Like much of Viking history, the founding of Iceland is shrouded in some mystery. It may have been discovered by the Greeks and called “Thule.” It may have also had Irish hermits living there until the Vikings arrived in 874. The hermits are said to have left Iceland because they didn’t want to live among the pagan brutes. Whatever the case of its prehistory, the Vikings and their Celtic wives and slaves were the first people to permanently settle the island of Iceland.
Viking Discovery of Iceland
The Vikings discovered Iceland in a typically Viking way. On two different occasions, Viking sailors lost their ways and found the island. The first sailor, Naddodd, called it “Snowland.” A Swedish sailor, Garðar Svavarsson, was the second person to land on Iceland. He modestly called the island “Garðarshólmi,” which translates to “Garðar’s Islet.” Gardar overwintered in what is now Husavik. There is the possibility that one of Gardar’s men, Natfarri, stayed permanently on the island though he is not traditionally credited as the first Viking settler of the island.
The first person, that we know of, to set sail specifically for Iceland was the Norwegian Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson. He also stayed for one winter.
Mythic Viking Founding of Iceland
Norwegian Ingolfr Arnarson, traveled to the island with is wife Hallveig Frodadottir. They were looking to escape from the rule of Harald Finehair. Upon sighting land, he threw two carved pillars into the ocean and pledged to settle where they came ashore. The landed, and Arnarson founded Reykjavik there.
Arnarson’s blood brother, Hjorliefr Hroomasson, settled in Iceland at the same time in a place now named after him, Hjörleifshöfði. His slaves killed him. Anarson avenged his blood brother and saved the women the slaves held captive.
Soon, 435 other families arrived and populated Iceland.
Historical Sources
Ari “Frodi” (which means “the learned”) Thorgilsson wrote his Islendingbok around 1120. However, much more information comes from Iceland’s Landnambok, or Book of Settlements. Sturla Thordarson wrote the earliest surviving version of this book between 1275 and 1280.
Sources: The Vikings by Else Roesdahl, revised edition (1998).
How Iceland Changed the World: The Big History of a Small Island by Egill Bjarnason, (2021).
https://www.britannica.com/place/Iceland
https://www.medievalists.net/2021/03/ancient-greeks-discover-iceland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Iceland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hj%C3%B6rleifr_Hr%C3%B3%C3%B0marsson
