Saga - 1964, Page 57

ÞÆTTIR ÚR VERZLUNARSÖGU
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SUMMARY
The first part of the essay is a brief review of Norwegian trade
from the Viking Age to about the year 1300, as this is the background
to the Icelandic foreign trade of the same period. Right from the
time of the settlement of Iceland the Icelanders had by far their
closest contacts with the Norwegians. A large number of the settlers
came from Norway or were of Norwegian origin, and the Norwegians
were the only nation known for certain to have sailed to Iceland
before 1400. Although there is mention in the lOth, llth and 12th
centuries of men from England, France, Germany, Scandinavia and
elsewhere as visiting Iceland they came usually in Norwegian ships.
When with the passage of time family ties between Icelanders and
people in distant lands had become dissolved, voyages to those lands
became more dangerous than before, and Norway became the main
sanctuary of Icelandic sailors. Icelandic ships are mentioned as hav-
ing been confiscated in Denmark and France, while Icelandic seamen
were taken prisoners both in Ireland and Scotland. About 1022 Ice-
land and Norway agreed on reciprocal rights for their subjects and
on relations between the two countries. It was stated in the agree-
ment that Icelanders might sail from Iceland wherever they wished.
In other words, the Icelanders thought it wiser to safeguard their
freedom of navigation by an agreement with the King of Norway early
in the llth century. In those days they sailed, for instance, to Green-
land and via the Orkneys to the British Isles, though little mention
is to be found of these voyages.
Up to the 14th century Iceland exported mainly agricultural prod-
ucts — homespun (wadmole), skins, wool (the Norwegians also produ-
ced such goods in large quantities themselves), whereas falcons, sul-
Phur, horses and meal were never important exports except for a
few private individuals. Sulphur was produced on some farms in
the district of Þingeyjarsýsla, and the export of corn was probably
confined to the eorn-growing areas of the south and limited by high
cost of living in Norway. Homespun (wadmole) was the main export
item, but changes in fashion and increased manufacture of clothing
in Western Europe resulted in the elimination of some types of
Icelandic homespun after 1200 and a fall in price of some others. The
chief imports were a sort of luxury: clothing, arms, honey and malt
for brewing, while the main necessities imported to Iceland were tar
for boatbuilding, kettles and ironware. There was also an insignificant
import of meal both from Norway and the Orkneys. For example, the
Archbishop of Trondheim obtained permission in the 12th century
to export 30 lasts of meal to Iceland during a good season.
The Icelandic market does not seem to have been very popular
until the 14th century, as sailings were infrequent, and in some
years bad seasons and difficult economic conditions probably had
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