A brief history of Iceland
The history of Iceland is one of survival and prosperity. Settled by Norsemen from Scandinavia and Celts from the British isles settled in the 9th and 10th centuries, Icelandic history has always been shaped by events on the larger political stage of the Nordic Countries.
Iceland begins with Vikings!
The first people to settle Iceland were probably Irish monks who came in the 8th century. However, in the 9th century they were driven out by Vikings.
Tradition says that the first Viking to discover Iceland was a guy called Naddoddur, who got lost on his way somewhere else. The first Viking to attempt to settle there was a Norwegian named Floki Vilgeroason; he lasted one winter and then sailed back to Norway. He did give Iceland its name though. Soon there was an influx of settlement in the new found land. The land in Iceland was free to whoever wanted it. A man could claim as much land as he could light fires around in one day while a woman could claim as much land as she could lead a heifer (cow) round in one day. There were very good fishing grounds around Iceland and the land was well suited to sheep. Many Vikings brought flocks with them and soon sheep became a major Icelandic industry. The population of Iceland soared. By about 930 there were about 60,000 people living in Iceland. Around this time also the Icelanders formed an assembly to govern the island, known as the Althing. Laws were not written down, but were memorised by an elected Lawspeaker. |
Religion in Iceland
The guys who settled Iceland were predominantly pagans who worshiped Norse Gods (like old mate Thor, who doesn't look particularly Hemswothy in traditional images. #hollywood).
By the 10th century there was a lot of pressure from Europe for Icelanders to convert to Christianity. As they grew closer to the year 1000, lots of Icelanders made the switch to the new faith. But, of course, not all Icelanders were interested and there was quite a bit of civil unrest. Finally a resolution was reached in that the official religion of Iceland would be Christianity, but the pagans could worship their other gods in private. |
Who rules iceland?
In the 11th and 12th centuries, there was a civil war over which clans would have ultimate power in Iceland. The guys in the Althing agreed to join forces with the Norwegian monarchy and accept their rule. Throughout this time, Iceland provided Norway with fish and homespun wool (lots of fish and sheep in Iceland).
Around this time, there was a climate shift and a phenomenon occurred now known as the Little Ice Age, and Iceland (and surrounding countries like Greenland) began having shorter growing seasons and longer winters. This was bad for Iceland's exporting arrangements.
After the last Norwegian king died (his name was Olaf), and because he had no male children, Norway (and therefore Iceland) became part of what was called the Kelmar Union, along with Sweden and Denmark, with Denmark as the dominant country. This was bad for Iceland, because unlike Norway, Denmark didn't need the fish and sheep, which had a massive impact on Iceland's trade.
Then in around 1600, Iceland was prohibited from trading with anyone other than Denmark, so with temperatures at an all time low and very few crops to trade, Iceland was not doing so great.
Around this time, there was a climate shift and a phenomenon occurred now known as the Little Ice Age, and Iceland (and surrounding countries like Greenland) began having shorter growing seasons and longer winters. This was bad for Iceland's exporting arrangements.
After the last Norwegian king died (his name was Olaf), and because he had no male children, Norway (and therefore Iceland) became part of what was called the Kelmar Union, along with Sweden and Denmark, with Denmark as the dominant country. This was bad for Iceland, because unlike Norway, Denmark didn't need the fish and sheep, which had a massive impact on Iceland's trade.
Then in around 1600, Iceland was prohibited from trading with anyone other than Denmark, so with temperatures at an all time low and very few crops to trade, Iceland was not doing so great.
Nekk minnut... volcano
This guy right here is Laki. He is a volcano in Iceland and he caused some major issues for the country in the 18th century.
Laki erupted in 1783, spewing (ew) 12.5 cubic Km of lava. Floods, ash, and fumes wiped out 9,000 people and 80 percent of the livestock. People were killed from inhaling toxic poisonous gases and crops were destroyed. The starvation and devastation caused by this resulted in the death of a quarter of Iceland's population, and is known as the Mist Hardships. For an agricultural based country, these losses were devastating. Fish were still caught, but mostly exported, leaving people to starve to death. While the people were recovering from Laki's eruption, Iceland faced some harsh winters. |
Iceland's independence
During the 19th century (around the time of Agnes' execution) the climate in Iceland continued to grow worse, which cause a mass exodus of the population to the New World (namely Canada).
