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Iceland was the last country in Europe to be settled upon
in the 9th Century, and its history is relatively short but
diverse and dominated by one fierce race - the Vikings.
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Travelling through the night on a dragon ship
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Who were the Vikings?
The Vikings were a tiny proportion of Norsemen from
Scandinavia. They were a technologically advanced race
whose long boats - also known as “dragon ships”
by their victims - were so advanced in craftmanship that when
combined with their bravery and stealth, they were able to
capture islands through force and cunning. The first Vikings
were farmers who cherished their freedom and good friendship.
But their good nature could easily turn, and Vikings were
fierce when they went into battle using a special technique
of going into a pre-battle rage beforehand.
Discovering Iceland
The climate was right for Viking exploration, as a softening
of the harsh arctic climate made inhabiting the colder regions
further north possible. Legend says that Iceland’s first
visitors were Vikings Ingolf and his foster brother
Hjorleif. They came to Iceland because they had heard
about it from people who were lost at sea. The settlement
of Iceland began around 870 AD with Viking settlers travelling
from West Norway and some from the British Isles. They then
moved on to form settlements in Greenland and later Newfoundland
in America.
Viking politics
After only 50 years of Viking settlement, a national assembly,
the Althing, was established in Tingvellir. With no
monarch or ruler this was a unique governing structure of
the Middle Ages and the oldest parliament in Europe. Meeting
only two weeks every summer, the assembly, comprised of both
men and women from all around Iceland, passed new laws and
settled disputes. The Althing held no power to implement punishment
or change, this was left up to the individual, and individual’s
obligation to society is a main theme of the Sagas.
The sagas
The Viking Saga stories originate from the tension between
the old and new societies of Iceland. Due to the small population,
most Icelanders can trace their lineage back to characters
from the Sagas. You can feel the Viking influence in Iceland,
like the importance held in people carrying the names of their
fathers and grandfathers and the meaning of these names, for
example those called Thurston are supposed to be brave.
The women of the sagas are like the women of Greek Tragedy,
full of power and heroic values, truly modern feminists. The
depiction of women in the sagas is so powerful many scholars
believe the texts to be the work of a woman.
The two main literary sagas are the “Book of Icelanders”
by Ari Thrhilsson The Wise - written in the 10th century
it tells of Iceland’s first 250 years - and the “Book
of Settlement” tells of Iceland's original settlers.
Decline of the Vikings
During a little recorded “mini ice age” which was
experienced throughout Europe during the 2nd millenium, the
population of Iceland shrunk to a tiny 38,00 by the 18th century.
Harvests were poor, glacier activity grew and subsequent floodings
forced the Icelanders turned to the seas to harvest their
food and trade. By the 18th century the situation was becoming
impossible, with the further failure of the fishing industry
and the milder climate began to encroach back into the harsher
climate prior to the Vikings arrival. In Greenland, the new
settlers could not survive or adapt to the harsh cold, and
the race died out there by the 15th century.
Vikings revisited
In 1997, a crew captained by legendary Viking Leif Ericsson’s
great (times 33) grandson set sail to try and replicate the
original Viking voyage from Greenland to Newfoundland in America,
which took place some 500 years before the arrival of Christopher
Columbus. Travelling in a replica of the original wooden ship
called a knarr, they attempted to follow traditional
Viking navigation using the stars and replicating many of
the original conditions. Sadly, their mission failed miserably,
proving that the Vikings missions were a miracle of skill
and determination rarely encountered in this world. |
