The other main source, Landnmabk (The Book of Settlements), of 12th-century origin but known only in later versions, states explicitly that the first permanent settler, Inglfr Arnarson, came from Norway to Iceland to settle in the year 874. [51][52][53], During these disputes, Iceland threatened closure of the U.S. base at Keflavk, and the withdrawal of its NATO membership. Having recovered financially and outmatched the GDP of previous years, Icelands future has never looked brighter. Believed to have been born in Iceland around. Denmark was to represent its foreign affairs and defense interests. According to tradition, the First King unified the First Men under his rule and led them in their war against the Children of the Forest. [19] This period is known as the Muharindin or "Mist Hardships". In the absence of royal power in Iceland, the godar were to form the ruling class in the country. This gave rise to feuds, which provided the writers of the sagas with plenty of material. Most of the settlers came from Norway, but some came from other Nordic countries and from the Norse Viking Age settlements in the British Isles. The membership came amid an anti-NATO riot in Iceland. Feel free to leave your thoughts and queries in the Facebook comments box below. Trees that were not used for building were burnt for warmth. ", "A Theory of Shelter: Iceland's American Period (19412006)", "Small States and Shelter Theory: Iceland's External Affairs", "Former Prime Minister Dav Oddsson retires from politics", "Government set to lose majority in Iceland", "Iceland's Government Collapses Over Financial Crisis | DW Learn German", "Iceland Picks the World's First Openly Homosexual PM", "The Icesave dispute: A Case Study into the Crisis of Diplomacy during the Credit Crunch", "Iceland lost almost 5000 people in 2009", "Iceland Recession Ends as Economy Returns to Growth", "Iceland vote: Centre-right opposition wins election", "Iceland prime minister resigns; new election expected on Nov. 4", "Iceland election: centre-right parties lose majority", "Iceland's Left-Green leader Jakobsdttir becomes new PM", "Guni Th. Based on Icelandic lore, the early settlements were populations who escaped King Harald Fairhair, believed to be the first king of ancient Norway. [64], Iceland's economy stabilized under the government of Jhanna Sigurardttir, and grew by 1.6% in 2012,[65][66] but many Icelanders remained unhappy with the state of the economy and government austerity policies; the centre-right Independence Party was returned to power, in coalition with the Progressive Party, in the 2013 elections. This five-part medieval manuscript tells the story of the Norsemen discovering and settling the country in the 9th and 10th centuries. The Norwegian monarchy dates back more than one thousand years. 1,030 likes, 11 comments - World History Encyclopedia (@whencyclopedia) on Instagram: "Selja monastery has been considered one of the most sacred sites in Norway for . The British were replaced by up to 40,000 Americans, who outnumbered all adult Icelandic men. The Alingi is sometimes said to be the world's oldest existing parliament. In 1602, Iceland was forbidden to trade with countries other than Denmark, by order of the Danish government, which at this time pursued mercantilist policies. Iceland first began to form approximately 70 million years ago. In A.D. 999, after another unsuccessful conversion attempt, Olaf shut off all trade routes to Iceland, refusing the Icelandic merchant vessels entry to Norwegian ports. How do Icelanders treat the LGBTQ community? 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. Jon Sigurosson bravely led a group of Icelandic intellectuals towards an independence movement, recreating an autonomous Icelandic government. Much of the information on Inglfr comes from the Landnmabk, written some three centuries after the settlement. A system of individual transferable quotas in the Icelandic fisheries, first introduced in the late 1970s, was further developed. These plates spread at a rate of approximately 2.5 centimeters per year. Icelandic patrol ships and British trawlers clashed in all four Cod Wars. Iceland was still uninhabited long after the rest of Western Europe had been settled. Iceland had prospered during the course of the war, amassing considerable currency reserves in foreign banks. In 1991, the Independence Party, led by Dav Oddsson, formed a coalition government with the Social Democrats. Harald I, byname Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair, Norwegian Harald Hrfager, Old Norse Harald Hrfagri, (born c. 860died c. 940), the first king to claim sovereignty over all of Norway. The next decade of significant interest in Iceland is the 1980s. [11] The Landnmabk ("Book of Settlements"), written in the 1100s, mentions the presence of Irish monks, called the Papar, prior to Norse settlement and states that the monks left behind Irish books, bells, and crosiers, among other things. Its origins are thought to lie over 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) inside the Earths mantle. The United States provided extensive economic patronage, advocated on Iceland's behalf in international organizations, allowed Iceland to violate the rules of international organizations, and helped Iceland to victory in the Cod Wars. Due to a lack of timber, Icelanders held on to a tradition of building sod houses, otherwise referred to as an Icelandic turf house, a type of dwelling made by cutting two rectangles of sod, then piling them into the homes interior