A Winter in Iceland and Lapland

Chapter I. Page

Voyage from Copenhagen to Reikiavik — Prince of Denmark — Visit to Bessestad . . . • . 1 CHAPTER H. FIRST SETTLEMENT IN ICELAND. Naddodr— Gardar— Ingolf— The reasons that made him emigrate — Supposed visits of Christian Irish to Iceland before Ingolf 's time — The first settlers— Their manners — Dress — Commerce — Amusements ... 23

Introduction

OF CHRISTIANITY.

A code of laws introduced — The form of government adopted — The Hrepp — The Thing — Religious 'ceremonies — Human sacrifices— The courts — The Laugmadr — Althing — Laws— Ordeal — Exposition of Infants — Bersekir — Discovery of Greenland— Of America — Introduction of Christianity CONTENTS.

Chapter IV. The Misfortunes Of Iceland

PAGE Early attempts of the Kings of Norway to gain possession of Iceland — The voluntary surrendering of the island — The consequences of it — Saarti Daudi — Eruptions — The Reformation — The last great volcanic eruption in 1783 — Jorgensen's revolution in 1809 ... 59

Chapter I

Voyage from Copenhagen to Reikiavik — Prince of Denmark — Visit to Bessestad. In the beginning of 1834 I determined on seeing Iceland, and learning something of the manners of the natives of that country. After many inquiries at Lloyd's and other such places, I found that there existed no direct communication between England and Iceland : 1 vol. i. B decided, therefore, on proceeding at once to Copenhagen, and taking a passage in one of the regular traders that leave Denmark every spring for that island. In order to avoid the almost impracticable road between Hamburg and Lubec, I chose the way of Gottenburg. A newly-established steamer took me from Hull to that port in sixty hours, but on landing I found that owing to the bad management of the steam-packets in that quarter, three days would elapse before the arrival of the Prinds Carl, a vessel plying between Christiania and Copen hagen, and calling on her route at Gottenburg.

At the moment the delay occasioned by this was no source of regret, as it gave ine an op portunity of visiting whatever is remaikable in the town and its environs. Great, however, was my disappointment on reaching the Danish capital, in finding that the last ship destined to sail for some time to Iceland had weighed anchor the night previous, and actually passed us under the Castle of Helsingore. The merchant from whom I got this unwelcome in telligence, could only offer me the chance of a passage in one of two ships which he expected would return to Copenhagen about the middle of July. To employ the intervening time, I wandered through Sweden from Gottenburg to Stockholm, and from the confines of Lapland to Malmoe. After getting scorched by day and frozen by night in the forests of Bothnia, viewing the treasures in the depths of the silver and copper mines of Dalecailia, every where delighted by the beauties of the scenery and the urbanity of the inhabitants, I returned again to Den mark.

Here my expectations were again to be disappointed. Of the two ships that were looked for in Copenhagen, the merchant in formed me, one had been wrecked on the Icelandic coast, and the other was not yet returned. He endeavoured to dissuade me from undertaking the voyage that year. The season he said, was too far advanced, and should I b2 reach Iceland, my stay there must necessarily be very short, as the ship would delay its return to Denmark as little as possible. If, however, I was determined on proceeding, he recom mended me as a preferable alternative to try to procure a passage in a Danish man-of-war, which would shortly be sent to fetch back the Prince of Denmark. This personage, owing to some disagreement with his father-in-law the king, had been sent to spend the summer in that remote quarter of the world.

Such a boon vvas hardly to be looked for ; but upon mentioning the subject to a gentleman of the English Legation, he had the goodness to give me a letter to the admiral at the head of the marine. This officer mentioned my request to the king, who was pleased to allow me a passage to Reikiavik. On the 10th of August we set sail, but, owing to the wind being unfavourable, we anchored the same afternoon at Helsingore. The Nyad was a corvette, of twenty guns, chiefly used for exercising the cadets of the royal navy. Instead of being put on board men-of-war from first starting, the youngsters in Denmark are kept at a naval college till they are considered qualified to be appointed to ships as lieutenants, and are sent out in the summer for a three months' cruise to give them an insight into seamanship.

