Landnámabók
Introduction
Iceland is an island in the north Atlantic Ocean, the northernmost point of it just touches the Polar circle. It lies between 63° 23´ and 66° 22´ north latitude and between 13° 22´ and 24° 15´west longitude.
The distance from Iceland to Greenland (1) is about 250 miles, to Norway 600 miles, to the Faroe Islands 250 miles, and to Scotland 500 miles. Its superficial area is 40,300 square miles, more than one-third larger than Scotland, length from east to west 300 miles, breadth from north to south 200 miles. As will be seen upon the map, the north, west, and east coasts are very much indented by bays and firths, which are wanting on the south coast. Its circumference from point to point would be about 900 miles, but following in the indentations of the coast line, it is about 2,000 miles.
One of the most striking views to voyagers approaching Iceland from the west is the wide and magnificent coast line presented by Faxe Fiord or Faxis Inlet, which takes its name, as we are told by Ari, from Faxi, an early discoverer, who exclaimed when he first scanned it (2) "This must be a great land which we have discovered, for here are mighty rivers." Within this firth now stands Reykjavik (3) with its 4000 inhabitants, and upon another branch of the same bay is Borg, (4) the settlement and home of that renowned family of Kveldulf, whose story is so pathetically related in the Egil's Saga. One of the latest writers upon Iceland, Lord Dufferin, approaching it from the western coast, thus describes that fiord to which Faxi had given the name over a thousand years before --- "The panorama of the bay of Faxi Fiord is magnificent, with a breadth of 50 miles from Horn to Horn, the one running down into a rocky ridge, the other towering to a height of 5000 feet in a pyramid of eternal snow, while round the intervening semi-circle crowd the peaks of a hundred noble mountains. As you approach the shore you are very much reminded of the west coast of Scotland, except that everything is more intense, the atmosphere clearer, the light more vivid, the air more bracing, the hills steeper, loftier, and more tormented, as the French say, and more gaunt, while between their base and the sea stretches a greenish slope patched with houses, which themselves, both roof and walls, are of a mouldy green as if they had been fished out of the bottom of the sea."
The promontory of Snćfellness is the Horn which Lord Dufferin here describes as crowned with mountains towering to a height of 5000 feet in a pyramid of eternal snow. This mountain Snćfell (Snowfell), mentioned at I, I, page 2, gives its name to the promontory Snćfellness. Physically or historically this is the most remarkable promontory in the whole island. Near its extremity is Arnar Stapi (now Stappen) or the Steeple Rock of the Eagles. Here too is Helga Fell, (5) in heathen days the most sacred spot in Iceland, while north of this promontory is Breidfjord, or Broadfirth, whose discovery by Thorolf is described at Part II, 12, page 48. Broadfirth abounds in islands. Round the head of one of its bays, Queen Aud from the British Islands, settled the dale lands and took up her permanent abode at Hvamm.
This was about the year 892.
Iceland generally consists of a table-land about 2000 feet in height. It slopes in some instances evenly down to the coast, especially on the south coast between Eyjafajallokul and Reykjanes. The lowland here is about 1400 square miles.
Borgarfirth is the next largest lowland comprising about 400 square miles. (6)
As indicated by the numerous Place Names compounded with Hraun, the island is throughout volcanic. The whole of the interior is occupied by barren sands, lava tracts, and icefields. The largest of these tracts is Odathahraun, about 1200 square miles. The largest icefield (7) is that of Vatnajökull, about 3000 square miles, all the icefields together cover 5360 square miles. The Ornćfa Jökull is the highest mountain in Iceland having a height of 6426 feet above the level of the sea. The snow line is between 3000 feet and 4000 feet above the sea level. There are twenty volcanoes in Iceland which have been in eruption at one time or other since the island was inhabited. The eruptions of Hecla have been most frequent. In 1783 Skapta threw out a lava stream 45 miles long and about 15 miles broad. As a result of such volcanic agency about 2400 miles of Iceland was covered with lava. The Book of Settlement indicates the commencement of some of the outbreaks, more particularly that of Raudamel.
