Ingolfur Arnarson

Statue of Ingólfur Arnarson in Reykjavík .

With Ingólfur Arnarson , the so-called conquest of Iceland began (between 870 and 930), that is, the settlement of the so far almost deserted island by Vikings from Norway and their Celtic slaves . The Landnámabók reports about it. New excavations show that the first settlers settled on the island as early as 800.

Life

Viking, explorer, colonist

Relieved of his land ownership in Norway due to disputes, Ingólfur Arnarson decided to emigrate with his family and supporters. He first settled on an island off the coast of Iceland and still bears the name Ingólfshöfði today . After his blood brother Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson had been slain by his Irish slaves on a neighboring island and Ingólfur Arnarson had taken revenge on the murderers, he left the island, threw the raised pillars of his former house from Norway into the sea and vowed that his new home would be there build up where they would be washed ashore. So he came to a bay with hot springs. There he finally settled and named the place Reykjavík .

In Reykjavík on Arnarhóll above Lækjartorg there is a bronze statue of Ingólfur made by the artist Einar Jónsson . An identical statue can be found in Rivedal in Norway, the place from which Ingólfur set out on his journey.

literature

• Felix Niedner (Ed.): Thule. Old Norse poetry and prose. Volume 23: Iceland's Settlement and Ancient History. transfer by Walter Baetke . New edition with afterword by Rolf Heller. Eugen Diederichs Verlag, Düsseldorf / Cologne 1967, DNB 458338745 .
• Ingolf Arnason - Vikings, discoverer and the first man to conquer Iceland. In: Lutz Mohr , Robert Liese: Vikings between Pomerania and the Arctic Circle. Sagas or truth . 2. edit Edition. Leo-Verlag Robert Liese, Horn-Bad Meinberg 2000, ISBN 3-9805594-0-8 , pp. 97-102.

Web links

• Landnámabók in Old Norse
• Íslendingabók in Old Norse
• Key dates in Icelandic history
• First settlement around 800

Note: Icelanders are referred to by their first name or first and last name, but not just their surname. Further information can be found under Icelandic personal name .