The officers consisted of the captain, commander, and four lieutenants, who, as is the case with all their naval officers, spoke English as well as natives ; two of them had been for some years in the French service, and wore the cross ofthe legion of honour, for being at Navarino and Algiers. I found a fellow-passenger on board, with whom I had much conversation during the voyage, and who gave me much information about the country we were going to. He was a native of Iceland, who had distinguished him self as a boy at the school of Bessestad, and had subsequently attained the highest honours at the University of Copenhagen. At the conclusion of his studies, he had undertaken to travel over the greater part of Europe, and had traversed France, Italy, Greece, and had been a short time in England.

As a reward for his exertions the King of Denmark had conferred on him the church of Breide-Bolstadir, which is considered to be the most lucrative benefice in Iceland. He had not been home for several years. The prospect of returning with classical honours, and in possession of comparative independence must have been particularly delightful, as he left his country a poor and solitary student with little hope of advancement. He understood English and French pretty well, but finding that he spoke Ita lian very fluently, I preferred using that language with him, which had become habitual to me during nine years' residence in Tuscany. There was no change of wind till the third day, on which we weighed anchor, and as the guns of Kronberg, the castle commanding the Sound, responded to the corvette's salute, we bade farewell in good earnest to Denmark.

The battlements on which Hamlet's father revisited the glimpses of the moon — the beau tiful gardens of Marienlyst in which the tomb of Ophelia's lover, as well as the pool in which the damsel is supposed, by the ardent admirers of the fable, to have really drowned herself, are still "pointed out ; and lastly the isle of Hveen, where Tycho Brahe made his astrono mical discoveries, gradually faded from the sight, and we continued on our course up the Cattegat. On the evening of the thirteenth day we passed by Fair Isle, a small, lofty rock, inhabited by a few fishermen, and lying midway between the Shetlands and the Orkneys. Early next morning we were welcomed into the Atlantic by a gale of wind, and Foul Island, the most westerly of the Shetlands, appeared under our lee. A large three-masted ship, at first close to us, kept driving rapidly to leeward, and in all probability long before night left its wreck on the ill-omened isle.

After a lapse of three days the weather moderated, and we passed to the southward of the Feroe Isles, though not sufficiently near to see them. The change of latitude began now to be appa rent by the temperature, and the thermometer fell twenty degrees of Reaumur, in the course of half as many days. On making the south-western extremity of Iceland we encountered another heavy gale, accompanied with much rain and thick weather. After four days we had a favorable change, and the horizon being clear, we were enabled on the 21st day to see the land bearing N.E., and found that we were near the northern side of Faxe Fiord. The land before us, as viewed from the deck, formed a deep semicircular bay, bounded on the N.W. by the snow-capped Snœfiell Jokul/ and its southern extremity was enclosed by a range of mountains, that run through the whole of Gulbringe Syssel, among which rose conspicuously a single mountain, called Koile and Sukkertopper from its presensing the form of a perfect cone from every point of view.

Along the coast lofty black mountains frowned in bleak majesty, terminating close to the water's edge, and strongly indented by deep friths, which penetrated into the interior as far as the eye could reach. In the morning a pilot, for whom signals had been fired overnight, made his appearance in the distance : he presently came on board with two companions. The latter were in very sorry plight; they had been out all night, and their drenched clothes, together with their long hair, and unshaved faces, gave them by no means a prepossessing appearance. They steered us through some small islands, and brought us to anchor within a quarter of a mile of Reikiavik. There were but five ships in the harbour, and of these three were only awaiting our arrival to set sail, which they did that very evening.

