Iceland Flashcards
What does Islendingabok not mention regarding the identity of the first icelandic settlers
Ari doesn’t mention that many men sailed from the Norse settlements in the British Isles and brought celtic slaves with them
Genetic data on Icelandic men’s mitochondrial DNA suggests 61.5% of Iceland’s early female population were of British ethnicity, whereas 80% of the male settlers were Scandinavian.
Islendingabok doesn’t mention this at all, as he wants to stress the noble origins of Iceland as opposed to the full story
Who was the colonisation led by?
The colonisation was led by well-to-do chieftains and farmers from Norway and the British isles
Why did people move to Iceland?
The Norse colonisation of Iceland was an extension of the Viking settlement in the Faeroes and the British Isles; Orkney turned out to be such a successful settlement that it was natural for people to continue to search for a better life.
They weren’t so much pushed out by unfavourable circumstances; they were pulled by the prospect of a better life
How does Landnamabok tell us Iceland was colonised
. Norwegian named Naddodd is driven off course when sailing to the Faeroes
. Then a Swede named Garthar sets off to find the island mentioned by Naddodd; he does and winters there
. Norwegian named Floki tries to live there, but loses his livestock
. Then eventually settlement succeeds
What are the issues with Landnamabok’s account of the colonisation?
. It uses typological history and reflects the bible
. For example, first settlers are brothers named Ingolf and Hjorlief, who are opposites in every way– the account is too balanced, perhaps compiler thought this would make it seem more legit?
Who does Ari say was the first settler?
Ingolf Arnarson
Arrived in Iceland c.873 with family and some dependants and settled in Rejkjavik area; archaeology confirms this was one of the earliest settlements
Why did Ingolf settle in the Reykjavik area
. Walruses
. Little bays were suitable for sheep grazing
What are some ecological issues with Iceland’s climate/ environment?
. The central plateau is an inhospitable volcanic desert.
. Distinct lack of trees — meant Icelanders were dependant on others for wood and transportation and meant their houses were made mostly of turf unlike elsewhere in Scandinavia
When did the ‘period of settlement’ last from?
c.870–c.930
What was the ‘second phase’ of settlement?
When the land of lesser quality was divided and sold to the second generation of immigrants or settlers
How were Icelandic farms organised?
Tended to be two or three households– due to the perceived need to utilise as many resources as possible
—Their economic base was wide and varied
In reality, how egalitarian was early Iceland?
It was a land of several hundred powerful farmers, each in control of a considerable number of people on his own estate who were bound to him through ties of estate ownership
What is the romantic stereotype of Iceland?
The romantic, nationalist stereotype of Iceland is that it was a land of independent farmers with equal status
And that commonwealth iceland was very democratic for its time, but modern scholarship varies widely on this.
Main reason (probably) why no king ever emerged in Iceland
Because everyone knew that nobody was of royal blood and had any claim to kingship.
What was the result of Iceland not having a king?
Meant it was decentralised and without a head
This resulted in a degree of fluidity of custom and tradition
List 4 things in which power came from in Iceland
Owning land
Being wealthy
Having the control of natural resources
The ability to gather and maintain supporters
3 points about Iceland’s relationship with Norway
. King Harald Fairhair imposed a tax on people voyaging to Iceland, although this is not described as unreasonable
. In 1030, Icelanders were negotiating with Olaf Haraldsson about their rights in Norway and the rights of Norwegians in Iceland
. There was also a certain economic dependance on Norwegian merchants for things, such as timber
Why did the first wave of settlers have such a strong advantage over the second wave of settlers?
They had the best land and the largest estates
They also had a clear social advantage because transactions were not neutral so the buyer of the land became in a position of obligation to the seller who had done them a favour by selling to them.
What do the graves from the early period of settlement suggest
They suggest the settlers suffered from general material poverty— there are no signs of political or economic power being expressed in terms of rich or visible burials.
We can presume that there WERE rich individuals, but that in the early period items were needed more in life than in death.
Compared to Norway, how was early Iceland as a society
The Icelanders were very much the poor cousins of Norway; the new society was operating on a lower technological level because it lacked specialised skills and material symbols of power.
