DOCSLIB.ORG

The Development of Education and Grammatica in Medieval Iceland

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Development of Education and Grammatica in Medieval Iceland The Development of Education and Grammatica in Medieval Iceland By Ryder Patzuk-Russell A Thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of Doctor of Medieval History Department of History School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham November 2016 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract This study explores how education and the medieval intellectual and pedagogical discipline of grammatica developed in Iceland during the medieval period, defined roughly from the official conversion to Christianity c.1000 to the Reformation c.1550. The first chapter deals with social, institutional, and financial aspects of teaching and learning in medieval Iceland, surveying key figures and places, but also arguing that more attention should be paid to the costs of learning and the effect of that on poor students. The second chapter addresses Latin education, discussing the importance of Latinity in medieval Iceland and the types of education that would involve Latin. It also addresses the idea of bilingual education and suggests ways in which extant vernacular writings can provide evidence for how Latin was taught and learned using the vernacular, using the model of Old English bilingual education. Finally, the third chapter addresses vernacular topics of learning, focusing on the development of a vernacular grammatica which is focused on the interpretation and normalization of Old Norse texts, rather than the understanding and use of Latin. Discussing these three components of educational history together is fundamental to understanding the intellectual and pedagogical dynamics behind the extant medieval Icelandic textual corpus. Acknowledgements I have had an incomparable support network during this dissertation project, and there are more excellent people to whom I am indebted than I can enumerate: my supervisor Chris Callow for his advice, guidance, patience, and meticulous editing – all errors that remain are my own; my fellow PhDs at the University of Birmingham, above all Bernadette McCooey, for their support, company, and encouragement; the rising stars of Old Norse intellectual history, Dale Kedwards and Nik Gunn, for excellent discussions and the reminder that my work might not be that esoteric after all; James McMullen and Paul Peterson for keeping me humble; Rebecca Merkelbach, Joanne Shortt Butler, Ben Allport, David Baker, Caitlin Ellis, Moa Höijer, and all the rest of the Cambridge folk for good company, beer, and for making me feel like a part of the community; Margaret Cormack for sharing her work, interest, and excellent advice; Cassidy Patzuk-Russell and Lynne Russell for unfailing support and confidence; all the folks at the Munrow Sports Centre for keeping me sane. Finally, I would like to thank Haraldr Bernharðsson, Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir, Torfi Tulinius and everyone else at Háskoli Íslands and the Stofnun Árna Magnússonar for getting me into this, and convincing me that I might have something to contribute. Contents Introduction 1 I. Medieval Icelandic Society and Culture 2 II. Grammatica and Medieval Education 3 III. Primary Sources for Icelandic Education and Grammatica 7 IV. Outline of this Study 18 Chapter 1: Schools and Education in Iceland 21 1.1 The Historical Background and Sources of Icelandic Education 21 1.1.1 Education in the Commonwealth Period 22 1.1.2 Education after 1262 34 1.1.3 The Biskupasögur as Sources 44 1.2 Educational Contexts and Institutions 50 1.2.1 Fosterage and Education 53 1.2.2 Cathedrals and the Institutional Aspect of Education 60 1.2.3 Education in Monasteries 69 1.2.4 Education Abroad 72 1.3 Teachers, Patrons, and Students 79 1.3.1 Teachers and Patrons 79 1.3.2 Cost and Function of Education for Students 83 Conclusion 92 Chapter 2: Latinity and Bilingual Education 94 2.1 The Significance of Latin 96 2.1.1 Liturgy, Booklists, and the Missing Latin Corpus 97 2.1.2 Elite Latinity: Teaching, Communication, and Personal Devotion 106 2.2 A Bilingual Educational System: Elementary Education and Grammatica 116 2.2.1 Elementary Education: Alphabets and Music 117 2.2.2 Elementary Learning: Computus and Calendrical Lore 121 2.2.3 Elementary to Intermediate: Basic Reading, Grammatica, and the Clerical Curriculum 124 2.2.4 Grammatica, Booklists, and Advanced Learning 132 2.2.5 The Problem of Literacy: Quantitative Analyses and Qualitative Judgments 146 2.3 Latin and the Vernacular and the ON Grammatical Treatises 151 2.3.1 The English and German Models 152 2.3.2 Old English, German, and the Origins of Icelandic Grammatica 156 2.3.3 Grammatical Terminology in ON and OE 163 Conclusion 172 Chapter 3: The Development of Vernacular Grammatica 175 3.1 The Origins and Influences of Icelandic Vernacular Grammatica 176 3.1.1 The Precedent of