The First Explorers/Settlers

Irish monks

Medieval monk

The first written source to mention the existence of the Iceland is a book by the Irish monk Dicuil, De mensura orbis terrae, which dates back to 825. Dicuilus claimed to have met some Irish monks who had lived on the island of Thule, where they said that darkness reigned during winter but summers bright enough to pick lice from one's clothing. While the veracity of this source may be questioned, there is little doubt that the inhabitants of the British Isles were aware of a sizeable land mass far up north -- they may have deduced this from the flight patterns of migrating birds or the cloud formations over Vatnajökull, which can be seen from great distances. The Íslendingabók of Ari Thorgilsson claims that the Norse settlers encountered Irish monks -- the Papar -- when they first arrived in Iceland. The oldest known source which mentions the name "Iceland" is an 11th century Gothic rune carving, while the oldest archeological finds indicating settlement date back to the 9th century. Dicuil was an Irish monk and geographer, born in the second half of the 8th century; date of death unknown. ... Thule as Tile on the Carta Marina by Olaus Magnus. ... The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland (usually) and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ... Vatnajökull, Iceland Vatnajökull (IPA: [ˈvahdÌ¥naËŒjøœːg̊ʏdÌ¥l]) is the largest glacier in Iceland. ... Íslendingabók, Libellus Islandorum or The Book of Icelanders is an historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. ... The Papar (from Irish pap, father) were, according to early Icelandic sources some Irish monks that inhabited Iceland and left after the arrival of the Vikings. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... Invasion of the Goths: a late 19th century painting by O. Fritsche portrays the Goths as cavalrymen. ... A rune can mean a single character in the Runic alphabet as well as an inscription of several runic charcters or symbols. ... As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ...

The settlement of Iceland began in the second half of the 9th century AD, when Norse settlers migrated across the North Atlantic. Their reasons for migrating may be traced to a shortage of arable land in Scandinavia, and civil strife brought about by the ambitions of the Norse king Harald the Fair-haired. Unlike the British Isles, Iceland was unsettled land, and could be claimed without warring on the inhabitants, as the Danes did when they established the Danelaw. As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ... Norse is related to Scandinavia, and may mean: Ancient Norse mythology Medieval Norsemen, i. ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe named after the Scandinavian Peninsula. ... Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair (Old Norse:Haraldr hinn hárfagri, Icelandic:Haraldur hinn hárfagri, Norwegian:Harald Hårfagre) (c. ... The British Isles consist of Great Britain, Ireland (usually) and a number of much smaller surrounding islands. ... Green: Danelaw The Danelaw (from the Old English Dena lagu) is an 11th century name for an area of northern and eastern England under the administrative control of the Vikings (or Danes, or Norsemen) from the late 9th century. ...

Historians typically refer to the year 874 as the first year of settlement, and the Icelandic Age of Settlement is to considered to last from 874 to 930, when most of the Island had been claimed and Alþingi, the assembly of the Icelandic Commonwealth, was founded in Þingvellir. Almost everything we know about these first settlers comes from Íslendingabók by Ari Thorgilsson, and Landnámabók, two historical records preserved in skin manuscripts. Landnámabók lists 435 men as the initial settlers, the majority of them settling in the northern and south-western parts of the island. Events March 13 - The bones of Saint Nicephorus are interred in the Church of the Apostles, Constantinople. ... Events March 13 - The bones of Saint Nicephorus are interred in the Church of the Apostles, Constantinople. ... Events With the establishment of the Icelandic Althing, now the worlds oldest parliament, the Icelandic Commonwealth is founded. ... The Althing (Modern Icelandic Alþingi; Old Norse Alþing) is the national parliament: literally, the all-thing (or General Assembly) of Iceland. ... The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Icelandic: Þjóðveldisöld) was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in 930 and the pledge of fealty to the Norwegian king in 1262. ... Þingvellir in autumn Þingvellir (Icelandic Þing: parliament, vellir: plains) is a place in the southwest of Iceland near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. ... Íslendingabók, Libellus Islandorum or The Book of Icelanders is an historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. ... Landnámabók (the book of settlement), is one of the strangest of the works of Icelandic literature. ... Landnámabók (the book of settlement), is one of the strangest of the works of Icelandic literature. ...

Naddoddr and Garðar

The Landnámabók claims that the first Norseman to rest his feet on Icelandic soil was a viking by the name of Naddoddr. Naddoddr stayed for only a short period of time, but gave the country a name: Snæland (Land of Snow). He was followed by the Swede Garðar Svavarsson, who was the first to stay over winter. At some time around 860 A.D., a storm pushed his ship far to the north until he reached the eastern coast of Iceland. Garðar approached the island from the east, sailed westward along the coast and then up north, building a house in Húsavík. He completed a full circle, circumnavigating the island and establishing that the landmass was in question was indeed an island. He departed the following summer, never to return, but not before giving the island a new name -- Garðarshólmur (literally, Garðar's Island). One of his men, Náttfari, decided to stay behind along with two slaves. Náttfari settled in what is now known as Náttfaravík close to Skjálfandi. Landnámabók, however, maintains that Náttfari was not a permanent settler. Landnámabók (the book of settlement), is one of the strangest of the works of Icelandic literature. ... The term Viking is used to denote the ship-borne explorers, traders and warriors who originated in Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden and raided the coasts of the British Isles, France and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century. ... Naddoddr (Icelandic: Naddoður) was a Viking credited with the discovery of Iceland. ... Gardar Svavarsson was a Swedish Viking who was the first Scandinavian to live in Iceland, although only for one winter. ... Events First attack on Constantinople by Swedish Vikings (the Rus, see Varangians). ... Disambiguation, see also Húsavík, Faroe Islands Location in Iceland County Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla Constituency Northeast Area 270 km² ( 104. ... Náttfari (nightwalker) escaped from Gardar Svavarson (800 A.D.) with a slave and a woman when Gardar Svavarson set sail to Norway from his new found land which he named Gardarsholmur, now known as Iceland. ... Skjálfandi, geologically more a bay than a fjord, is located in the North of Iceland. ... Landnámabók (the book of settlement), is one of the strangest of the works of Icelandic literature. ...

