Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Norse
At the time of the Settlement Era, Iceland's religion was Ásatrú, which means 'faith in the
Aesir' (the old Norse gods). Óðinn, Þór (Thor) and Freyr were the major trinity wor-
shipped across Scandinavia. Óðinn, their chief, is the god of war and poetry, a brooding
and intimidating presence. In Iceland most people were devoted to Þór (Icelandic names
such as Þórir, Þórdís and Þóra are still very popular). This burly, red-haired god of the
common people controlled thunder, wind, storm and natural disaster, and was a vital deity
for farmers and fishermen to have on their side. Freyr and his twin sister Freyja represent
fertility and sexuality. Freyr brought springtime, with its romantic implications, to both the
human and the animal world, and was in charge of the perpetuation of all species.
Icelanders peacefully converted to Christianity more than a thousand years ago, but the
old gods linger on. The Ásatrú religion evolved in the 1970s, almost simultaneously in Ice-
land, the US and the UK. Whereas membership of other religions in Iceland has remained
fairly constant, Ásatrúarfélagið (Ásatrú Association;
www.asatru.is
)
is growing. It is now
Iceland's largest non-Christian religious organisation, with approximately 2400 members
in 2014.
Even though Icelanders speak the nearest thing to Viking in existence, Iceland is the least
purely Scandinavian of all the Nordic countries. DNA studies have shown that much of
Icelanders' genetic make-up is Celtic, suggesting that many Viking settlers had children
by their British and Irish slaves.
Christianity
Traditionally, the date of the decree that officially converted Iceland to Christianity has
been given as 1000, but research has determined that it probably occurred in 999. What is
known is that the changeover of religions was a political decision. In the Icelandic Alþing
(National Assembly), Christians and pagans had been polarising into two radically oppos-
ite factions, threatening to divide the country. Þorgeir, the
lögsögumaður
(law speaker),
appealed for moderation on both sides, and eventually it was agreed that Christianity
would officially become the new religion, although pagans were still allowed to practise in
private.