Runacy, Poetics, History, and Law 177 3.1.2 The Development of Textualization and Vernacular Grammatica 190 3.1.3 Intersection of Developing Grammatical Traditions 200 3.2 Development of Interpretation in Vernacular Grammatica 213 3.2.1 Vernacular Normalization, Truth, and Interpretation 213 3.2.2 Complex Language and Interpretation 222 3.2.3 Simple Language and Interpretation 232 3.3 Teaching Vernacular Grammatica 239 3.3.1 The Pedagogical Functions of Vernacular Grammatica and of Latin Grammatica 239 3.3.2 Teaching Vernacular Grammatica to the Laity 245 Conclusion 249 Conclusion 251 Appendix 1: Diplomatic Evidence of Schools and Teaching 256 Appendix 2: Glossary of Old Norse Grammatical Terminology 311 Appendix 3: Excerpts of Old Norse Commentary on Language Use 347 Bibliography 365 Abbreviations 1GT: First Grammatical Treatise 2GT: Second Grammatical Treatise 3GT: Third Grammatical Treatise 4GT: Fourth Grammatical Treatise DI: Diplomatarium Islendicum DN: Diplomatarium Norvegicum MG: Málskrúðsfræði MS: Málsfræðinnar Grundvöllr OE: Old English ON: Old Norse ONP: Dictionary of Old Norse Prose Introduction Education is a key and often under-appreciated component of medieval culture, society, and textuality. The relationship between students, teachers, schools, ideologies and disciplines of learning, and pedagogical texts relates to many different aspects of history, affecting intellectual, social, institutional, and even economic issues. For the distinct social and cultural context of medieval Iceland, involving a unique corpus of vernacular literature produced in an unusually decentralized and rural society, questions of education are particularly pertinent: how did teaching and learning occur, what topics were important, who was involved and how did education affect individuals and society? This study will broadly examine the topic of education in medieval Iceland for the period from Christianization to the Reformation, roughly 1000-1550. Dealing with such a wide topic over such a long period means that this study cannot address in detail all aspects and issues of medieval Icelandic education. The goal is rather to open educational topics to new questions and research, to show the significance of education, Latinity, and grammatical learning to other fields of historical and literary study, and above all to argue for the complexity and diversity of educational contexts and practices. No previous study has attempted to deal with Icelandic education on this comprehensive level. To this end a wide diversity of sources will be examined: sagas and other narrative sources, legal codes, documents and liturgical writings, poetry, and grammatical treatises. The discipline of grammatica requires particular attention in the study of medieval Icelandic education for several reasons. First, it is the core discipline of medieval pedagogy, addressing basic Latin literacy and textual interpretation, but it also represents a body of ideology and philosophy about language and learning that affects many aspects of medieval culture. Second, the Icelandic grammatical treatises are one of the very few pieces of explicitly pedagogical writing surviving from medieval Iceland. Yet, as vernacular texts which deal primarily with Old Norse (ON) language and poetics, they are divergent from the core Latin grammatical tradition, and in their extant forms represent only one narrow aspect of education in Iceland. This dissonance between the wider discipline of grammatica and the 1 Icelandic grammatical treatises is fundamental to the core argument of this study, that Icelandic education is more complex and diverse than has hitherto been suggested. I. Medieval Icelandic Society and Culture Iceland was settled from Norway and other parts of Northern Europe in the later ninth century. It was governed by a group of chieftains known as goðar, along with a legislative body know as the Alþing. In the year 1000, with pressure from the king of Norway Óláfr Tryggvason, Christianity was accepted as the official religion of Iceland by agreement of the Alþing. Over the course of the eleventh and twelfth centuries the two bishoprics, Skálholt and Hólar, and a series of monasteries were established. In 1152 the archbishop of Níðaróss was established in Norway, and ecclesiastical reform began to spread from Norway into Iceland. In 1262, after a period of conflict between increasingly powerful and wealthy families, known as the Age of the Sturlungs, Iceland came under direct control of the Norwegian king. By the end of the thirteenth century, greater control over the Icelandic church from Níðaróss helped shift Icelandic churches from private ownership to episcopal control, and a system of benefices developed for the first time. In 1380, with the union between Norway and Denmark, Iceland switched from Norwegian to Danish rule, and papal influence over the Icelandic bishoprics increased.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Krækingur Photobucket Press Here!
