Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1991, Page 19

Problems Concerning the Earliest
Settlement in the Faroe Islands
Hans Jacob Debes
PURPOSE
In recent years it has become more diffi-
cult to be a Faroese historian than it was
before. Old solutions of difficult and and
fundamental questions and problems in
our history may have been undermined so
as to make the historian less self-confident
than he was earlier.
However, in my opinion, this has not
been a destructive development. On the
contrary, this is an indication that there is
growth in research in our country, not only
in the dissipline of history, but also in re-
lated sciences, especially in archaeology
and natural sciences, in the connection
especially botany.
Research in our field is not only going
on in our new university, Fróðskaparsetur
Føroya, but also in institutions with which
we co-operate, especially the National
Museum, Føroya Fornminnissavn, the
National Archives, Føroya Landsskjala-
savn and the Museum of Natural History,
Føroya Náttúrugripasavn. Also we are in
close co-operation with Danish institutions
and scholars.
What I shall try to do in this paper is to
give only a broad outline of the research
Fróðskaparrit 38.-39. bók (1989-90): 23-34
and discussion of one of the main themes,
perhaps the most interesting one, in our
history: The problems concerning the ear-
iiest settlement in the Faroe Islands, giving
first my own presentation of the sources at
our disposal, divided up into different (and
simplified) categories, the general views of
historians, archaeologists and natural sci-
entists, stressing not only different views,
but also the different starting-points re-
sulting from different methods of work.
Finally, I shall make a try at a provisio-
nal conclusion as to the present state of
research in the field, by summing up what
to me seems inportant.
»The Irish Question«
It was only in the Romantic days of the
19th century that the Faroese began to try
to find roots that were not Faroese. It was
not enough just to be Faroese, members of
a small and historically insignificant
people, in the midst of their national awa-
kening. They had to find some other and
more exotic points of identification. Per-
haps everyday life over the centuries had
been too tedious — some »grandeur« was
necessary!