Where Do Icelanders Come From?

How long has Iceland been inhabited? Who are the natives? Where do the Icelanders come from?

Settlement in Iceland 

Historians agree that Icelandic settlement began in 874 when a Norwegian Viking called Ingólfur Arnarsson was the first one to settle in the country. He landed in a bay where he saw steam rising from the earth, which he mistook for smoke. He named this place 'Bay of Smoke' or in Icelandic 'Reykjavík'. It wasn't until almost a millennium later that this location became a city (in 1786) and later the capital of Iceland.

The Icelandic Age of Settlement is considered to have taken place between 874 and 930 when the parliament, Althing, was founded in Thingvellir. Þingvellir forms a part of the Golden Circle, a popular tourist route, if you are interested in the Icelandic history you can also combine a tour of the Golden Circle with the Saga trail.

Recent excavations in Reykjavík revealed ruins that date from 871 (+/- 2 years) and there is some mention of Norse Vikings encountering Gaelic monks living in Iceland in the settlement years. Still today, it is possible to read about the Vikings in the Icelandic Sagas.

Icelandic Ancestry 

In fact, Icelanders have about 60% Norse origins and the rest is Scottish or Irish heritage. This is because the Vikings would stop on their way to Iceland in Scotland and Ireland and take people hostage and transfer them to Iceland to use as slaves.

Obviously with time, some 'merge' took place. This explains the fair complexion of Icelanders, with the majority of them having blonde or slightly ginger hair and blue eyes. Some people joke that this explains why the Icelandic men are strong and the women are beautiful, through the strong 'survival of the fittest' Viking genes and the beauty from Gaelic belles.

Icelandic Independence

Iceland was ruled by Denmark, then Norway and again Denmark for centuries and didn't gain it's independence until 1944. Iceland's independence day was chosen to be the 17th of June, the birthday of Jón Sigurðsson, the leader of the independence movement in the 19th century, even though he died in 1879.

Interestingly, Jón is often called 'Jón president' and some people mistake him for being Iceland's first president. That is obviously not true since he died years before Iceland gained independence but this is because he was a president of an Icelandic Literature Society in Copenhagen and also a president at Althing several times. You can see Jón's picture on the Icelandic 500 ISK note or look at the statue of him at Austurvöllur.

Modern Day 

Iceland Today, around 320 thousand people live in Iceland. Only about 30 thousand are immigrants - from various different countries. Native Icelanders can still trace their origins hundreds of years back, simply by looking it up in the National Registry online.

Source: Guide to Iceland
May 2014
Iceland24

Lopapeysa, the Icelandic sweater

The Icelandic lopapeysa is dear to Icelanders and visitors alike. They can be seen all over, both in the city and the countryside as they are worn by an eclectic bunch.

They provide warmth to young children at play, hip teenagers trying to look cool and old fishermen battling the cold. The lopapeysa is both beautiful and practical, the unique wool used to make it, called lopi, has insulation abilities and repels water as well. This is thanks mainly to the sheep who provide it, having been isolated in Iceland since the first Vikings arrived to the island.

The pattern used to adorn the Lopi sweater is traditionally most prominent around the neck and shoulder area, with details at the bottom around the hips and around the cuffs. The pattern has developed through time and today there are several versions and the colors used vary as well.

The history of the lopapeysa is surprisingly not a long one, with the first sweaters appearing in the 50's. The original designer is not known, and generally people believe it must have been a group if women knitting together rather than just one person. The original colors of the lopapeysa were not the typical ones used today, which consist mainly of earthy colors like white, brown, black and grey. Back in the 50's and 60's when these sweaters first appeared it was considered more stylish to dress in vibrant colors that did not resemble the colors of sheep. It wasn't until a bit later when tourists began to show interest in the lopapeysa that the natural toned colors became popular.

In recent years a controversy arose over the legitimacy of some of the lopapeysas being sold. It was discovered that some producers were outsourcing work to China, without clearly marking their product as being produced outside of Iceland. Many claimed that the sweaters produced on foreign territory were fakes and should be avoided when purchasing aiming at authentic lopapeysa. This begs the question, what makes a lopapeysa the real deal? Is it the lopi, the color, the pattern, or perhaps even the nationality of the person who made it? The answer to this is unclear, though one thing is for sure, the lopi and the pattern on the round at the shoulders must be present.

In recent years the lopapeysa has gained popularity on the home front, due most likely to the financial crash. The crash prompted a surge of national pride. People felt nostalgic for a simpler time in Icelandic history, a time when we were farmers, fishermen and peasants. Post 2007 the lopi sweater was everywhere, being worn downtown by people of all creeds and by frequently visible on Dorrit Moussaief, Iceland's first lady.

Before this shift in fashion the lopapeysa was generally not seen on a day to day basis. Their use was reserved for national festivals like independence day and cultural night and during gatherings in the country side and camping trips.

Nowadays, thanks to the popularity of this beautiful sweater, they are widely available for purchase all over the city of Reykjavík, and all other towns of Iceland.

If you enjoy knitting and want to create your own lopapeysa the first step is to buy the lopi wool. It can be purchased at all knitting stores and in some tourist shops. You could even make a day of it and take a trip to the historical Álafoss store. It is located in the town of Mosfellsbær, a twenty minute drive from Reykjavík. Álafoss began producing wool in 1896, there is even a type of wool named after it, the Álafoss lopi, which is often used when knitting a lopapeysa.

So, wether you want to stay warm, look good or perhaps try your hand at knitting the lopapeysa is a must have for all.

Source: Planiceland
Iceland24, October 2013