From the anchorage the town presented little more than an assemblage of red flags, as it is so low that b3 roof only of the houses are visible from the water. The captain, followed by some of his officers, my fellow-passenger, and myself, proceeded at once to the government house, a long stone building, formerly used as a prison. The exterior resembles a farm-house, and is whitewashed. Its only floor is surmounted by a lofty wooden roof, which contains garrets. In front a pretty well cultivated garden, with a stream flowing along the bottom of it, is entered by a neat wooden bridge. Altogether, though not very viceregal in its appearance, the house bore ex ternally a far greater look of comfort than would have been expected by a stranger. On either side of the entrance were four good-sized windows, and at the back peeped out some smart timber buildings, painted red, evidently offices, which gave a relief to the white walls of the house.

M. de Kreiger, the governor, was at the door in a scarlet uniform, waiting to receive the party ; and having read a letter which I put into his hands, from a friend of his in London, he presented me to the exiled prince, who was lately returned from the interior, and had been anxiously waiting to embark for Denmark. This personage, who is the heir presumptive to the Danish throne, but whose chances of succession are at best problematical, was a young man of about five-and-twenty, rather short and slight, and of a general appearance not much calculated to draw attention. His suite consisted of two naval lieutenants, as aides-de-camp, and a physician, and a painter, though not exactly attached to his establishment, accompanied him in his excursions. The hurry of the prince to quit the seat of his banishment was such, that at first he proposed departing at once ; but, upon consideration, his sailing was postponed till the following evening, so as to give him an opportunity of taking leave of the people in the neighbouring villages. governor invited me to dinner in the aster noon, where I met about twenty persons, chiefly officers, and a few merchants who had not yet returned to Copenhagen.

The viands on the table in every respect surpassed what the climate of Reikiavik would have led me to expect. Among the numerous dishes there was no lack of vegetables, though they were necessarily limited in kinds and size. Broccoli, potatoes, salad, and cabbages about the size of a small orange, formed the principal. After dinner, the company adjourned to a neighbouring room, to indulge in cigars and coffee; and an Icelander, who had learnt to speak English during the course of several voyages to Leith, in the war time, took me to a house kept by the merchants for the purpose of social meeting and card-playing. The latter amusement was not attempted that night, as a considerable number of the members appeared inclined to keep wassail after the true Danish style. One little round man in particular, whose rubicund face beamed with universal benevolence, was bent on doing the honours of the place, and pursued me every where vociferating in an unknown tongue, which I afterwards found out was intended for French.

The only foreigner there, was a countryman from Liverpool, who had been settled there upwards of twenty years, and had married an Icelander. After midnight, finding that the company,though diminished in numbers, was only increasing in joviality, I took my leave of the merry companions, and made the best of my way in the dark to my lodgings. My clerical friend had procured me apart ments in the house of a merchant, who had sailed that morning for Copenhagen. They consisted of two rooms, much too lofty for so severe a climate, and destitute of stove or fire place: an objection which obliged me three months afterwards to quit them, and seek for comfort in an humbler dwelling. As the furniture had been brought from Denmark, nothing but its scantiness would have been remarked ; its great cleanliness, however, a quality not every where found in Iceland was enough to make one overlook many deficiencies.

Walking down the street next morning, I heard my name called out of a very neat farm house, by one of the corvette's lieutenants, and was asked in to breakfast by the owner of it, the lands oged, or treasurer of the land. The repast was of the most substantial kind, season ed by copious libations of champagne, in honour of the toasts which the prince proposed in takingfarewell. At the announcement of each new toast, the whole of the company stood up and touched each other's glasses, an opera tion which took up several minutes, and pro longed the breakfast to the period usually allotted to a long dinner. After breakfast we all mounted the horses of the prince, and started in a party for Havni fiord and Bessestad. At our departure, and indeed during the whole of the day, it rained heavily, but to bad weather most of us had been so much accustomed that no one noticed it.

