fist at us, and the passengers on the bus roared with laughter at the huddle of people left by the roadside in the cold darkness.
Read more travel blogs from Arctic Alien
-
5.00(7)
Afternoon Kayak among Icebergs | Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration3 hoursFrom 1495 DKKSee more -
4.60(10)
Daytour to Eqi Glacier | Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration9 hoursFrom 2450 DKKSee more -
4.33(3)New Tour!
Evening cruise | Nuuk
Tour startsNuukDuration2 hoursFrom 1095 DKKSee more -
5.00(2)
Northern Lights Tour | Kangerlussuaq | West Greenland
Tour startsKangerlussuaqDuration2 hoursFrom 650 DKKSee more -
FLIGHTS FROM DENMARK INCLUDED!
8 Days of Autumn Wonders – Northern Lights and Icebergs | Nuuk & Ilulissat
Tour startsFrom CopenhagenDuration8 daysFrom 26400 DKKSee more -
Includes 1 to 7 Passengers!
Kangersuneq Fjord Safari | Private Charter | Qasigiannguit | Diskobay
Tour startsQasigiannguitDuration5 hoursFrom 6200 DKKSee more -
Northern Glacier & Icefjord Flightseeing | Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration40 minutesFrom 2295 DKKSee more -
5.00(1)Driver included!
Snowmobile tour to small settlement | Oqaatsut | Ilulissat
Tour startsIlulissatDuration3 hoursFrom 2500 DKKSee more -
5.00(1)Flightseeing with landing!
ISUA Glacier Adventure By Helicopter | Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration1.5 hoursFrom 11100 DKKSee more -
5.00(1)2026-Flights from Denmark included!
A long weekend in the Arctic to remember | 5 days | Ilulissat
Tour startsFrom CopenhagenDuration5 daysFrom 21900 DKKSee more -
5.00(1)
Northern Lights from a mountain top | Snowshoe tour in Nuuk
Tour startsNuukDuration3 hoursFrom 2800 DKKSee more -
Micro Cruise & flight to Greenland!
East Greenland Explorer Micro Cruise | Scoresby Sund
Tour startsFrom IcelandDuration10 daysFrom 93000 DKKSee more -
5.00(2)
Snowshoe Hiking & Sauna experience | Ilulissat | Disko Bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration4.5 hoursFrom 675 DKKSee more -
5-Days Above The Arctic Circle | Sisimiut | West Greenland
Tour startsSisimiutDuration5 daysFrom 9461 DKKSee more -
Flights from ReykjavÃk included!
Ice, Big Walls & Hot Spring | South Greenland Explorer
Tour startsFrom IcelandDuration15 daysFrom 32200 DKKSee more -
1-10 people included
Boat charter | Open Boat | Qasigiannguit | Disko Bay
Tour startsQasigiannguitDuration2 hoursFrom 1600 DKKSee more -
5.00(5)Wild, wonderful & vast
Kapisillit Settlement Visit | Nuuk
Tour startsNuukDuration6 hoursFrom 2295 DKKSee more -
1 to 6 passengers included!
Private Midnight Sun Tour | Uummannaq | North Greenland
Tour startsUummannaqDuration3 hoursFrom 7200 DKKSee more -
4.80(10)
Dogsled tour | Ilulissat | Disko bay
Tour startsIlulissatDuration2 hoursFrom 2200 DKKSee more