Iceland.
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v
abode extremely unwholesome.
The long winter evenings are not idled
siway in the fanner's house. Every mem
ber of the family finds some employment.
The father and sons mend their tools, or,
perhaps, fashion beautiful ornaments (in
which the Icelanders are said to excel)
from the gold and silver, which he has
procured of the merchanls at the fair.
The mother and daughters knit or spin.
whiles some member of the family reads
uloud to the others thus engaged.
The people of Iceland are noted for
their moral and religious characters.
This is duo in part, no doubt, to the gen
eral diffusion of knowledge among all
classes of the people. The children are
instructed in the elementary branches by
the parents, and in the absence of the
public schools, the village pastor often
acts the part of teacher.
But, from considering the present con
dition of Iceland and its people, let us
turn our attention for a few moments to a
brief glance at its past history. For it
has a history, older than that of the New
"World, and scarcely less' entertaining
and instructive than that of Greece and
Homo. The Icelandic chroniclers toll us
that in the year SOI A, I)., Noddodr, a
Norwegian pirate, in sailing to the Faroe
Islands, was driven to the northward of
his course, and discovered the coast of
Iceland, upon which ho bestowed the
name ofSnowland.
Gaidar next visited and circumnaviga
ted the island in 8(J4. When he returned
home to Norway he gave his countrymen
so flattering an account of the country
that Floki, a renowned Viking, determined
to colonize it. After an eventful voyage
in which, as it is said, ho was guided by a
raven after ho hud left the Faroe Islands,
he landed on the south-western coast of
the Island, which still bears tho name of
Faxa Fiord which ho then gave it.' Here
thccolonists began a settlement, but neg
lecting to cut hay for winter, the cattle
which they had brought uth them died
of starvation. Disappointed in all his ex
pectations, Floki returned home at the
end of two years, and gave his countrymen
a gloomy account of tho land to
which ho had in contempt now given the
name of Iceland.
But tho political disturbances and op
pressions in Europe soon drove oilier col
oniststotho island. In SOO-ft), Ingolfr
and his cousin Loif succeeded in estab
lishing a permanent settlement on the
southern coast. From this lime on until
tho present Iceland continues to be an in
habitated country. The political oppres
sions in Europe drove hither not only set
tlers from Norway, but also from Sweden
and Denmark, Scotland and Ireland. At
first each band of emigrants chose its
chief, and took possession of certain
lands, which were held in common. JJu:
intestine strife and anarchy grew out of
this disposition of the lands. At length,
tired of continual broils, tho Icelanders
commissioned Ullliot tho Wise to frame a
constitution and code of laws, which they
soon afterward peacefully adopted.
Tho island was now divided into twelw
provinces and four districts. Each di.
trict had its own judge and assembly
called tho " Thing, " while a general as
sembly, called the "Althing," was the
supremo parliament of this northern re
public, and an ol"otod president, called
"Logmntherung," was the chief magis
trate. This form of government continued in
force until tho year 1254, when tho island
was transf'ered to the Norwegian crown.
With tho loss of her independence the
glory of Iceland perished. Here on tl'ii
northern isle, for 1140 years, flourished n
republican form of government, whose
celebrated families, bold discoverers, and
literati, were renowned throughout the
North. Here was light while all Europe
was shrouded in the darkness of tho mid
dle ages. 'I ho writings of Samund,
Frodi, Aro Thorgilson, Gissur, and Suorri
Sturleson, graced the literature of this Arc
tic isle and became tho annals of the whole
Scandinavian world. From hero such
EJHHSBH