Raven-Floki

"There was a man by the name Flóki Vilgerðarson. He was a great viking. He left to find Garðarshólmur" -- Landnámabók Landnámabók (the book of settlement), is one of the strangest of the works of Icelandic literature. ...

The second Norseman to arrive in Iceland was named Flóki Vilgerðarson, but the precise year of his arrival is not clear. According to the story told in Landnámabók, he took three ravens to help him find his way. Thus, he was nicknamed Raven-Floki (Icelandic: Hrafna-Flóki). Flóki set his ravens free near the Faroe Islands. The first raven flew back on board. The second flew up in the air and then returned to the ship. However, the third flew in front of the ship and they followed its direction to Iceland. Flóki Vilgerðarson (Floki Vilgerdarson) was amongst the first Norsemen to find Iceland. ... Landnámabók (the book of settlement), is one of the strangest of the works of Icelandic literature. ...

He landed in Vatnsfjörður in the Westfjords after passing what is now Reykjavík. One of his men, Faxi, remarked that they seemed to have found great land -- the bay facing Reykjavík is therefore known as Faxaflói. A harsh winter caused all of Flóki's cattle to die -- he cursed this cold country, and when he spotted a drift ice in the fjord he decided to name it "Ísland" (Iceland). Despite difficulties in finding food, he and his men stayed another year, this time in Borgarfjörður, but they finally headed back to Norway the following summer. Flóki would return much later and settle in what is now known as Flókadalur. The Westfjords in Iceland. ... Location Location in Iceland Government Constituency Reykjavík North Reykjavík South Geographical characteristics Area  - City 274. ... Faxaflói is a bay in Southwest-Iceland between the peninsulas of Snæfellsnes and Reykjanes. ... Borgarfjörður, a fjord in the west of Iceland near Borgarnes seems to be rather innocent. ...

A map indicating the travels of the first explorers around Iceland in the 9th century AD

As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ...

Ingólfur Arnarson

"There was a man of the North, Ingólfr, who is truly said to be the first leave it for Iceland, in the time when Haraldr the Fair-Haired was sixteen winters of age [...], he settled south in Reykjavík" -- Íslendingabók statue of Ingólfur Arnarson by Einar Jónsson Ingólfur Arnarson is recognized as the first permanent Nordic settler of Iceland. ... Íslendingabók, Libellus Islandorum or The Book of Icelanders is an historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. ...

Another Norseman, by the name of Ingólfur Arnarson, had instigated a blood feud in his homeland, Norway. He and his foster-brother Hjörleifur first went on an exploratory expedition to Iceland, and stayed over winter in what is now Álftafjörður. A few years later, they returned to settle the land with their men. When they approached the island, Ingólfur cast his high seat pillars overboard and swore that he would settle where they drifted to shore. He then sent his slaves Vífill and Karli to search for the pillars. They found his foster-brother Hjörleifur murdered, and all his men gone. Ingólfur gave his foster-brother a heathen funeral in the Norse style and slew the murderers, who had fled to the Westman Islands. statue of Ingólfur Arnarson by Einar Jónsson Ingólfur Arnarson is recognized as the first permanent Nordic settler of Iceland. ... Norse is related to Scandinavia, and may mean: Ancient Norse mythology Medieval Norsemen, i. ...

As winter approached, Ingólfur slaves found the pillars by Arnarhvol. When summer came, he built a farmstead in Reykjavík and claimed all the land west of the rivers of Ölfusá, Öxará and Brynjudalsá. His slave Karli did not care for the location, and said to Ingólfur: "How ill that we should pass good land, to settle in this remote peninsula". Location Location in Iceland Government Constituency Reykjavík North Reykjavík South Geographical characteristics Area  - City 274. ... The Öxará (Icelandic: axe) is a river in Iceland in Þingvellir National Park. ...

The Age of Settlement Begins

The Age of Settlement in Iceland is considered to have begun with Ingólfur's settlement, for he was the first to sail to Iceland in the express purpose of settling the land.

See also

• Icelandic History Timeline

References Árni Daníel Júlíusson, Jón Ólafur Ísberg, Helgi Skúli Kjartansson Almenna bókafélagið, Reykjavík 1989 Categories: ...

References

• Árni Daníel Júlíusson, Jón Ólafur Ísberg, Helgi Skúli Kjartansson Íslenskur sögu atlas: 1. bindi: Frá öndverðu til 18. aldar Almenna bókafélagið, Reykjavík 1989