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benedikt12bwThe President in Iceland likes to think he has absolute power. Luckily, the position is largely ceremonial.  more



 
May 20 | Rhubarb Stew
rhubarb01Watch an audio slideshow of how traditional Icelandic rhubarb stew is made. Rhubarb is one of the few vegetables that grows effortlessly in Iceland and for that reason it used to be a highly-valued addition to the traditional diet of fish and lamb.  more




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05.04.2010 | 11:20

Archeology: When did the First Settlers Come to Iceland?

One of the things that makes Iceland unique in Europe is the fact that Icelanders know the year the first settler, Ingólfur Arnarson, came to Iceland from Norway. The Icelandic script, Íslendingabók (Book of Icelanders), written by Ari the wise, tells of the first men coming to Iceland on explorations.

Three expeditions came to Iceland, but the first men who came to Iceland to live there permanently were Ingólfur and Hjörleifur. The two came to Iceland in 874. Hjörleifur was killed by his slaves, which only left Ingólfur and his wife Hallgerdur Fródadóttir. They settled in Reykjavík, now the capital of Iceland. An excavation in the center of Reykjavík seems to indicate that this story might be true. It shows that the remnants of building stem from the year 871+/-2 years. That website is worth examining. It has a number of interactive features and recreates the 871 environment.

In recent years some archeologists have begun to doubt that the first year of settlement was really around 870. Those who subscribe to this view point to a number of finds, but most of those actually stem from the years after 870 A.D. However, they bring interesting new facts to live.

RÚV tells us of archeologist Bjarni F. Einarsson, who last year studied a settlement building near the church at Kirkjuvogur in Hafnir on the Reykjanes peninsula (close to Keflavík). Einarsson says the building was probably not a farm. It could not have been built later than 880 A.D. The building contains a lot of rocks, but such buildings have only been found in the Westmann Isles and in Papey Island in the east of Iceland. The fact that no other buildings are close to the one found show that it is not a farm.

Einarson points out that it is known that people came to Iceland before the country was settled. Íslendingabók actually says that Irish monks were in Iceland before the Nordic settlers came. They were called Papar, and Papey draws its name from these Irish monks that left behind bells and crosiers.


childrens_film_festivalThe 2013 Reykjavík International Children’s Film Festival opens at the cinema Bíó Paradís on Hverfisgata in downtown Reykjavík on May 29.  more

althingi-parliament_ipaThe exchange of power in Iceland took place yesterday when the government of Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson formally took over from that of Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and ministers exchange keys.  more

everest_wikiMountaineer Leifur Örn Svavarsson became the first Icelander to reach the peak of Everest, the world’s highest mountain, by the North Face from Tibet just before sunrise yesterday morning.  more

sigmundur_new_government_2013_goIceland’s new government formally took power today following a state council meeting at Bessastaðir, the presidential residence.  more

















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ir0213_coverThe 2013 April-May issue of Iceland Review & Atlantica has been released. Packed with informative and entertaining stories, highlights include an interview with outgoing Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir and the people who know her best, a photo essay of ice caves in Europe’s largest glacier and a colorful feature on life in the West Fjords.  more



REVIEWS
reykjavik_shorts_and_docs_2013The 11th Reykjavík Shorts & Docs. Catch it while it lasts!  more

inspired_by_isafjordur_thumbnail_asArtist couple Nína Ivanova and Ómar Smári Kristinsson explain why they decided to settle in the West Fjords’ capital.
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reykjavik_queer_choir_facebookReykjavík Queer Choir’s annual spring concert takes place on Friday, May 24.
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