What was Iceland’s social system during the settlement period based on
It was based on the fact that the first arrivals took the best land and had time to build up their herds and settle their land with dependants
THIS PUT THEM IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY AND POLITICAL POWER
How did the first settlers defend the land they had acquired
they defended their position by surrounding the area around them with their dependents and so they brought newcomers to settle on the marginal bits of their own land.
Instead of a king, what did the Icelanders bring with them
They recreated the system of assemblies (thing)
They had to work out a new system which suited their mixed background and new circumstances
what were things
gatherings of local high freemen, presided over by local chieftains
What are the 3 contemporary sources for the Icelandic commonwealth
Adam of Bremen
Skaldic poetry
Islendingabok
Sources for the Icelandic commonwealth that were written after 1150
Gragas (Grey Goose)
Landnamabok
The Icelandic sagas about the king of Norway
‘Sagas of the Icelanders’ (family sagas)
What sources do we not have for the icelandic commonwealth
Rune stones or coins
How should we understand the chieftains of Iceland
The icelandic settlements were run by goðar from the beginning— It is likely they arrived as leaders of ships or crew and claimed possession of vast areas of areas = social status
They were either the lords of men or of land, but it is likely that they had nuclear territories which might include their own estate and dependant farmsteads, who probably could not freely decide to follow some other chieftain
How many goðar were there
May have been as many as around 50/60 of them
What did a chieftaincy entitle you to?
entitled you to a seat on the Lögretta
How did the position of goðar change over time and why?
It changed from being something that was inherent within a family to something external which could be sold or shared by two people at once (although it could still pass form father to son)
Not only did Icelanders not want a king, they also did not want a hereditary aristocracy
Why were the icelandic chieftains called Goðar
‘goði’ is related to ON word for god (goð) so many scholars have assumed that the term originated from the role of cultic leader.
Conversely, others argue that it is difficult to see a link between what became a judicial and legal post, and the role of a cultic leader or priest
Argument for why ‘goði’ did not originate from cultic leader
point to the fact that Christianity was accepted c.1000 and argue that their dominating position would not have survived the introduction of christianity, if their power base was the pagan religion
Argument for why ‘goði’ could have continued after the introduction of Christianity
Who would have replaced the goði after the introduction of Christianity?
They could have accepted Christianity and then taken advantage of the new situation
the role of goði and what this tells us about what it was
The Icelandic members of high society/ aristocrats had no military functions and (considering the fact that assemblies did not form right away) the only role left for the chieftain, which was still relevant, was the role of cultic leader
— This is why the term ‘goði’ is appropriate
How/ when did things start?
they would have known about them from their homeland
the meetings supposedly started c.900 and could be convened by the mutual agreement of neighbouring leaders and farmers (who owned land)
What does the organisation of the Althing reflect
The organisation of the all thing reflects the need for peace and order in a land where no individual family had sufficient resources to control the whole of iceland
Basic details about the founding of the althing
A meeting of greater scope was needed than what was happening originally
SO in 930 a public assembly for the whole of iceland at thingvellir in the south west interior was established
it required men from all over the country to agree to set at a specific time each year
Why did people originally attend the althing
because not to do so would have meant being left out of the political game, as it continued to grow in importance men could not afford to miss a meeting as otherwise their interests and their people’s interests would not be represented and they would lose out
The makeup reflected the geopolitical landscape; no chieftain could afford not to participate
What was the relationship between chieftains and their farmers
The farmers were required to chose a chieftain to support and to take turns accompanying him to the law council
— They were called thingmenn
In theory, what were thingmenn allowed to do and what was the effect of this
In theory thingmenn were free to challenge their alligence
This meant that power in Iceland was more contingent upon the individual characteristics of a leader than elsewhere in the viking world
What does the location of the Althing suggest?
it is in a convenient location for 3 of the quarters, in particular for the men Kjrlarnes (who were descendants of Inglof Arnasson) and were allied with some of the descendants of Bjorn Buna (another early settler)
—Perhaps this was an opportunistic move on their part
What do the sagas show regarding the Althing
that the laws of the althing were often ignored.