The Place Names are amongst the best records of the physical formation of Iceland, and a glance at the map upon its south-western extremity gives evidence that the volcanic agency has not been confined to the island itself. Three names of islands occurring together are Reyknes, Eldey, and Eldeyjardrangr --- these are literally Reckness or promontory, Fire Island and Fire Island Rocks and indicate what their geological formation also abundantly proves, that those islands have risen from the sea by volcanic eruption. The word Reykr or Reykjar which occurs so often upon the map of Iceland has a striking significance. It is the English word Reek or smoke, and occurs in Reykja-á, Reykja-dalr, Reykja-holt, Reykja-vellir, Reykja-fjordr (twice in western Iceland) Reykjr-strand, and Reykja-vik, and indicates the numerous hot springs scattered all over the island connected with these volcanic fires. The singular Reykjar being used when there is only one spring, and the plural Reykja when there are more than one. The most famous of them are the Geysirs; they differ much in temperature, some being just warm enough for bathing, others convert their water into steam at a degree far above boiling point. A recent traveller thus vividly describes the largest: "The subterranean thunders commenced --- a violent agitation disturbed the centre of the pool --- suddenly a dome of water lifted itself up to the height of 8 or 10 feet, then burst and fell, immediately afterwards a shining liquid column, or rather a sheaf of columns, wreathed in robes of vapour, sprung into the air, and in a succession of jerking leaps, each higher than the last, flung their silver crests against the sky. The spectacle was certainly magnificent, but no description can give any idea of its more striking features. The enormous wealth of water --- its vitality --- its hidden power --- the illimitable breadth of sunlit vapour, rolling out in exhaustless profusion, all combined to make one feel the stupendous energy of nature's slightest movements. The first burst upward till the time when the last jet retreated into the pipe occupied the space of seven or eight minutes. At no time did the crown of the column reach higher than 60 or 70 feet. Early travellers talk of 300 feet, more trustworthy persons have stated the eruption at 200 feet, while well authenticated accounts, when the elevation of the jet has been actually measured, makes it to have attained a height of upwards of 100 feet."
In the Book of Settlement, rivers form perhaps the most important natural features, as affording inlets to the early settlers on the otherwise harbourless coasts, and as giving a line of demarcation to the landtakes, which, as will be seen, are almost invariably referred to the rivers or to the water shed of the country --- Steer's river (Thjórsá) in the south and Glacier-river (Jokulsá) and Trembling-water (Skjaifandafljot) in the north are the largest rivers, each being over 100 miles long. Hot-river (Hvitá) and Cold-river (Kaldá) which bound opposite quarters of the same landtake as place-names need no comment. White-river (Hvita) implies the colouration of the water by a glacial moraine while Gorge-river (Glufrá) is a sufficient evidence to the character of the bed within which it flows.
The most considerable lakes are Thingvalla Lake, of which a description is given in Part v, 13, and Midgewater or Myvatn in the north. This is often referred to in the Book of the Settlement.
The following sketch of Iceland has been written expressly for this work by Dr. Jón Stefánsson, (8) PhD. of the University of Copenhagen, a native Icelander, who spent a great portion of the summer of last year (1897) in re-visiting and exploring the island.
The western part of Iceland is the classic saga ground which specially centres round Broadfirth. With its innumerable islands and the wicks and voes, bays and fjords which cut into its coasts, it bears more similarity to Greece than any other part of Iceland. It varies much. Snćfell's-ness, with its mountain range that ends in the imposing dome of the glacier, at the extreme end of the peninsula, the dales, so like the glens in the Scottish and English borderland, the deep and narrow north-west fjords, Patrick's fjord with its steep and precipitous sides, where the rock ledges rise one above the other in parallel streaks. They throw the firth into shadow but give shelter from the winds. Bluff headlands rising behind each other on the horizon.
