Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fices, particularly that of
járl
(earl), an honour that fell to the ruthless Gissur Þorvaldsson,
who in 1241 murdered Snorri Sturluson, Iceland's best-known historian and writer.
Meanwhile, the volcano Hekla erupted three times, covering a third of the country in
ash; a mini-ice age followed, and severe winters wiped out livestock and crops. The Black
Death arrived, killing half the population, and the once indomitable spirit of the people
seemed broken.
The Complete Sagas of Icelanders,
edited by Viðar Hreinsson, is a must for saga fiends.
It's a summary translation of saga tales, featuring all the main yarns, along with a few
shorter fantasy tales.
Enter the Danes
Iceland's fate was now in the hands of the highest Norwegian bidder, who could lease the
governorship of the country on a three-year basis. In 1397 the Kalmar Union of Norway,
Sweden and Denmark brought Iceland under Danish rule. After disputes between church
and state, the Danish government seized church property and imposed Lutheranism in the
Reformation of 1550. When the stubborn Catholic bishop of Hólar, Jón Arason, resisted
and gained a following, he and his two sons were taken to Skálholt and beheaded.
In 1602 the Danish king imposed a crippling trade monopoly whereby Swedish and
Danish firms were given exclusive trading rights in Iceland for 12-year periods. This resul-
ted in large-scale extortion, importation of spoilt or inferior goods, and yet more suffering
that would last another 250 years. However, one positive eventually came from the mono-
poly. In an attempt to bypass the embargo and boost local industry, powerful town magis-
trate Skúli Magnússon built weaving, tanning and wool-dyeing factories - the foundations
of the modern city of Reykjavík.
Iceland Saga,
by Magnús Magnússon, offers an entertaining introduction to Icelandic his-
tory and literature, and explains numerous saga events and settings.
Even More Misery
Talk about getting kicked while you're down! As if impoverishment at the hands of Dan-
ish overlords was not enough, Barbary pirates got in on the action, raiding the Eastfjords