Around the time Agnes was born, 30% of babies born alive died within their first 12 months. This infant mortality rate was double that of Denmark, but it wasn't the result of poverty or climate. Babies were not usually breastfed in Iceland during this time, and were instead fed cow or sheep milk which they sucked through a rag. They were unable to fully digest this milk, leading to complications. There were also epidemics of whooping cough, diphtheria and scarlet fever. An Independence Movement was started by lawyer Jon Sigurdsson and in 1874, Denmark granted Iceland a constitution and home rule. In 1918, Iceland developed their own flag, and still had ties to Denmark in the event of war (Iceland had no military or naval forces, and wished to be known as being neutral). |
The Icelandic sagas
Beginning in the 9th century, settlers from Norway created in Iceland a society of fiercely independent farmers, fishermen, and traders; in the 13th and 14th centuries their descendants wrote a whole series of stories about them. These family sagas tell of feuds, duels and battles, legal conflicts, love affairs, travels and raids to Norway and the British Isles and further afield, and the attempted settlement of Vinland. The focus of the sagas is always on individuals and their relationships. They offer us strong men and outlaws, legal experts and tricksters, poets and warriors serving Norwegian kings, respected leaders and arbitrators — and powerful matriarchs, faithful wives, and trouble-stirring women. The saga writers never venture directly into the minds of their protagonists, but they produce vivid, distinctive portraits of individuals caught up in memorable events.
The sagas draw on local family stories, older myths and legends, and the broader body of medieval literature, along with a good deal of invention and original creation. While some are awkwardly structured, others rework their sources in sophisticated ways and some are literary masterpieces. In some, unity is provided by a biographical focus, sometimes ending with a peaceful death at the end of a long life, sometimes building with tragic inevitability to a climactic killing and the resulting resolution. Others are almost political studies, tracing the shifting balance of power between leading figures in a particular region. And while this genre of sagas is defined by a realistic treatment of early Iceland, many are (or incorporate) comic stories, fantastic tales, and romances.
(From http://dannyreviews.com/h/Sagas_Icelanders.html)
Of particular note with regards to Burial Rites, Hannah Kent talks about the influence of this Icelandic folklore, and makes specific reference to one of the sagas:
"Laxdaela Saga has particular importance in Burial Rites. There are some interesting parallels to Agnes’s story in that saga, and, reading it, I was struck by the possibility that Agnes, in her own lifetime, might have recognised those same similarities. She certainly would have been familiar with it. This is why it is referenced throughout Burial Rites"
The Laxdaela Saga tells the story of a love triangle, of which two of the characters grew up together as close friends, but the love they both share for the other causes a bitter rivalry, and ultimately, their deaths. Sound familiar???
The sagas draw on local family stories, older myths and legends, and the broader body of medieval literature, along with a good deal of invention and original creation. While some are awkwardly structured, others rework their sources in sophisticated ways and some are literary masterpieces. In some, unity is provided by a biographical focus, sometimes ending with a peaceful death at the end of a long life, sometimes building with tragic inevitability to a climactic killing and the resulting resolution. Others are almost political studies, tracing the shifting balance of power between leading figures in a particular region. And while this genre of sagas is defined by a realistic treatment of early Iceland, many are (or incorporate) comic stories, fantastic tales, and romances.
(From http://dannyreviews.com/h/Sagas_Icelanders.html)
Of particular note with regards to Burial Rites, Hannah Kent talks about the influence of this Icelandic folklore, and makes specific reference to one of the sagas:
"Laxdaela Saga has particular importance in Burial Rites. There are some interesting parallels to Agnes’s story in that saga, and, reading it, I was struck by the possibility that Agnes, in her own lifetime, might have recognised those same similarities. She certainly would have been familiar with it. This is why it is referenced throughout Burial Rites"
The Laxdaela Saga tells the story of a love triangle, of which two of the characters grew up together as close friends, but the love they both share for the other causes a bitter rivalry, and ultimately, their deaths. Sound familiar???
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