The first hour's ride was over ground alternately marshy and rocky, over which the ponies scrambled with great agility. The coasting of three deep fiords considerably lengthened the way, and compelled us to cross as many streams. Leaving behind us the last of these, we entered a part of the country entirely covered with lava ; the ground had lost all appearance of vegeta tion, and presented nothing to the sight — but a field of black cinders, produced by the burning of the stone. The track along which we now followed one another in single file, appeared formed by nature, and had been but little worn by the continued tread of horses for the last thousand years ; for the eruption which has laid waste this plain occurred before the discovery of the island, and it is remarkable that no volcanic mountain is to be found in the immediate neighbourhood, so that the plain itself must have been in a state of combustion.

The path is very tortuous, and descends into ravines and hollows from fifty or sixty feet deep. At a sudden turn in the road, the roof of one of the houses of Havnifiord peeps out, and a large bay is discovered surrounded with lava, that gives shelter to the buildings clustered between it and the sea. When seen for the first time, this " Hraun," as it is called in Icelandic, has a most awful appearance, and the mind can hardly form a more terrible picture of a tract of country over which the arm of a destroying angel has been stretched. A deathlike silence reigns on all sides, only occasionally broken by the shrill note of the golden plover, and the frequent recurrence of beacons, points out to the stranger the inevitable fate that attends in winter the traveller who deviates but a few inches from the intricate path.

Four timber dwellings and several warehouses of the same materials, together with about forty or fifty Icelandic cottages, constitute the trading town of Havnifiord. The latter are universally distinguished from the houses of Danes by the name of " Bai," and are little better than hovels constructed of turf and stones. Their owners live chiefly by fishing in the bay ; an occupation in which, from the shelter afforded by the sur rounding lava, they are seldom interrupted by bad weather. At a short distance these huts are scarcely distinguished from the ground they stand upon, and merely look like knolls where the grass has found enough soil to grow. The arrival of the prince was greeted by a display of the national colours from each of the commercial establishments, and while he and his aides-de-camp were bidding adieu to the merchants, their wives brought in wine and choco late, which are almost always offered to strangers on paying a visit.

As we had still many miles to ride, we quitted Havnifiord after an hour's stay, and crossing the " Hraun" by another path, we entered a large circular space about half a mile in diameter, which had not been touched by the lava. It was, in fact, an oasis in the desert ; no outlet was to be seen, and it seemed that the liquid mass, in running towards it from every quarter, had been suddenly checked, and left this green spot to show what had been the state of the rest before the catastrophe had happened. A narrow and almost invisible passage let us out of this meadow, and brought us, after a couple of miles, to Alftanœs, a promontory co vered with fishermen's huts. Among a few houses of a better sort, was to be marked that of the late Justitiarius of the Land's-over-Rett, or High Court, who had rendered his dwelling and the surrounding grounds as pleasant as the situation would allow.

The principal object, however, at Alftanœs is the school of Bessestad, which was removed to this place from Reikiavik about forty years ago. The house, formerly inhabited by the governors of Iceland, was> on their removing to their present residence, given up with the adjoining buildings to the teachers and students. The house, before its change of inhabitants, rejoiced in the highsounding name of Kongens Gaard, or King's Residence, and has large and lofty rooms, some of them painted with various designs, but alto gether in a rather dilapidated state. The apartments on the ground-floor have been converted into lecture-rooms and refectories, and some cham bers for the " Œconomus," who superintends the domestic arrangements of the institution. The garrets are fitted up as dormitories for the forty scholars, while the professors have houses provided for them at the back.

None of the scholars were there when we called, as the term only begins in October, and ends in May. The object of this division of the year is to give the youths an opportunity of re turning home and assisting their parents in agricultural labours during the summer, and of employing that time in study when little more than fishing can be done. The expense of re siding at the college during the eight months amounts to the trifling sum of thirty-three dollars and a third, and even this is, in many cases, paid by the king. I do not believe that the number of scholars exceeds forty, nor is it likely that many more than that number would seek admission, as none but those intended for the church, or some judicial capacity, ever think of undergoing that which with them is looked upon as a sort of university education.