    NSU 2014 Krækingur Online Sauðárkrókur, Iceland -Sunday 27th of July Weather report Culture event Sunday 27th of July Supplied by the Icelandic weather service, In Haugsnes field Bergstaðir station Sauðárkróki. 10:00 Today at 19:30 the municipality of Skagafjörður will invite NSU participants to experiance the historical +12 Battlefield of Haugsnes with guidance around the 1 m/s area and some historical explanations. The Battle of Haugsnes, Haugsnesbardagi in Icelandic, was fought at a low peninsula south of Flugumýri in Skagafjörður on April 19, 1246 between 12:00 two hostile Chieftains in Iceland during the +13 Sturlung Era (Sturlungaöld), a period in Iceland’s history marked by violence and conflicts. The battle 2 m/s was fought with the highest number of casualties in Icelandic history. The combatants of the battle numbered more than 1000 men, close to 2,5% of 15:00 the Icelandic population at the time, and ended in +14 about 110 deaths. Haugsnesbardagi marked one of the stepping 4 m/s stones towards the end of the Icelandic common- wealth, which came to an end with the signing of the Old Covenant (Gamli sáttmáli ) in 1262 and 18:00 brought Iceland under the Norwegian crown. Krækingur +12 After having been introduced to this dramatic history, it is ideal to relax in one of Iceland’s most 4 m/s interesting swimming pool at Hofsós, enjoying the hotobucket breathtaking view over Skagafjörður and Drangey island from the hot tub. People will be offered a 21:00 glass of white wine and taste of local beer. Estimat- P ed time of return is at 23:30, it is possible though to ress here! +13 return earlier.
    [Show full text]
  • What Did They Sound Like?
    Háskóli Íslands Hugvísindasvið Íslensk miðaldafræði What did they sound like? Reconstructing the music of the Viking Age Ritgerð til MA-prófs í íslenskum miðaldafræðum Chihiro Tsukamoto Kt.: 250493-3209 Leiðbeinandi: Þórir Jónsson Hraundal Janúar 2017 Abstract There has been much scholarship over the years regarding Scandinavian culture during the Viking Age (c. 793–1066 CE). However, often missing from these discussions is the study of music. This paper attempts to fill that gap by offering a reconstruction of Viking Age Scandinavian music. Archaeological evidence, literary records, and medieval music theories were used as the basis of this study. Archaeology indicates that Scandinavians played wind, string, and percussion instruments, while later Old Norse literary accounts detail the many circumstances wherein music was performed, and suggest the likely existence of different musical genres. I have consulted Arabic, Greek, and Latin accounts for contemporary sources, as the Scandinavian people did not have a written culture during this time. Marking a departure from typical historical analyses, I have also conducted a cross- cultural comparison of medieval Arabic, Greek, and Western European music theories in order to recognize what Scandinavian music could not have resembled. By combining archaeological, literary, and musical evidence, it is possible to propose a highly educated hypothesis on how Viking Age Scandinavian music may have sounded. Ágrip Mikið hefur verið rætt og ritað í gegnum árin um Skandinavíska menningu á Víkingaöld (um 793–1066 e.Kr.). Hins vegar er tónlist viðfangsefni sem oft virðist vanta í þessar umræður. Þessi ritgerð mun reyna að fylla það skarð með því að leggja fram tilgátu um endurgerð Skandinavískrar tónlistar frá Víkingaöld.
