Saga - 1964, Page 58

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BJÖRN ÞORSTEINSSON
an adverse effect on sailings. In the 13th century the state of prices
was similar in Norway and Iceland, the purchasing power of money
dropped, while goods became dearer, especially necessities. There
was then an increase of sailings to Norway because of increased fish
production; Iceland was not producing stockfish for export until the
14th century.
In the years 1262—64 the Icelanders acknowledged their dependence
on the King of Norway by a special treaty, the „Old Covenant",
according to which the King promised the Icelanders that, for in-
stance, 6 ships should sail annually from Norway to Iceland. This
meant that there were 12 ships sailing between the two countries, 6
from Iceland in summer and 6 to Iceland, where they remained throu-
ghout the winter. 6 ocean-going ships in the 13th century did not
carry anything like enough food for a nation that probably numbered
about 70 thousand. The ship clause was repeated until 1319 in the
lists of conditions presented by the Icelanders to the King. This
clearly shows that the Icelandiers were mostly self-supporting and did
not expect imports of food (corn) until the second quarter of the 14th
century.
Snorri Sturluson (d. 1241) owned the last ocean-going ship known
to be in possession of Icelanders before 1262, but by that year they
were completely devoid of such vessels. There had never been a
seafaring class in Iceland and there was little basis for independent
commercial sailings. In the 13th century the Icelandic chieftains
became wealthier and needed to dispose of their goods, or their
revenue from land and agencies somehow or other. By means of
the ships clause they ensured minimum imports to Iceland, whatever
the season was like in Norway, but it was also necessary for the King
that communications should be as good as possible with the new
dependency since he needed to obtain his taxes, from there.
When the Old Covenant was reaffirmed in 1302 it was stated
that 6 ships should sail to Iceland if not prevented by force majeure.
This shows, for instance, that the King was unable to fulfil his
obligations regarding sailings in all years. In 1306 the Icelanders
demanded that the ships „be loaded with such goods as were of
benefit to Iceland". By this time foreign merchants were becoming
interested in Icelandic stockfish, which appeared on the English
market in 1307. Iceland followed a similar policy to that of Norway
in export matters, demanding that food should not be exported
except for return payment in food i. e. corn in return for stockfish.
In 1294 Iceland put a ban on the export of stockfish, and in 1319 the
ban on the export of stockfish and meal was renewed. Iceland
further demanded that the 6 ships should sail to different parts of
the island: two to the north, two to the south, one to the west and
one to the east. After the beginning of stockfish exports from Iceland
there were changes in the trading ports, as the sailors concentrated
on the harbours near the best fishing grounds. By about 1320 the
seamen had probably started to abandon the ancient trading places