Their studies consist in acquiring the Danish language, and a considerable knowledge of divinity, history, and the principles of astronomy. The classics also form a principal part of their pursuits ; they are allowed to choose between Greek and Hebrew, in neither of which, I believe, they make any progress beyond the first elements ; but all learn Latin, and to some more purpose than boys in England, for I never met with any one who had been brought up at Bessestad who could not in some way carry on a conversation in that tongue. The church attached to the college is the largest in Iceland, and one of the only four that are built of stone. In form it is but a mere oblong, with a tower at one end, which is the only thing that would prevent it being taken for a barn. The interior is filled with open seats, and has a glazed pew elevated in the form of a gallery, over the heads of the congregation, in tended for the use of the governor, while at tending divine service.

On the left ofthe chancel the stone effigy of a governor of the seven teenth century, which had been lying many years in the entrance porch, has lately been restored by the Œconomus. The viceroy is represented about the size of life, in complete armour, bearing a two-handed sword ; the execution is indifferent, and is probably foreign. The other ornaments are some wretched daubs of saints, painted on the panels of two shutters that cover the altar-piece; during prayers these are opened, and present the writhing countenances of a dozen men, in as many varieties of contor tion. The pulpit has also its compartments ornamented with figures of apostles or evange lists, in the execution of which the artist has carefully avoided a breach of the second com mandment. In the evening the governor, who was to leave the country, repeated his invitation to dinner, where I found a still larger party than the day before.

On this occasion the prince made a long valedictory speech, and when the due quantity of champagne had been drunk, and the glasses had been sufficiently often clinked, the royal exile rose and proceeded to the beach, accompanied by his suite. The Esiuberg mountains on the opposite side of the bay of Reikiavik re-echoed, perhaps for the first time, with a salute ; and, before the following: morning", he was far from the Icelandic coast on his way to Fredericks, a small town of Jutland, of which he had been appointed governor.

Chapter II. First Settlement In Iceland

Naddodr — Gardar — Ingolf — The reasons that made him emigrate — Supposed visits of Christian Irish to Iceland before Ingolf's time — The first settlers — Their manners — Dress — Commerce — Amusements. The history of Iceland can be traced, with certainty, up to the time of its discovery to wards the end of the ninth century. It has had more historians than many countries of far greater population, and thanks to its remoteness from all others, and the absence of the wars which have destroyed so many records throughout the rest of Europe, their works have been handed down to posterity unimpaired. They present to us a minute picture of the manners, during almost a thousand years, of a people, in whom we may behold all the characteristics of the Scandinavians, ferocity excepted, un changed by either time or intercourse with other nations.

Secluded as this island is, by its position, from the rest of the world, we cannot expect to have our attention drawn to such stirring; events as those which have occurred in the rest of Eu rope. The space, however, which in the annals of other nations is taken up with wars and revolutions, is, in theirs, filled by still more appalling misfortunes. The devastations of earthquakes followed by famine, form the principal features of their history. But they have a still higher claim on our sympathy : — our respect and admiration are due to a people who, surrounded by difficulties, and struggling with poverty, emerged from the barbarism which then shrouded Europe ; and though since fallen from their original state of independence, yet continue to maintain a character which would reflect credit on the most civilized nation.

Naddodr, a pirate of some celebrity, was the first person known to have landed in this country on a voyage from Norway to the Feroe Isles; he was driven, in A.D. 860, by tem pestuous weather on the eastern coast, not far from a mountain called Riedarfiall. His account of this newly-discovered country, stated it to be entirely destitute of inhabitants, and covered with snow — whence he gave it its first name Snœland. A Swede named Gardar Sverison, hearing of this discovery, resolved to visit the new country ; he touched on the eastern coast and continued his course to the north, he passed the winter of the year 864 in a bay of the northern district, called Skialfonda, and named the harbour Husavick from the houses which he had erected for his crew during their vol. i. c sojourn. On his return home he changed the name of Snœland to Gardarsholm, or Gar daiJs isle, having been the first to circumnavi gate it.

