Historical Background

Iceland’s harsh climes once compelled poet Jónas Hallgrímsson to plead for the return of the spring sun, "Come then, oh sun! And conquer the cruel, delusive night! Eye of the Godhead! Grant us boundless blessings of light! Radiant gage of our glory, Guide your creatures! Impart brightness of mind and banish this heaviness of heart". But maybe Jonas was mistaken, for the climate was the least of Iceland’s woes. In the history books, the country is known for its incessant political upheavals. And unfortunately, the resilience and determination of the Icelandic people has not got the due it deserved.
A volcanic island in the North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland has certainly braved years of foreign dominion, barbarianism, natural calamities and epidemics, harsh weather conditions and others to emerge as a sovereign, developed state.
Discovered by the earliest settler – Naddoddr - a Scandinavian sailor, by accident; he called it Snowland because of the vast expanse of icy landscape. Reykjavic was named by Norwegian chieftain who settled there with his family in the 9th century. Early settlers included Norwegian Vikings, Celtic explorers and prisoners mainly from the British Isles. It is claimed that Iceland became fully inhabited in 60 years since the first settlers. As the geography changed in the hands of kings, the laws and rules kept changing, bringing with it discontent, oppression, political disharmony, deprivation, and other social ills. But in spite of these hurdles Iceland remained a progressive society. The arts and cultural scene, though repressed, birthed noteworthy works of art. Prominent among these is The Sagas, considered to be the greatest literary works in the Middle Ages and unparalleled to this day in the Norse world; Egil’s Saga, Eyrbyggja Saga, Laxdaela Saga, and Njal’s Saga to name a few. Iceland still speaks the same language of the Sagas as it did in the 9th century.

Alþingi
Iceland stands out for the world’s oldest existing Parliament system known as ‘Alþingi’, which laid the foundation for a sovereign state in mid 9th century. After the settlers inhabited the land, this system was introduced so as to give an impartial ear to the common man and settle disputes by law. This system took care of the justice, legislation and administration of the country. Two significant events took place during this period, 1) Iceland accepted Christianity, 2) The Sagas were composed. But repeated invasions by foreign monarchs and hostile neighbors gave way to monarchy and the organization of the commonwealth was wrecked in the 1200s. This system was later revived in 1843 by the High Court, after the stirring of Icelandic nationalism. Judges were appointed again and a number of legislative and administrative improvements started taking place restoring the glory of the former state.

Danish and Norwegian kings
Iceland had long been a vassal of Norway and Denmark through the kings that ruled it over the years. When Harald Hårfagre united Norway to form a separate entity in the 9th century, he took over Iceland and colonized it. Rumor has it that most Norwegians fled the harsh and autocratic rule of Harald to settle in Iceland. And as Norway and Denmark united and separated over the years, Iceland’s rule was jostled from one power to another. Monarchy ruled roost until the 1800s. Home rule by Denmark took over and continued until 1918.

Natural Calamities
The country is a large island with widespread volcanic and geo-thermal activity. In fact the whole island is built on cooled lava. Major eruptions over the years added to the plight of early Icelanders, who suffered loss of livestock, lives, and livelihood, while most fell victims to starvation bought about by such calamities. The eruption of Mount Hekla in 1104 was one of the largest in the history of the country. Commercial exploitation, wars and natural catastrophes took their toll on the population and by the end of the 18th century there were only 40,000 people left.

Republic State
In 1918 Iceland was declared a sovereign state but remained connected to Denmark. It was only in 1940 when Denmark fell into Hitler’s hands that British troops occupied the country to prevent Nazism and German attacks and it was declared independent. The trade rights which Reykjavik received in 1786 secured a fillip and the fishing industry, which began taking shape, flourished under its own government; among which the territorial limits of international fishing waters was established.

Though the arts revolution started in the 9th century, it revamped itself in late 19th century to become one of the most well-read societies of modern times. Various books, poems, periodicals, stage shows, theatre events, and other art forms receive attention from locals and beyond. It is easy to find at least one poet in every street of Reykjavik. A cultural hub of Scandinavian culture, dance, music, theatre, Reykjavik, is one of the nine main cities of culture in Europe.

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