Search Results: Iceland

The medieval sources on the discovery and settlement of Iceland frequently refer to the explorers as “Vikings” but, technically, they were not. The term “Viking” applies only to Scandinavian raiders, not to Scandinavians generally. Some of...

It is said that the early Norse settlers of Iceland in the Viking Age (c. 790-1100 CE) believed it was the home of the gods because of the tale of the creation of the world in Norse religion. In the time before time, the story goes, there...

The Christianization of Iceland was a smooth transition compared to other Scandinavian countries. While in Norway, Denmark, or Sweden, royal authority played a crucial role in conversion, in Iceland, it was a parliamentary decision, reached...

Early medieval Iceland, the Viking colony, was a democratic and egalitarian society, but the scarcity of resources and the rough environment created competition, where local chieftains resorted to different tactics to acquire wealth and money...

The Old Norse word saga means 'story', 'tale' or 'history' and normally refers specifically to the epic prose narratives written mainly in Iceland between the 12th- and 15th centuries CE, covering the country's history as well as Scandinavia's...

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...

Iceland's National Treasure: The Flateyjarbók A presentation of the extraordinary manuscript of Flatey, the largest Icelandic medieval manuscript, made up of no fewer than 225 vellum leaves! How it came into being, what kind of material...

Map depicting (to the best of the author's imagination following the accounts) the possible exploration journeys of three of the earliest Vikings to come to Iceland, whose stories are considered semi-legendary. According to the Landnámabók...

REMINDER: VIEW IN HIGHEST RESOLUTION FOR BEST EXPERIENCE This video was made by John McCarthy. It was created as part of a collaboration with maritime archaeologists and museums in Reykjavik, Iceland to create a virtual reality diving...

The proposed location of the Lögberg (Law Rock) at which Iceland's Althing (General Assembly, founded by the Vikings in 930 CE) would have met until 1262 CE when Iceland was brought under Norwegian rule. It lies in Thingvellir which is now...