The reports of these adventurers having'en couraged others to follow in their track, the next who directed his course that way was Floki Vilgerdarson, also a pirate. Setting sail from a port in Norway named probably from himself Flokiwarda, he arrived at Shetland, at that time called Hiatland : his daughter Geir hilda who accompanied him, being lost in a swamp, he left that place, and steered towards Iceland : having no better way of keeping a right course he had taken some ravens with him from Hiatland, the first of these that he liberated returned to its home. After proceeding on his voyage for some time with a favourable wind he released another which hovered awhile above him and then settled on the yards. The third, however, which vvas freed when the voyage was more than half concluded, took its flight in *' direction of the island.

Following in its track, Floki, like his predecessors, first got sight of land on the eastern coast. Shortly after he entered the bay between Reikianœs and Snœ felsnœs, a distance of twelve Icelandic miles. A Scottish sailor named Faxe whom he had on board pronounced this bay to be the estuary of a river ; Floki to ridicule his ignorance called it Faxe-os, or Faxe's-mouth a name which it retains to the present day. Thence he passed on to Beidafroid, and wintered in Vatnsfiord in the Syssel of Bardastrand. During that period he supported his crew on fish, which abounded in the bay ; on the coming of spring the weather did not abate in rigour, on the con trary the bay was soon filled with sea-ice, driven probably from Greenland ; this circumstance caused a second change in the name of the island and induced Floki to give it the one it now bears, in consequence of finding his ship enclosed in the harbour, and every thing in sight bearing the same frozen appearance.

The sevec rity of the cold and the hardships which he underwent, do not, however, seem to have daunted him, for we find that he passed a second winter in the southern part of the island and at last returned to Norway, when in consequence of the use he had made of ravens on his voyage, he was surnamed Rafne Floki. Such is the account given of the discovery of Iceland by the first three men who landed in it. They each represent it not only as a desert, but entirely without traces of any inhabitants, a condition however in which it was not destined to continue much longer. The state of Norway was undergoing a very material change, in consequence of the resolution that Harold Haafagre had formed of uniting the whole of that country under his sway. It is said that he was first incited to this desire of supreme dominion by the taunt of a princess who refused to accept his hand in marriage, while he remained a mere yar], the title given to the numerous petty sovereigns of Norway.

Fired at this rebuff, Harold made a vow to leave his hair uncut, till he should have reduced the whole of the Yarls, and hence arose the name of Haarfagre, or Fair-haired, that was from that time applied to him. Justice to his neighbours was incompatible with the strict fulfilment of his vow; but the Norwegian did not allow any scruple to stand in the way of his wishes, his acts of aggression were such as to drive many of the weaker nobles from their country. It is to the civil war that was thus lighted up in Norway, and to the numerous expulsions consequent on it, that the rapid colonization of such a dreary country as Iceland is to be attributed ; and it is also owing to the same causes that the first emigrants, far from being the dregs of their own nation, were chiefly from the noblest and most independent families in Norway.

As the reason that induced the first settler, Ingolf, to seek a new home, arose from different circumstances, the account of it is dwelt upon more at large in the ancient Sagas. Ingolf, the son of On, a Norwegian of noble extraction and distinguished valour, had a sister named Helga, who is represented as graced with exquisite beauty, and adorned with every virtue and accomplishment that the Scandinavians admired in the female character. This damsel was beloved by her cousin, Leif, more commonly known by the surname of Hiorleif, which he had acquired in Ireland from having taken the sword of one of its petty kings in battle. In the same part of Norway as Ingolf, and in habits of inti macy with him and Hiorleif, dwelt three youths, who rejoiced inthe euphonous names of Hallstein, Holmstein, and Herstein.