Time Periods
800-1000 The Dawn of the Icelandic Society
Due to its geographical position, Iceland remained uninhabited for longer than most other countries. It was settled about 1,100 years ago, mainly from Norway. The Icelanders established a society without a monarcy, with most power in the hands of local chieftains.
Humans had inhabited the planet for millions of years before they found their way to Iceland. During the Viking Age, the inhabitants of Scandinavia achieved a standard of shipbuilding which enabled them to sail to Iceland from Norway and the Norse settlements in the British Isles. The settlement commenced around 870 AD.
The environment must have been strange to the newcomers: low-lying birchwoods and extensive grasslands. This was their first experience of volcanic activity and hot springs.
With no king in Iceland, the pagan chieftains, the goðar, established a national parliament. Around 1000 AD the Icelanders adopted Christianity.
The Key Object of this Time Period: Þór or Christ?
9th- and 10th-Century Exhibits
Highlights of the Exhibition
- Settlement - The First Winter
- The Settlers - Where Did they Come From?
- Living off the Land - Way of Life
- Art of the Viking Age - Styles
- Iceland at the Settlement
- Vikings in Iceland - Trade and Battle
- Paganism and Christianity - Another Life
- Transition from Paganism to Christianity - Adoption of Christianity