people had to protect themselves and held primary responsibility for asserting their own rights and exacting their own grievances
What were the icelanders not interested in
The icelanders do not appear to have been interested in abstract notions of justice; a man should be able to protect his rights by any method he can get away with
Why were networks of alliances and support so essential in Iceland
Because nobody in that society could easily survive on their own
Networks of mutually beneficial relationships were important, and indeed Icelandic society was made up of these overlapping relationships
What happened in 965
the icelanders came up with the system of dividing the country into 4 quarters, with each quarter then divided into a further 3 (or in the north, 4) areas which would hold an annual spring assembly
How many chieftains were there
39 in total and they formed the lögretta at the althing
What was the lögretta and what wasn’t it?
The law council was not a central governing body but ,pre came up with and oversaw the courts
What does Byock believe regarding the level of democracy in the Icelandic system
Byock believes that it was a ‘proto-democracy’ as the immigrants lost a high social elite as a class, and that political hierarchy was limited
What does Ori Vesteinsson believe regarding the level of democracy in the Icelandic system
Vesteinsson argues that commonwealth society was very unequal and politically powerless householders were exploited by their economically (in terms of land and animals) and politically dominant chieftains.
He highlights that Iceland was a slave society and after all, slaves had almost no rights, and farm labourers and women had very few
ONLY who could participate at the allthing
Only framers who possessed a certain amount of property could participate in the all thing
In 1100 that probably amounted to about 4,500 men out of a population of around 60,000
Overview of the reasons why Iceland converted to christianity
. Friendly and peaceful relations with Norway were important- ECONOMIC
. Chieftains wanted more power- POLITICAL
. Reduced the risk of military enforced conversion by Norway
Who was the first native Icelandic bishop? and few facts
. Called Islief
. Bishop from 1056-1080
. He was from the Haukdælir family, who were powerful in southwestern Iceland.
Who was the second native bishop of Iceland/ who succeeded Isleif?
Islief was succeeded by his son Gizur
Gizur was bishop from 1082-1118
. Gizur made his farm at Skaholt into a permanent bishops seat.
Discuss the selection of Icelandic bishops
For a long time the election of bishops was controlled by the Haukdælir family or their allies, the Oddaverjar.
These two families thus dominated secular and ecclesiastic politics in Iceland.
When did secular writing begin?
Began in 1117 when at Breìthabólstathir the Icelanders decided to record their law in writing
How powerful was the early Icelandic church? (statement)
The icelandic church began by being subordinate to the temporal powers and not an independent state within a state , as in other countries
How did the chieftains contribute to the growth of Christianity?
The chieftains and wealthy farmers built churches on their farms and were responsible for the upkeep and for the provision of the priest, but they did receive half of the tithes.
The chieftains send their own boys abroad to be educated and then gain preferment within the church back home,
—-thus the strengthening of the church strengthened the chieftain’s authority
Why would it have taken so long for christianity to be established properly
Because christianity requires a huge amount of infrastructure which takes time to establish
It would have taken years for there to be enough priests for the entire country
It was a mediterranean religion in the far north
What do we see in the transition period between paganism and Christianity
It would have taken years for there to be enough priests for the entire country and so in the intermediate time we see a blended form of Christianity and paganism, as evidenced by symbolic amulets.
Sacrifices also continued in secret; this highlights the challenge of conversion
Why did the chieftains adopt chrisitanity (political reasoning behind the conversion)
They would have been aware of the increased power of kings and aristocrats in Europe through their role in establishing Christianity; the chieftains therefore adopted christianity in a way that would increase their power and influence.
What were the economic reasons behind Iceland becoming christian
Friendly and peaceful relations with Norway were important to the Icelanders- they were dependent upon the Norwegians for timber, iron and transport ect.
Because of this dependence, they probably felt that they could not continue to stay pagan when Norway became christian under the rule of Olaf Tryggvarson.
When do we consider the first stage of icelandic political development to be?
930- c.1050
