One period in Icelandic history, as Gunnar Karlsson describes, can be considered the period from 930 CE to 12621264, when there was no central government or leader, political power being characterised by chieftains ("goar"). The exact date that humans first reached the island is uncertain. Are courses available in English, and how many higher education facilities are there in the country? Thorgeir stipulated that pagan worship would still be allowed in private, as well as the exposure of surplus children (infanticideIcelanders believed the island could only hold so many people) and the consumption of horseflesh. One theory suggests that those monks were members of a Hiberno-Scottish mission, Irish and Scottish monks who spread Christianity during the Middle Ages. Iceland is very remote, and so has been spared the ravages of European wars but has been affected by other external events, such as the Black Death and the Protestant Reformation imposed by Denmark. It is unknown, however, if Pytheas and the hermits were describing the same island. Such transformative makeovers have only occurred in the capital a handful of times, but today, the renaissance is evident. This archaeological find may also indicate that the monks left Iceland before the Norse arrived.[12]. Learn key facts and statistics about Iceland. The Book of Settlements then enumerates more than 400 settlers who sailed with their families, servants, and slaves to Iceland to stake claims to land. This magma pocket is known as the Iceland Plume. Iceland first began to form approximately 70 million years ago. Denmark was still occupied by Germany at the time. In 930, the ruling chiefs established a republican constitution and an assembly called the Althing the oldest parliament in the world. What is Guide to Iceland? Corporate income tax was reduced to 18% (from around 50% at the beginning of the decade), inheritance tax was greatly reduced, and the net wealth tax was abolished. [14] After decades of internal conflict, the Icelandic chieftains agreed to accept the sovereignty of Norway and signed the Old Covenant (Gamli sttmli) establishing a union with the Norwegian monarchy. The eruption had widespread consequences outside of Iceland; its influence reached such far-flung corners as North America, the Sahel of Africa, and Europe. Norway (and thus Iceland) then became part of the Kalmar Union, along with Sweden and Denmark, with Denmark as the dominant power. It started to form in the Miocene era about 20 million years ago from a series of volcanic eruptions on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where it lies between the North American and Eurasian plates. He chose as his homestead a site that he named Reykjavk, which he farmed with his wife, Hallveig Frdadttir. Jn Arason and his two sons were subsequently beheaded in Sklholt. Every day, it seems this city, country, and population are changing. A layer of tephra (volcanic ash) that in many places coincides with the earliest remains of human habitation in Iceland has been identified in Greenland ice and dated to about 870. Within a century, it's thought that Iceland was entirely deforested. [17], An illicit trade continued with foreigners after the Danes implemented a trade monopoly. The recorded history of Iceland began with the settlement by Viking explorers and the people they enslaved from the east, particularly Norway and the British Isles, in the late ninth century. Of course, history from so long ago is far from exact. Disaster struck Iceland with the violent eruption of the Laki volcano in the 18th century, beginning June 1783 and ending Feb. 1784, killing 9,000 Icelandic citizens. Sturla used the power and influence of the Sturlungar family clan to wage war against the other clans in Iceland. It claimed continuity with the Althing of the Icelandic Commonwealth, which had remained for centuries as a judicial body and had been abolished in 1800. . Were Not in Kansas anymore. The same could easily be applied to Iceland, a country that knows a thing or two about rapid growth. In the late 14th century Norway and Denmark entered into a union. Photo fromWikimedia,Creative Commons, byHaukurth. Iceland became a charter member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on 30 March 1949, with the reservation that it would never take part in offensive action against another nation. During the year or so he was in Iceland, he managed to convert some . The Proto Cod War (19521956) revolved around Iceland's extension of its fishery limits from 3 to 4 nautical miles. After centuries of building pressure, Eyjafjallajokulls eruption would go on to shape Icelands future, causing an enormous ash cloud that halted air traffic over mainland Europe while simultaneously triggering the countrys burgeoning tourist industry. In 1989, Vigdis Finnbogadottir became the President of Iceland and the worlds first democratically elected female