Regional jokes in a small country
It can be difficult to explain to non-Danes that even in a small country like ours, there is a distinct "cultural gap" between people from Jylland (Jutland) and Sjælland (Sealand) - which is often verbalised in jokes and friendly banter. People from Jutland are considered to be slow, silent, sly and stingy, whereas people from Sealand are considered to be very talkative, superficial and rash in movement and judgement. I don't normally post jokes here, but as a proof that these prejudices do indeed exist and are continously nurtured, here is a good example of a "Jylland versus Sjælland" joke, which also plays on religion, alcohol and cheating (i.e. a very Danish joke all in all!). First version in Danish, my English translation below:

DK
En jysk præst og en præst fra Sjælland er ude for et slemt biluheld i Mols bjerge. Begge deres biler er totalt smadrede, men utroligt nok kommer de begge ud af det uden en skramme. Da de er kravlet ud af deres biler finder jyden ud af, at ham, han er kørt ind også er præst.
"Hvor pudsigt, jeg er også præst" siger han og fortsætter: "Se på vores biler. Der er ikke noget tilbage, men vi har ikke fået en skramme. Det må være et tegn fra Gud. Gud må have ment, vi skulle mødes og lære jyder og sjællændere om venskaber indbyrdes." Den Sjællandske præst står og glor dumt på jyden og tænker på hvor meget han lever op til fordommene om jyder.
Den jydske præst forsætter: "Og se, her er et andet mirakel. Min bil er totalt smadret, men denne flaske kirsebærvin er ikke smadret. Det må helt sikkert være Gud, der mener at vi skal drikke den og fejre vores held." Han rækker sjællænderen flasken, som umiddelbart synes det lyder fornuftigt. Sjællænderen tager tre store slurke af vinen og rækker den tilbage til jyden, som straks hælder resten af indholdet i en rist ved siden af dem og kaster flasken ud over skrænten. Sjællænderen kigger spørgende på jyden:
"Skal du slet ikke ha' noget"? Jyden svarer: "Nej...jeg tror jeg venter til politiet kommer"!

UK
A minister from Jylland and a minister from Sjælland find themselves victims of a serious car crash in Mols Bjerge [area in Northern Jutland]. Both cars are completely wrecked, but both ministers quite unbelievably survive without a scratch.
When they have emerged from their cars, the Jutlandian minister discovers that the guy, he collided with, also is a minister. "How odd, I’m a minister too", he says, and continues. "Look at our cars. There is nothing left of them, but we are unharmed. That must be a sign from God, that we were supposed to meet and to teach people from Jylland and Sjælland friendship amongst them. The Sealandian Minister watches the Jutlandian with stupified amazement, thinking how much he lives up to the prejudices about people from Jutland.
The Jutlandian minister continues: “And look, here is another miracle. My car has been completely ruined, but this bottle of cherrywine did not break. It must definitely be God who thinks we should drink it and celebrate our good fortune. He passes the bottle to the Sealander, who in the spur of the moment think this sounds as a sensible suggestion. He takes three solid swigs from the bottle, and gives it back to the Jutlandian, who immediately empties the remains of the bottle into the sewer next to them and then throws the bottle over the brink, they are standing at. The Sealander looks at the Jutlandian, all questionsmarks: “Aren’t you going to drink anything at all?”. The Jutlandian answers: “No, I think, I’ll wait until the police has arrived!”
# posted by Lisbeth at: 12:45