Iceland (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Fran Parnell [11]
As for Ingólfur, he was led to Reykjavík by a fascinating pagan ritual. It was traditional for Viking settlers to toss their high-seat pillars (a symbol of authority and part of a chieftain’s paraphernalia) into the sea as they approached land. Wherever the gods brought the pillars ashore was the settler’s new home – a practice followed by waves of settlers who followed from the Norwegian mainland.
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The Alþing, established in 930, is the oldest continuous parliamentary democracy in the world.
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ASSEMBLING THE ALÞING
By the time Ingólfur’s son Þorsteinn reached adulthood, the whole island was scattered with farms, and people began to feel the need for some sort of government. Iceland’s landowners gathered first at regional assemblies to trade and settle disputes, but it became apparent that a national assembly was needed. A national government was a completely novel idea at the time, but Icelanders reasoned that it must be an improvement on the oppressive system they had experienced under the Nordic monarchy.
In the early 10th century Þorsteinn Ingólfsson held Iceland’s first large-scale district assembly near Reykjavík, and in the 920s the self-styled lawyer Úlfljótur was sent to study Norway’s law codes and prepare something similar that would be suitable for Iceland.
At the same time Grímur Geitskör was commissioned to find a location for the Alþing (National Assembly). Bláskógar, near the eastern boundary of Ingólfur’s estate, with its beautiful lake and wooded plain, seemed ideal. Along one side of the plain was a long cliff with an elevated base (the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) from where speakers and representatives could preside over people gathered below.
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The Althing at Thingvellir, by Helmut Lugmayr, explains the role and history of the oldest parliament in the world and includes a section on Þingvellir’s unique geology.
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In 930 Bláskógar was renamed Þingvellir (Assembly Plains). Þorsteinn Ingólfsson was given the honorary title allsherjargoði (supreme chieftain) and Úlfljótur was designated the first lögsögumaður (law speaker), who was required to memorise and annually recite the entire law of the land. It was he, along with the 48 goðar (chieftains), who held the actual legislative power.
Although squabbles arose over the choice of leaders and allegiances were continually questioned, the new parliamentary system was a success. At the annual convention of the year 1000, the assembled crowd was bitterly divided between pagans and Christians, but eventually a decree was agreed and Iceland accepted the new religion and converted to Christianity. This decision gave the formerly divided groups a semblance of national unity, and soon the first bishoprics were set up at Skálholt in the southwest and Hólar in the north.
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Iceland Saga, by Magnús Magnússon, offers an entertaining introduction to Icelandic history and literature, and explains numerous saga events and settings.
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Over the following years the two-week national assembly at Þingvellir became the social event of the year. All free men could attend. Single people came looking for partners, marriages were contracted and solemnised, business deals were finalised, duels and executions were held, and the Appeals Court handed down judgments on matters that couldn’t be resolved in lower courts.
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ANARCHY & THE STURLUNG AGE
The late 12th century kicked off the Saga Age, when epic tales of early settlement, family struggles, romance and tragic characters were recorded by historians and writers. Much of our knowledge of this time comes from two weighty tomes, the Íslendingabók, a historical narrative from the settlement