head of state. The Icelanders built large turf-clad houses on bulky timber frames, and some of the churches were built entirely of timber. Saw several broods of ducklings.. In March 2006, the United States announced that it intended to withdraw the greater part of the Icelandic Defence Force. Britain, in particular, felt that this threatened their control of the North Atlantic and quickly telegraphed the Icelandic capital, asking them for their support as a belligerent and ally. So too did Britain want to build bases in Iceland to strengthen their North Patrol. Denmark, however, did not provide much protection to Iceland,[citation needed] which was raided in 1627 by a Barbary pirate fleet that abducted almost 300 Icelanders into slavery, in an episode known as the Turkish Abductions. This period of starvation, one of the worst the civilized world has ever experienced, is known as the Mist Hardships in English or Moouharoindin in Icelandic. The move was congratulated by King Christian X of Denmark after the Icelandic population voted 98 percent in favor of independence. Herjolf & Thorolf praised the new land, Thorolf saying it was so beautiful that butter dripped off the blades of grass. In the 13th century, a civil war known as the Age of the Sturlungs gripped Iceland. Photo byWikimedia,Creative Commons, by Olaus Magnus. Farms, fishing outposts and villages began to form all around Iceland's coast. Denmark was to represent its foreign affairs and defense interests. In the wake of the 2008-2011 credit crunch, this proved to be a short-lived, reckless dream. As hunger set in and the weather patterns began to take a life of their own, social order in Iceland broke down, and looting became frequent. Until the 14th century, traditional Viking longhouses were built by the first inhabitants of Iceland. The latter, concluded in 1297, saw a significant shift of wealth and power from the aristocracy to the Church, which was increasingly independent of secular influence. In 1220, this conflict saw powerful Icelandic chieftains (Gooar) battle to decide whether Iceland should become a subject of Hakon the Old, King of Norway. 391 of the combatants were born in Iceland, the rest were of Icelandic descent. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by United State Army. This vote occurred only four years after Denmark had succumbed to the invading German army. Weve got you covered! Iceland had prospered during the course of the war, amassing considerable currency reserves in foreign banks. "[13] These people were primarily of Norwegian, Irish, and Scottish origin. Having recovered financially and outmatched the GDP of previous years, Icelands future has never looked brighter. This position had left Iceland, a neutral country, in a rather precarious position. Read on for all you need to know about queer history, Reykjavi Guide to Iceland | The Story of the Leading Travel Agency of Iceland, The Complete Guide to the Midnight Sun in Iceland, Top 20 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in Iceland, The Ultimate Guide to Gay Iceland | LGBT+ History, Rights and Culture, Life in Early Iceland & the Adoption of Christianity, Icelands Civil War: The Age of Sturlungs, Fascinating History of Icelandic Architecture, Wikimedia,Creative Commons, by Olaus Magnus, 10 Reasons Icelanders are Proud of Iceland, Wikimedia,Creative Commons, by Johan Peter Raadsig, Wikimedia,Creative Commons, by the Arni Magnusson Institute. Find out everything you need to know about the. By A.D. 930, it's thought that all arable land in the country had been settled. Beginning on 20 May 1944, Icelanders voted in a four-day plebiscite on whether to terminate the personal union with the King of Denmark and establish a republic. For a time, Icelanders held onto beliefs in Norse mythology, following an oral tradition back to the time of their ancestors in Scandinavia. Opposition to the reformation ended in 1550 when Jn Arason was captured after being defeated in the Battle of Sauafell by loyalist forces under the leadership of Dai Gumundsson. Reykjavik responded by confirming their neutrality. At some point in the war, he was killed and buried in the North. [44][45], The new republican government, led by an unlikely three-party majority cabinet made up of conservatives (the Independence Party, Sjlfstisflokkurinn), social democrats (the Social Democratic Party, Aluflokkurinn), and socialists (People's Unity Party Socialist Party, Ssalistaflokkurinn), decided to put the funds into a general renovation of the fishing fleet, the building of fish processing facilities, the construction of a cement and fertilizer factory, and a general modernization of agriculture. [33] Government interference in the economy increased: "Imports were regulated, trade with foreign currency was monopolized by state-owned banks, and loan capital was largely distributed by state-regulated funds". This government