History


Iceland's Viking heritage and fascinating history

Iceland was founded during the Viking Age of exploration and settled by Norsemen from Scandinavia and Celts from the British Isles. The early history of Iceland is chronicled in literary sources, the oldest of which is Íslendingabók - The Book of Icelanders, written about 1130 AD. 

Landnámabók - The Book of Settlements, from the 12th century, records the histories of the first settlers in Iceland and traces their descendants well into the 13th century. Íslendingasögur - The Sagas of Icelanders, preserve the histories, poems and legends - cultural legacy that Icelanders had inherited from their Viking ancestors. 





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