Work and Way of Life
Time Period 800-1600
The settlement of Iceland began around 870 AD. The majority of the settlers were from Norway, while some came from the British Isles. Animal husbandry, arable farming, fishing and hunting were well established in these countries. The settlers brought with them their skills from their home countries, and adapted them to their new living conditions. Initially the number of domestic animals was limited, as they had to be brought to Iceland on board ship. It must have taken some time to bring stocks up to sufficient numbers to be a useful resource. The settlers were also sparsely distributed around the country. In the early years they must have been heavily dependent upon fishing, catching seals and birds, and collecting eggs.
Lesa meira
Time Period 1600-2000
Various social statistics emerged only with the first census, in 1703. At that same time an exhaustive Register of Estates was compiled, containing information on every farm in the country. Households varied greatly in size. At the coast, less labour was required on the land, and households were smaller than in inland areas. Estates were of three main categories: legal estates, smallholdings and houses without land. Legal estates were the original farms, from which land had been leased to form smallholdings. Houses without land were known as “empty houses,” as they had no livestock. Such homes were found at seasonal fishing stations, where residence fluctuated and was dependent upon the fisheries.
Lesa meira