A great many of the islands in Broadfirth are inhabited, the best known of these is Flatey, on which one of the earliest monasteries in Iceland was built. Between some of the islands are rapid currents or swirls, which are dangerous to fishermen. Some of the islands are covered with luxuriant grass in summer, others are well-known as breeding places for seals or eiderducks.
Besides these islands, the Westman Islands south of Iceland, Grimsey north of it, and a few islands in the eastern and north-western fjords are inhabited. Grimsey is cut in two by the Polar Circle. It forms one parish and the church lies just in the line of the Arctic Circle. The Islanders seldom come the long way to the mainland.
The capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, numbers 4000 inhabitants, and is the seat of all the highest officials in the island. Parliament is held there every other year, and it has a lively trade with the British Isles, Norway and Denmark. One of the islands (Videy) that form the harbour is inhabited and boasted of a famous cloister in the Middle Ages.
The next town in size in Iceland is Akureyri, on the Eyjafjord, with about 1200 inhabitants. It is pleasantly situated on the hillside overlooking the fjord and the scenery of Viga Glúm's Saga.
The third town in Iceland in size is Isafjord, in the northwest, with about 600 inhabitants. The harbour is shut in completely and land-locked.
The fourth town is Seydisfjord on the east coast, a little smaller than Isafjord, but being the nearest to Europe, it has more communication with it all the year round than any other port.
There are two made roads in Iceland, the one from Reykjavik to Thingvellir, 35 miles; the other from Reykjavik to Thjórsá or Steer's-river. This last road runs partly through the district devastated by the earthquakes in 1896; such earthquakes had not occurred in Iceland for a century, or since the great eruption of 1783-1784. New geysers opened and long cracks were to be seen in the ground. Several hundred farmhouses tumbled down but the loss of life was small.
The whole of Iceland is believed to have risen out of the sea by gradual volcanic eruptions. The basaltic formation of the east and the north-west seems, however, to date from an earlier geological period. Dr. Thorvaldar Throddsen has been engaged during the last sixteen years in exploring the country, and the new geological map of it which he is about to issue, will supersede Björn Gunnlaugsson's excellent map which is now half a century old.
Travelling in Iceland, away from the trading towns, is still very primitive. On pony back you scamper over the tracks made by horses hoofs, and put up at one of the farmhouses on your way, where the warmth of the welcome and the hospitality makes up for the scantness of the fare. The Celtic strain imparted to the settlers in Iceland by inter-marriage with Celts in Scotland, Ireland, and the Hebrides, is still noticeable in Iceland. They also brought a great number of Celtic slaves (9) with them to Iceland, and the result is seen in the number of dark-haired people in the island. The names of men and places have varied little from the time of Settlement until now. Iceland in this respect as in others is one of the most conservative countries in the world.
It has been noticed that Iceland is heart shaped, the point turning south, and so is its largest glacier, the Vatnajökull.
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ARI THE LEARNED, Author of the Book of the Settlement.
Forefathers of Ari the Learned as given in the Book of the Settlement.
OLAF the white marries Aud.
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THORSTEIN the Red.
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OLAF FEILAN
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THORD YELLIR marries ALFDIS OF BARA
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EYOLF the Gray.
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THORKEL
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GELLIR
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THORGILS
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ARI the Learned.
Ari the Learned was born in 1067, of a noble family sprung from Queen Aud and King Olaf the White, from whom he was eighth in descent. Of his lineal ancestors five were born in Iceland, two in the heathen days, three in the christian times, but only one died a heathen. His sixth lineal ancestor, the settler Olaf Feilan, was born in the western islands, probably in Dublin, but died in Iceland. On his father's side Ari was the great-grandson of Gudrun the heroine of the Laxdala Saga, on the mother's side he was sprung from Hall-o-side, up to whom it is remarkable that the three great Icelandic historians trace their descent on the mother's side, Thorey, Sćmund's mother being Hall's granddaughter, and Joreid, Aris' mother, his great granddaughter, Gudrig, Snorri's mother standing to him both in the sixth or seventh degrees of descent. It was from the Reyknessings that the historian got his name of Ari = the eagle. His father Thorgils was drowned in his infancy, hence he was brought up at Helgafell (Holy fell) the house of his grandfather. He was a godi and is once, in 1118, recorded among the chiefs of Iceland who were in Holy Orders. He was married and had a son and a daughter. He died in 1148, on Nov. 9th, aged 81.
