Iceland was the last major landmass on Earth to be settled by humans
In short: While most of the world was populated millennia ago, Iceland remained a wild, uninhabited frontier until the Viking Age. Settled by Norse explorers in the late 9th century, this remote island developed a unique political system without a king, creating a society governed by chieftains and an early parliament.
Iceland’s human history began abruptly around 874 CE, when Ingólfr Arnarson arrived from Norway to establish a homestead in Reykjavík. While some evidence suggests Irish monks may have visited earlier in search of solitude, they reportedly departed upon the arrival of Norse settlers. By the end of the settlement period, which spanned roughly 870 to 930 CE, over 400 settlers had staked claims to the land, bringing families, servants, and enslaved people from across the British Isles and Nordic regions.
The resulting society, known as the Commonwealth, was defined by a distinct lack of central executive power. Instead, authority rested with about 40 chieftains, or godar, who organized local assemblies and presided over a national parliament called the Althing at Thingvellir. While all farmers were required to belong to a chieftaincy, they theoretically maintained the freedom to switch their allegiance. However, this system offered no democratic protections for women or the enslaved, and by the 13th century, internal power struggles among the godar led to the collapse of the Commonwealth.
In 1262–64, the Icelandic chieftains swore allegiance to the Norwegian king, hoping to restore peace to a fractured nation. This marked the end of an era of independence, as the island eventually fell under the influence of the Kalmar Union and later Danish rule. Despite these external shifts, the legacy of the Commonwealth persists in the Icelandic sagas, which were written down in the following centuries, preserving the memory of a society that functioned for hundreds of years without a monarch.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Iceland - Viking Settlement, Geothermal Energy, Volcanic Activity | Britannica
- Also: History of Iceland
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-history-of-iceland.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in History by country, small region and city · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
