The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1973, Page 75

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
73
from Norway. “Harold conquered
Rogaland. . . Geirmund Hell-Skin
realized he had no chance but to em-
igrate (s-112)”. However, there were
other causes. Several went to escape
the consequences of manslaughter and
others were stirred to join the venture
in a new land.
The migrants from Norway were
joined iby many Norse who had previ-
ously settled in Ireland, England, and
Scotland; in Scotland such places as
Argyll, Caithness, the Hebrides, and
the Orkneys.
Life of Settlers. The settlers were of
high and low degree. A few were born
of petty kings, especially in Norway,
Ireland, and Scotland. There were sev-
eral chieftains with their retinue, in-
cluding numerous freedmen and slaves.
Some of these bondmen and bond-
women were of royal descent. There
were a few Vikings.
A picture of the Icelandic land-
scape emerges, with extensive woods
and pastures.
Farming was the universal occup-
ation. Stock included horses, cattle,
sheep, and swine. Cornfields are men-
tioned. Fish were taken from the
rivers and the sea.
In religion, the majority were pagan
and sacrificed, with Thor frequently
.specified. Some from the British Isles
were Christian, or combined Chris-
tian and pagan beliefs. Thorkel Moon,
the Law speaker, believed in the God
who created the sun (s-16); some relied
on their own strength, and there was
Hall the Godless, (s-12).
There was a surprising amount of
wealth. Ketilbjorn the Old was so
wealthy that he could tell his sons to
forge a crossbeam of silver for the
temple they built (s-385), and several
men were nicknamed “The Wealthy”.
“At the most magnificent funeral
feast ever to be held in Iceland” there