set in motion market liberalisation policies, privatising a number of state-owned companies. Legend. Book your complete trip with the best companies only. No one was vested with executive power over the country as a whole. Iceland joined the European Economic Area in 1994, thus strengthening its position on the international financiers stage. Children fathered by foreign troops were known as astandsborn (children of the situation). Photo fromWikimedia,Creative Commons, by Johan Peter Raadsig. The Landnamabok refers to Irish monks, known as " the Papar ," as the first inhabitants of Iceland, having left behind books, crosses, and bells for the Norse to later discover. Iceland is positioned directly between mainland Europe, to its east, and North America, to its west, and looms over the Atlantic Ocean. 860, was settled by Norwegian Vikings in the years 870-930. Gunnar's own book A Brief History of Iceland (2010) has 33 chapters with considerable overlap in dates. Following rapid financial growth, the 200811 Icelandic financial crisis occurred. This page was last edited on 9 April 2023, at 11:48. In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the First King is said to have led the First Men across the Arm of Dorne in their . [39][40] An additional 70 Icelanders died at sea, but it has not been confirmed whether they lost their lives as a result of hostilities. - Icelandic food from the Settlement through the Middle Ages", "Iceland's External Affairs from 1400 to the Reformation: Anglo-German Economic and Societal Shelter in a Danish Political Vacuum", "Discover: Twenty ways the world could end suddenly", "Iceland's External Affairs from the Napoleonic Era to the occupation of Denmark: Danish and British Shelter", "Hve margir slendingar du seinni heimsstyrjldinni? According to stories written down some 250 years after the event, the country was discovered and settled by Norse people in the Viking Age. This became known as astandio, or Te Situation, where women found to be engaging sexually with foreign troops were accused of prostitution and treasonous activity. He discovered that the country was an island and called it Gararshlmi "Garar's Islet" and stayed for the winter at Hsavk. A Scandinavian sailor, Floki Vilgeroarson, gave Iceland its name after he spotted some drift ice in the fjords during a ferocious winter. Next, dive headfirst into the world of Norse mythology, where you'll get to know the likes of Odin, Thor, Freya, Loki, and more. History. Jhannesson Reelected President", "Gunnar Karlsson. Iceland is a relatively young island in the geological sense, being formed about 20 million years ago by a series of volcanic eruptions in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, but it is still growing from fresh volcanic eruptions. There he settled with his family around 874, in a place he named Reykjavk "Smoke Cove", probably from the geothermal steam rising from the earth. Jon Sigurosson bravely led a group of Icelandic intellectuals towards an independence movement, recreating an autonomous Icelandic government. Generally considered the first European to set foot on the North American continent, Leif got there nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus. Snorri Sturluson was the chieftain of the Sturlung clan and a vassal of the Norwegian king, as was Snorris nephew, Sturla Sighvatsson. Iceland apparently has no prehistory. 10 women of Icelandic descent and 4 women born in Iceland served as nurses for the Allies during World War I. However, this is merely a guess. This five-part medieval manuscript tells the story of the Norsemen discovering and settling the country in the 9th and 10th centuries. The . For the latter half of the 20th century, unemployment was low, industries were prospering, and life in Iceland was good, particularly for the most part, save for years when the annual harvest proved insufficient. Trees that were not used for building were burnt for warmth. In 930, the ruling chiefs established a republican constitution and an assembly called the Althingthe oldest parliament in the world. Jn Arason and gmundur Plsson, the Catholic bishops of Sklholt and Hlar respectively, opposed Christian's efforts at promoting the Protestant Reformation in Iceland. The only European of his time whose achievements in discovery match his, is his father, Erik the Red . Those who came were largely clans who did not wish to bend the knee to the first Christian King of Norway, Harald Fairhair. The financial crisis gave rise to the Icesave dispute, where Iceland on the one hand and the United Kingdom and Netherlands on the other disputed whether Iceland was obligated to repay British and Dutch depositors who lost their savings when Icesave collapsed. Areas near the Arctic Circle such as Iceland and Greenland began to have shorter growing seasons and colder winters. In the 9th century, Norsemen went to live in Iceland. Norway, in turn, was united with Sweden (1319) and then Denmark (1376). Naddodd called the country Snland "Snowland". 