The history of Iceland is rich with legend and lore, ranging from the first settlement that was established here over a thousand years ago to the prosperous, liberal, and modern Scandinavian nation that it is today. Irish monks inhabiting the island have either been expelled or enslaved. Within a century, it's thought that Iceland was entirely deforested. Flki settled for one winter at Barastrnd. In 930, the ruling chiefs established an assembly called the Alingi (Althing). Iceland joined the European Economic Area in 1994, thus strengthening its position on the international financiers stage. On the first day of the Parliamentary session in 1914, July 1, Prime Minister Hannes Hafstein explained developments in the flag issue and distributed the flag committee's report. Thor seems to have been the most popular of the pagan gods in Iceland, although Odin is thought to have been the highest in rank. Believed to have been born in Iceland around. [4] the Azores (on the same ridge) about 8 million years,[5] and Hawaii less than a million years. However abundant driftwood may have been, it could not satisfy the needs of the whole population. [68] However, the ruling centre-right parties lost their majority after a tight 2017 election. Thanks to a healthy economy and the islands natural resources, Icelanders are looking forward to a bright and beautiful 21st century. To avoid a civil war in Iceland, the pagan lawspeaker Thorgeir Thorkelsson was elected to decide whether Iceland should become a Christian country. Ten men were taken as prisoners of war by the Germans. [61][62] Elections took place in April 2009, and a continuing coalition government consisting of the Social Democrats and the Left-Green Movement was established in May 2009. Tourism has been the saving grace of the Icelandic economy, which was in freefall during the 2008-2011 banking crisis. 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. After all, the Icelanders had no standing army, and there would likely be only a handful of German resistors. In October 1946, the Icelandic and United States governments agreed to terminate U.S. responsibility for the defense of Iceland, but the United States retained certain rights at Keflavk, such as the right to re-establish a military presence there, should war threaten. The Icelandic language testifies to the same origin; Icelandic is a Nordic language and is most closely related to the dialects of western Norway. 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. This assembly consisted of a law council (lgrtta), in which the godar made and amended the laws, and a system of courts of justice, in which householders, nominated by the godar, acted on the panels of judges. On May 3, the British Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Cadogan, wrote in his diary, Home 8. Iceland demanded Britain allow it to trade with Germany, to no avail. During this time, the population declined. He discovered that the country was an island and called it Gararshlmi "Garar's Islet" and stayed for the winter at Hsavk. Denmark was still occupied by Germany at the time. What is Guide to Iceland? During the year or so he was in Iceland, he managed to convert some . Swedish sailor Garar Svavarsson also accidentally drifted to the coast of Iceland. Dined and worked. Widespread protests in late 2008 and early 2009 resulted in the resignation of the Haarde government,[60] which was replaced on 1 February 2009 by a coalition government led by the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement. Iceland remained under Norwegian kingship until 1380, when the death of Olaf II of Denmark extinguished the Norwegian male royal line. (Anne-Sophie Ofrim / Public Domain ) The vast armies clashed in a great naval battle in the fjord that was part of Rogaland. Early Medieval Icelandic Government, or Viking Iceland, has been termed an incipient form of democracy or democratic parliamentarism, however, the system was actually nothing like its European counterparts, be they medieval or contemporary. 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. [3] This elevated portion of the ridge is known as the Reykjanes Ridge. From the time of Harald Fairhair until the present day, Norway has had more than 60 named sovereigns. In the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, the island of Surtsey was created from 1963 to 1967 due to underwater volcanic eruptions. The eruption had widespread consequences outside of Iceland; its influence reached such far-flung corners as North America, the Sahel of Africa, and Europe. [14], The period also saw the staaml, two major disputes over whether secular aristocrats should benefit from the tithes of proprietary churches they had founded. As luck would have it, the worlds eyes were already on Iceland, particularly the dark and spewing ash cloud permeating from it. Gissur Thorvaldsson, himself a chieftain and one of the former opponents of Sturla, was made a chief by the Norwegian king. Dav Oddsson was Icelands longest-serving Prime Minister and held the job from 1991 until 2004. As with most significant changes, it took some time to acclimate, but the economy began to grow again strongly and swiftly after a brief recession. 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. 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. Aside from the prevailing hunger, many would die from extreme heat or the toxic gas that filled the air. At some point in the war, he was killed and buried in the North. All the earth's plants burned, withered and turned grey, one after another, as the fire increased and neared the settlements.". [20] Iceland established its own flag. By the end of the 10th century, the Norwegians were forced by their king, Olaf I Tryggvason, to accept Christianity. [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. [43] Iceland became an independent republic on 17 June 1944, with Sveinn Bjrnsson as its first president. Iceland was settled in the late 9th and early 10th centuries, principally by people of Norwegian and other Scandinavian origin. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The English Dane: From King of Iceland to Tasmanian Convict: A S at the best online prices at eBay! Following the Second World War, Iceland was a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and joined the United Nations one year after its establishment. It was a sure sign of the events to come. It is recognized, however, that Inglfr Arnarson may not have been the first one to settle permanently in Icelandthat may have been Nttfari, one of Garar Svavarsson's men who stayed behind when Garar returned to Scandinavia. Later the Icelanders began to write sagas, which were to reach their pinnacle of literary achievement in the next century. An all-party government was formed, and Lufthansa's request for civilian airplane landing rights was rejected. Shall probably be too late! Find out everything you need to know about the. According to this account, the previous inhabitants, a few Irish monks known as the Papar, left the island since they did not want to live with pagan Norsemen. They're also referred to in the Islendingabok (Book of the Icelanders) by Ari Thorgilsson as wandering Christians who departed the island because of their dislike for the northern heathens. Both examples seem to insinuate that the Papar had set up and abandoned residency before the official Settlement Age. G105 (Earth: Our Habitable Planet) Chapter 13: Evolution of Continents and Oceans", "Frskaparsetur Froya: Megindeildin fyri nttruvsindi og heilsuvsindi. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by the Royal Navy. Following a constitutional referendum between 20 and 23 May 1944, Iceland formally became an independent republic on 17 June 1944. This magma pocket is known as the Iceland Plume. You'll be privy to the thrilling adventures, epic battles, and divine mischief that made these gods the stuff of legends. The volcanic activity is attributed to a hotspot, the Iceland hotspot, which in turn lies over a mantle plume (the Iceland Plume) anomalously hot rock in the Earth's mantle which is likely to be partly responsible for the island's creation and continued existence. His given name is unknown. Some of the Irish and Scots were slaves and servants of the Norse chiefs, according to the sagas of Icelanders, the Landnmabk, and other documents. According to this contract, the Americans would leave Iceland following the end of World War II, transferring control of Keflavik Airport in the process. His story is also told in the ancient Landnamabok. What once resembled an overgrown Scandinavian village has given way to the hurried construction of luxury hotels, visitor centers, and tourist stops. Icelands position in the middle of the Mid-Atlantic Rift makes it a hotbed for geothermal activity. 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. [17], An illicit trade continued with foreigners after the Danes implemented a trade monopoly. This should come as little surprise; after all, Icelandic society might be moving rapidly, but the countrys strategic positioning above the Atlantic is as important today as it ever has been. Archeological evidence strongly suggests that the timing is roughly accurate; "that the whole country was occupied within a couple of decades towards the end of the 9th century. It is also believed that the western fjords of Norway were simply overcrowded in this period. On May 6, British prime minister Winston Churchill made a case to the war cabinet that building military bases in Iceland was essential in preemptively denying the country to Axis forces. 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. He was re-elected with an overwhelming majority of the vote in the 2020 presidential election. There is some literary evidence that monks from a Hiberno-Scottish mission may have settled in Iceland before the arrival of the Norsemen. 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. According to tradition the first Viking to discover Iceland was a man named Naddoddur who got lost while on his way to the Faeroe Islands. Still, the last King of Iceland, Kristjn X, sent a message of congratulations to the Icelandic people. While Iceland was abundant with specific resources such as poultry, cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, and fish, the people still lacked many of lifes essentials and luxuries. In contrast to the northern legend of the First King, some legends from the Reach claim that Garth . Since Iceland had marginal farmland in good times, the climate change resulted in hardship for the population. 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. 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. In 1220, Snorri Sturluson became a vassal of Haakon IV of Norway; his nephew Sturla Sighvatsson also became a vassal in 1235. [15] Some historians refer to the 15th century as the "English Age" in Iceland's history, due to the prominence of English traders and fishing fleets. The first Norseman who deliberately sailed to Gararshlmi was Hrafna-Flki Vilgerarson. The oldest stone specimens found in Iceland date back to c.16 million years ago. Our 2-in-1 Bundle is a fantastic mix of Viking history and their mythology- a combination . 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. Throughout the 19th century, the country's climate continued to grow worse, resulting in mass emigration to the New World, particularly Manitoba in Canada. 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