I C U Iceland (Nice places Book 2)

I C U Iceland (Nice places Book 2)

This is a tribute to Iceland, a very spectacular country.
According to both LandnÃ¡mabÃ³k and ÃslendingabÃ³k, Celtic monks known as the Papar lived in Iceland before the Norse settlers arrived, possibly members of a Hiberno-Scottish mission. Recent archaeological excavations have revealed the ruins of a cabin in Hafnir on the Reykjanes peninsula. Carbon dating indicates that it was abandoned somewhere between 770 and 880, suggesting that Iceland was populated well before 874. This archaeological find may also indicate that the monks left Iceland before the Norse arrived.

Swedish Viking explorer GarÃ°ar Svavarsson was the first to circumnavigate Iceland in 870 and establish that it was an island. He stayed over winter and built a house in HÃºsavÃk. GarÃ°ar departed the following summer but one of his men, NÃ¡ttfari, decided to stay behind with two slaves. NÃ¡ttfari settled in what is now known as NÃ¡ttfaravÃk and became the first permanent resident of Iceland.

IngÃ³lfur Arnarson built his homestead in present-day ReykjavÃk in the year 874. IngÃ³lfr was followed by many other emigrant settlers, largely Norsemen and their thralls, many of whom were Irish or Scottish. By 930, most arable land had been claimed; the Althing, a legislative and judicial assembly, was initiated to regulate the Icelandic Commonwealth. Christianity was adopted around 999â€“1000, although Norse paganism persisted among some segments of the population for years.

The Commonwealth lasted until the 13th century, when the political system devised by the original settlers proved unable to cope with the increasing power of Icelandic chieftains. During the period of these early Celtic and Viking settlements, the climate was significantly warmer, and about 25% of Iceland was covered with forest compared to 1% now
The internal struggles and civil strife of the Sturlung Era led to the signing of the Old Covenant in 1262, which ended the Commonwealth and brought Iceland under the Norwegian crown. Possession of Iceland passed to Kalmar Union in 1415, when the kingdoms of Norway, Denmark and Sweden were united. After the break-up of the union in 1523, it technically remained a Norwegian dependency, as a part of Denmarkâ€“Norway.

In the ensuing centuries, Iceland became one of the poorest countries in Europe. Infertile soil, volcanic eruptions, deforestation and an unforgiving climate made for harsh life in a society where subsistence depended almost entirely on agriculture. The Black Death swept Iceland twice, first in 1402â€“04 and again in 1494â€“95. The former outbreak killed 50% to 60% of the population, and the latter 30% to 50%
Around the middle of the 16th century, as part of the Protestant Reformation, King Christian III of Denmark began to impose Lutheranism on all his subjects. JÃ³n Arason, the last Catholic bishop of HÃ³lar, was beheaded in 1550 along with two of his sons. The country subsequently became officially Lutheran. Lutheranism has since remained the dominant religion.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Denmark imposed harsh trade restrictions on Iceland. Natural disasters, including volcanic eruption and disease, severely decimated the population. Pirates from several countries, including the Barbary Coast, raided its coastal settlements. During this period many Europeans were also taken captive by Mediterranean pirates and sometimes sold into slavery in the Arab world. A great smallpox epidemic in the 18th century killed around a third of the population. In 1783 the Laki volcano erupted, with devastating effects. In the years following the eruption, known as the Mist Hardships (Icelandic: MÃ³Ã°uharÃ°indin), over half of all livestock died in the country. During the resulting famine, around a quarter of the population died.
Country USA
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2014-02-13
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2014-02-13
Format	Kindle eBook