"Ari the Learned," says Snorri in his preface to the Heimskringla, "was the first man of this land who wrote down lore both old and new in the speech of the north. He came when seven winters old to Hawkdale, (10) to Hall the son of Thorarin and abode there fourteen winters. Hall was an exceeding wise man of keen memory. Teit the son of Bishop Isleif also taught Ari much. He was fostered at Hall's in Hawkdale, and taught Ari the priest manifold lore, which Ari wrote down afterwards. Ari got manifold knowledge from Thurid daughter of Snorri the priest, a woman wise of wit. She remembered Snorri her father who was near thirty-five when Christ's faith came to Iceland, therefore nothing wonderful it is that Ari knew many ancient tales both of our lands and the outlands, inasmuch as he had learned them from old men and wise, and was himself a man of eager wit and fruitful memory."
Ari was the true father of Icelandic letters, as well as the first prose writer and first historian in the Icelandic language. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that whatever we know for certain of the life, religion, and constitution of the old days of the Scandinavian States is in one way or other due to Ari. And it is well for us that he lived when he did, like Herodotus, just in time to gather up and garner for us traditions that were dying out or been driven out of men's minds by new interests and new ideas, and not in vain does Snorri perhaps half regretfully, notice his age and the opportunities it gave him, advantages which he himself was denied.
Ari's works: Three works of his are distinctly mentioned.
- The Konung-Bók, or Book of Kings (Heimskringla).
- The Landnama, or Book of the Settlement.
- The Islendinga-Bók, or Book of the Icelanders.
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THE LATER EDITORS OF THE BOOK OF THE SETTLEMENT.
The story of the discovery of Iceland and the Settlements of the west, north, and south quarters, Parts II, III, and V, were written by Ari.
Kolskegg Asbiornson, his contemporary, described the East Quarter as is said, Part IV, 4: "Now has Kolskegg dictated the story henceforth as to the Settlements." This takes in the remaining portion of Book IV.
(a) The joint work of these two was again edited by Styrmir the Learned, son of Kari, who died (1245).
(b) This edition was again gone over and revised by the distinguished historian, Sturla Thordson (11) (1214-1284). The recensions (a and b) of Styrmir and Thordson, were re-edited by Hauk Erlendson, his edition the "Hauks-bók," forming one of the principal texts of the Landnama Bok. There is a special recension based on (a and b) the so-called Mela-bók, frequently referred to in the following translation. The author of this edition is not known. Brand Haldorson is mentioned as the author of the genealogies of the men of Broadfirth.
What these later editors did was to add to the Book of the Settlement its genealogical lore and bring down the lines to their more immediate predecessors.
Notes:
1. For old Norse computation of those distances to Greenland, Norway and Ireland as estimated in days' sailing see pages 2 and 3. [Back]
2. Page 4. [Back]
3. Reykjavik, i, S, page 10. [Back]
4. Borg, see i, 19; also Borg and Borgfjordr on Map. [Back]
5. For Arnar Stapi and Helga Fell see map. [Back]
6. See Borgarfjördar on Map and in Place Names. [Back]
7. The various icefields will be found on map under Icelandic equivalent "jökull." [Back]
8. Dr. Stefánsson also kindly looked over and corrected for this work proofs of a portion of Part III, and Parts IV and V. [Back]
9. See Part I, 5, 6. [Back]
10. See Haukadale on the map, remarkable as being but half a mile from the famous Geysirs. [Back]
11. Thordson was cousin of Snorri Sturlason and the author of the largest and most important of all the Sagas, "The Sturlunga Saga," describing the terrible struggle which terminated in the fall and extinction of the Icelandic republic in 1261. He himself was nearly related to the leaders, and took a most important share in the struggle. [Back]
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