1918: On 1 December, the Kingdom of Iceland achieves sovereignty from Denmark, with King Christian X of Denmark becoming King Kristjn X of Iceland. To sustain life in Iceland, the early inhabitants needed to trade with the outside world. [18][17], The 16th century has been referred to as the "German Age" by Icelandic historians due to the prominence of German traders. This has had both incredible benefits and detriments to the Icelandic community, sparking an ever-hot debate on the preservation of nature versus the utilization of energy sources. This gave rise to feuds, which provided the writers of the sagas with plenty of material. In 1874, a thousand years after the first acknowledged settlement, Denmark granted Iceland a constitution and home rule, which again was expanded in 1904. Home rule was introduced in 1904, and in 1918 Iceland became an independent and sovereign state in personal union with Denmark. For a short time, Icelanders considered banking their new modus operandi. Thankfully, the Icelandic language is largely unchanged from Old Norse, meaning they're just as accessible today to native speakers as they were nearly 1,000 years ago. Unlike many Nordic countries, there are no indigenous people of Iceland. Little changed in the decades following the treaty. This period is referred to therefore as the jveldisld or goaveldisld (National or Chieftain State) period by Icelandic authors, and the Old Commonwealth or Freestate by English ones. This created a dramatic deficit in Iceland's trade. Only a few decades before that, it had become subject to the modernism that followed World War IIthe theaters, the restaurants, the museums, and the bars. 860 set out on a voyage from Denmark, where he had made his home, to the Hebrides, to claim some land his wife had inherited. The Norwegian king's power of Iceland increased over the course of the 13th century. In spite of this decision, the godar retained their political role, and many of them probably built their own churches. Archaeological finds also support the documentary evidence and place Iceland among Norse Viking Age settlements of the late 9th or early 10th century. [26], 1,245 Icelanders, Icelandic Americans, and Icelandic Canadians were registered as soldiers during World War I. [67] In September 2017, the 9-month-old center-right coalition of Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, leader of the Independence Party, collapsed after one party, a small centrist Bright Future, left the government. and the Greek explorer Pytheas who documented his travels. In 1949, Iceland joined as one of the founding members of NATO, while only a year before, the country had begun to receive Marshall Aid from the United States. G105 (Earth: Our Habitable Planet) Chapter 13: Evolution of Continents and Oceans", "Frskaparsetur Froya: Megindeildin fyri nttruvsindi og heilsuvsindi. During this time, Iceland remained independent, a period known as the Old Commonwealth, and Icelandic historians began to document the nation's history in books referred to as sagas of Icelanders. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by army.mil. [17][18] What drew foreigners to Iceland was primarily fishing in the fruitful waters off the coast of Iceland. Since Iceland had marginal farmland in good times, the climate change resulted in hardship for the population. However, when Olaf Tryggvason ascended the Norwegian throne in A.D. 995, he decided to focus his efforts on converting those under his rule. The Kingdom of Denmark (1814-1979) The Home Rule of Greenland (since 1979) Part of the Kingdom of Norway, from 1261 to 1814 [ edit] Greenland as an integral part of Norway under the Monarchy of Norway From the 1260s, the Norse colony on Greenland recognised the King of Norway as their overlord. Disrupting the monsoon cycles of Africa and India, the eruption caused widespread famine in Egypt (resulting in a loss of of the population). The Icelandic Web of Science 5.3.2005", Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas and Power, "The History of Iceland (Gunnar Karlsson) book review". According to the Landnmabk, the first settler in Iceland was Naddodd the Viking (c. 830 CE) who discovered Iceland when he was blown off course en route to the Faeroe Islands. King Kristjn was the first and only monarch to rule over Iceland as a sovereign country. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, he reigned from c. 872 to 930. And his two sons were subsequently beheaded in Sklholt proved to be a,. An assembly called the Althing the oldest parliament in the North to know about the constitution an... Of Norway, in turn, was United with Sweden ( 1319 ) and Denmark! [ 26 ], 1,245 Icelanders, Icelandic Americans, and many of them built! 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