walls. [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. Iceland finally became a republic on June 17, 1944, when 97 percent of voting Icelanders opted in favor of independence from Denmark. They may also have been hermits. According to Landnmabk, Inglfr was followed by many more Norse chieftains, their families and slaves who settled all the habitable areas of the island in the next decades. [29], The war had a lasting impact on Icelandic society and Iceland's external relations. The lava wiped out almost all of the nations livestock, estimated at 80 percent, bringing a famine that killed up to a quarter of Icelands population. Sturla used the power and influence of the Sturlungar family clan to wage war against the other clans in Iceland. After analyzing ancient genomes of 25 individuals who lived on the island during its colonization 1,100 years ago, s cientists may now have an answer. Legend. Quintessential Icelandic streets such as Laekjargata and Laugavegur no longer resemble anything they once were. There were no Icelandic speakers among the invasion force, and many of the maps being used had been drawn from memory. In spite of this decision, the godar retained their political role, and many of them probably built their own churches. Archeological evidence suggests that early Irish monks discovered Iceland and settled here before the Norse arrived. This period of conflict is named after the Sturlungs, a powerful family in Iceland at that time. During the war, the British and Canadian troops in Iceland would eventually fall to the wayside in favor of U.S. Despite its small size, the country has many interesting characteristics. The Althing, which had been suspended in 1799, was restored in 1844, and Iceland gained sovereignty after World War I, becoming the Kingdom of Iceland on 1 December 1918. This agreement, signed on 5 May 1951, was the authority for the controversial U.S. military presence in Iceland, which remained until 2006. During the year or so he was in Iceland, he managed to convert some . [26], 1,245 Icelanders, Icelandic Americans, and Icelandic Canadians were registered as soldiers during World War I. Iceland's history has also been marked by a number of natural disasters. There was some agriculture, but grain was always imported. Iceland enjoyed a mostly uninterrupted period of growth in its commonwealth years. King of Iceland Details Style His Majesty First monarch Haakon IV Last monarch Christian X Contents1 Is there a royal [] The exact date that humans first reached the island is uncertain. The first Norseman who lived in Iceland was Flki Vilgerarson. These plates are moving apart every so slightly (0.04 inches or 1 millimeter a year) at Thingvellir National Park, the countrys only UNESCO World Heritage site. This place eventually became the capital and the largest city of modern Iceland. Viking incursions into Britain were also expelled thoroughly during this time, potentially leading to a need for peaceful settlement in other lands. Iceland then became a member of the European Economic Area in 1994. The roofing was often turf as the house was built into the hillsides, and they frequently had to be repaired due to rain damage. [17][18] What drew foreigners to Iceland was primarily fishing in the fruitful waters off the coast 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. At the time of Icelands settlement, Norse people worshipped gods whom they called sir (singular ss), and this religion left behind an extensive mythology in Icelandic literature. 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. Trade was usually undertaken on short routes to neighboring Scandinavia and Europe as Icelands merchants were primarily farmers and thus could not afford to spend too much time away from their primary source of income. However, this is merely a guess. This agreement ended the Icelandic Commonwealth, and the island became a vassal of the Kingdom of Norway. Settlements from that era have been found in southwest Greenland and eastern Canada, and sagas such as Saga of Erik the Red and Greenland saga speak of the settlers' exploits. [63], The crisis resulted in the greatest migration from Iceland since 1887, with a net exodus of 5,000 people in 2009. 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. This is just one example of the level of detail found in these medieval sources. In 1220, Snorri Sturluson became a vassal of Haakon IV of Norway; his nephew Sturla Sighvatsson also became a vassal in 1235. Iceland also traded significantly with the United Kingdom during the war, as Iceland found itself within its sphere of influence. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The government's fiscal policy was strictly Keynesian, and their aim was to create the necessary industrial infrastructure for a prosperous developed country[citation needed]. Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz. Timber was also imported; the only indigenous wood was birch. In the 13th century, a civil war known as the Age of the Sturlungs gripped Iceland. This is a list of rulers of Iceland, ruling from 1262 to 1944. Did you learn anything new? The constitution was revised in 1903, and a minister for Icelandic affairs, residing in Reykjavk, was made responsible to the Althing, the first of whom was Hannes Hafstein. Join us for a special preview screening of How to Unscrew a Planet, the episode of CNN's new Sunday primetime series The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper set to air Earth Day weekend. Iceland apparently has no prehistory. Iceland demanded Britain allow it to trade with Germany, to no avail. Following a constitutional referendum between 20 and 23 May 1944, Iceland formally became an independent republic on 17 June 1944. This revival was spearheaded by the Fjlnismenn, a group of Danish-educated Icelandic intellectuals. Irish monks inhabiting the island have either been expelled or enslaved. The coalition government remained in power through elections in 1999 and 2003. Importantly, there was no central executive power, and therefore laws were enforced only by the people. [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. Weve got you covered! Recorded settlement has conventionally been dated back to 874, although archaeological evidence indicates Gaelic monks from Ireland, known as papar according to sagas, had settled Iceland earlier. The . With the introduction of absolute monarchy in DenmarkNorway in 1660 under Frederick III of Denmark, the Icelanders relinquished their autonomy to the crown, including the right to initiate and consent to legislation. [32], Icelandic post-World War I prosperity came to an end with the outbreak of the Great Depression, a severe worldwide economic crash. Since Iceland had marginal farmland in good times, the climate change resulted in hardship for the population. The traditional explanation for the exodus from Norway is that people were fleeing the harsh rule of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair, whom medieval literary sources credit with the unification of some parts of modern Norway during this period. These were some of Icelands original inhabitants. Some Icelanders claimed descent from Cerball mac Dnlainge, King of Osraige in southeastern Ireland, at the time of the Landnmabk's creation. This magma pocket is known as the Iceland Plume. Greek and Roman literature mentions the land of Thule, and some have speculated this may have referred to Iceland. Although Iceland was neutral in the Second World War, the United Kingdom invaded and peacefully occupied it in 1940 to forestall a Nazi occupation, after Denmark was overrun by the German Wehrmacht. However, Iceland shared the Danish Monarchy until World War II. The settlers of Iceland were predominantly pagans and worshiped the Norse gods, among them Odin, Thor, Freyr, and Freyja. Before the long period of growth, Iceland would soon experience, the settlement had grown so large that a new legislative body was in order; the ruling chiefs, therefore, established the Althingi, which is believed by many to be the worlds oldest nation-wide parliament. The parliament convened each summer at ingvellir, where representative chieftains (Goorsmenn or Goar) amended laws, settled disputes and appointed juries to judge lawsuits. For example, the Icelandic flag was ratified by law in 1944. "University of Michigan Law School Faculty & Staff", Bloodtaking and Peacemaking: Feud, Law, and Society in Saga Iceland, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_Iceland&oldid=1148977914, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Articles needing additional references from July 2014, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, slenska kirkjan elstu t (The early Icelandic church) 10301152, sland undir stjrn Noregskonunga og uppgangur kennimanna (Norwegian royal rule and the rise of the clergy) 12621400, Kirkjuvald (Ecclesiastical power) 14001550, Einveldi og einokun (Absolutism and monopoly trading) 16831800, Vireisnarbartta (Campaign for restoration [of past glories]) 18011874, Colonisation and Commonwealth c. 8701262, A primitive society builds a state 18091918. [1] [2] Supposedly, two of his sons, Eric Bloodaxe and Haakon the Good, succeeded Harald to become kings after his death. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by the Royal Navy. Iceland has retained strong ties to the other Nordic countries. Even though Iceland remained under Danish rule, the Icelandic 'Althing' was restored in 1845 as a national consultative assembly, and in 1874 the country obtained a constitution giving the Althing its own legislative power. His story is also told in the ancient Landnamabok. His given name is unknown. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Oxyman. This position had left Iceland, a neutral country, in a rather precarious position. This past week, and the two prior to it, more poison fell from the sky than words can describe: ash, volcanic hairs, rain full of sulfur and saltpeter, all of it mixed with sand. England provided early Icelanders with wheat, tin, honey, and barley, while Russia and the East Baltic region offered up amber and slaves in equal measure. 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. Photo fromWikimedia,Creative Commons, by Johan Peter Raadsig. This eradicated unemployment in Iceland and raised wages considerably. Since Denmark was still occupied by Germany, many Danes felt offended that the step should have been taken at the time[citation needed]. The act would be up for revision in 1940 and could be revoked three years later if agreement was not reached. The First King was a sovereign who once reigned supreme over all First Men and led them to Westeros, according to legends from the north. The vote was 97% in favour of ending the union and 95% in favour of the new republican constitution. Growing at a rate of 4 percent per year on average, the Icelandic economy diversified its industries not to be overly reliant on fishing. Despite the incredibly beneficial economic impact, this action proved to be highly controversial to much of the Icelandic population, who continued to protest their neutrality, all the while cooperating with Allied troops. Roman currency dating to the third century has been found in Iceland, but it is unknown whether they were brought there at that time or came later with Vikings after circulating for centuries.[10]. Leif Erikson was the son of Erik the Red, founder of the first European settlement on what is now called Greenland. The governments of the 1990s and 2000s adhered to a staunch but domestically controversial pro-U.S. foreign policy, lending nominal support to the NATO action in the Kosovo War and signing up as a member of the Coalition of the willing during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Still, the last King of Iceland, Kristjn X, sent a message of congratulations to the Icelandic people. But how did Icelanders reach this unique and monumental moment in their national timeline? [17], An illicit trade continued with foreigners after the Danes implemented a trade monopoly. On May 3, the British Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Cadogan, wrote in his diary, Home 8. This vote occurred only four years after Denmark had succumbed to the invading German army. Sixty-two unarmed German sailors were also arrested after being rescued from the Bahia Blanca, a German freighter that had recently struck an iceberg in the Denmark Strait. The settlement of Iceland is thoroughly recorded in the aforementioned Landnmabk, although the book was compiled in the early 12th century when at least 200 years had passed from the age of settlement. The First Cod War (19581961) was fought over Iceland's extension from 4 to 12 nautical miles (7 to 22km). The oldest stone specimens found in Iceland date back to c.16 million years ago. Holidaymakers, business people, artists, musicians, students, job-seekersin recent decades, all types have found Iceland to be a land of plentiful opportunity. - 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? You'll be privy to the thrilling adventures, epic battles, and divine mischief that made these gods the stuff of legends. Norway's consolidation of power in Iceland was slow, and the Althing intended to hold onto its legislative and judicial power. From left, Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark; Finland president Tarja Halonen; King Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden; Queen Sonja and King Harald of Norway; and First Lady of Iceland Dorrit Mousaieff and president of Iceland . The Icelandic Web of Science 5.3.2005", Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas and Power, "The History of Iceland (Gunnar Karlsson) book review". [15], English and German merchants became more prominent in Iceland at the start of the 15th century. It does say that Iceland was fully settled within 60 years, which likely means that all arable land had been claimed by various settlers. Generally considered the first European to set foot on the North American continent, Leif got there nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus. Realizing that this place was in fact habitable, despite the horribly cold winter, and full of useful resources, Flki restocked his boat. . During this time, the population declined. Our 2-in-1 Bundle is a fantastic mix of Viking history and their mythology- a combination . 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. The formal conversion of Iceland began when King Olaf Tryggvason sent Thangbrand, a German priest, to the island. Archeological findings in Reykjavk are consistent with the date given there: there was a settlement in Reykjavk around 870. Iceland remained independent until 1262, when it entered into a treaty which established a union with the Norwegian monarchy. From Greenland, Icelanders would import walrus ivory, fur, and skins. From the time of Harald Fairhair until the present day, Norway has had more than 60 named sovereigns. "[13] These people were primarily of Norwegian, Irish, and Scottish origin. This percentage was quickly depleted by the new arrivals, who were quick to use the material for constructing ships, homes, and farmsteads. It was a sure sign of the events to come. [22][23][24], Iceland was part of neutral Denmark during the war. According to the 1951 NATO Defense Treaty, the United States is responsible for defending Iceland for an undisclosed length of time. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by USMC Archives. After deliberating for one day and one night under a fur blanket, Thorgeir finally concluded that Iceland should adopt a new faith. Did you enjoy our article on the history of Iceland? Sverrir Jakobsson. 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. Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glcksburg, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_rulers_of_Iceland&oldid=1143550538, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 March 2023, at 12:51. Is Iceland a good travel destination for queer people? Next, dive headfirst into the world of Norse mythology, where you'll get to know the likes of Odin, Thor, Freya, Loki, and more. Of Norwegian, Irish, and the Althing intended to hold onto its legislative and judicial power for... Rather precarious position the page across from the time of the 15th century island either. This eradicated unemployment in Iceland is the 1980s used for building were burnt for warmth a trade monopoly sign. Iceland first began to form approximately 70 million years ago Canadian troops in Iceland, Kristjn X, sent message... 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