    [Show full text]
  • With a Particular Focus on the Saga of Grettir the Strong, Gisfi Surrson's
    Volume 3: 2010-2011 ISSN: 2041-6776 School of English Studies With a particular focus on The Saga of Grettir the Strong, Gisfi Surrson’s Saga and Nijar’s Saga, discuss the nature and role of the supernatural in Icelandic saga literature and assess the extent to which it reveals a religious significance. Georgina Georghiou At the end of the Viking Age, the Icelanders developed a literary tradition in the vernacular, Old Icelandic, in which the legendary tales of Iceland’s sogooki (the Saga Age, c. 9E1030 CE) were written.’ Hitherto sustained by the oral tradition (hence the designation saga, from segja, to say, tell’), the tales which constitute the islendrgasogur (Sagas of Icelanders, written between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries) journeyed through phases of Iceland’s cultural evolution, most notably its political movement from the Commonwealth to the Norwegian monarchy in 1262 CE, and its religious conversion from Norse paganism to Christianity under the sovereignty of King Olaf Tryggvason (995-1000 CE). Chronicling events which occurred during and after this cultural whirlwind, the sagas in their present form reflect a mystical synthesis of Norse-pagan and Christian conceptions of the sacred, both of which incited a conviction in the Supernatural’. Despite their differences, they commonly present the Scandinavian world as one which interacts with unworldly beings and forces, and whilst this ‘unworldliness’ has contributed to the modern view that the sagas are ‘pseudo- historical’,5 for the medieval Icelander, they were a record of historical truth. The truth’ invested in the supernatural involves it, inevitably, in sacred matters, and the affiliation between the supernatural and the religious has thus been a highly debated topic among saga scholarship.
    [Show full text]
  • Nú Mun Hon Sökkvask
    Lauren Hamm Kt. 290191-5219 MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis Autumn 2019 Nú mun hon sökkvask: The Connection between Prophetic Magic and the Feminine in Old Nordic Religion Lauren Hamm Lokaverkefni til MA–gráðu í Norrænni trú Leiðbeinandi: Terry Gunnell Útskriftarmánuður: Október 2019 Lauren Hamm Kt. 290191-5219 MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis Autumn 2019 Nú mun hon sökkvask The Connection between Prophetic Magic and the Feminine in Old Nordic Religion Lauren Hamm Lokaverkefni til MA–gráðu í Norrænni trú Leiðbeinandi: Terry Gunnell Félags - og mannvísindadeild Félagsvísindasvið Háskóla Íslands Október 2019 Lauren Hamm Kt. 290191-5219 MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis Autumn 2019 Nú mun hon sökkvask: The Connection between Prophetic Magic and the Feminine in Old Nordic Religion Ritgerð þessi er lokaverkefni til MA – gráðu í Norrænni trú og er óheimilt að afrita ritgerðina á nokkurn hátt nema með leyfi rétthafa. © Lauren Hamm, 2019 Prentun: Háskólaprent Reykjavík, Ísland, 2019 Lauren Hamm Kt. 290191-5219 MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis Autumn 2019 Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible if it were not for the endless kindness and patience of my thesis advisor, Dr. Terry Gunnell. I truly do not have words eloquent enough to iterate how very much he deeply cares about his work and the work of his students nor how much this meant to me personally. The year of waking up to 6:00 AM skype meetings every Tuesday with Terry provided a gentle reminder of my duties and passion for this topic as well as a sense of stability and purpose I badly needed during a tumultuous time in my life.
    [Show full text]
  • The Architectural Patchwork of the Welfare State Matilda Hellman
    Matilda Hellman & Gun Roos The architectural patchwork of the welfare state The Nordic welfare state has witnessed major internal and external transforma- tions in recent decades. Traditionally, the Nordic countries have maintained a high level of state spending on health, social security and social protection sys- tems, whereas high rates of income tax have meant that households have on aver- age had less disposable income than households in other welfare state models. The Nordic system has thus featured institutionalized elements of solidarity, social equality and commitments to inclusion of all. Recently this welfare sys- tem has had to show increased flexibility in response to increasing pressures on efficiency, shifting boundaries between the state and the market, globalization, ageing populations and a multicultural society. How, then, have the values un- derlying the typical Nordic welfare structure been negotiated in times of mount- ing pressure and adjustment? The main objective of this book is to contribute to the discussion on health and welfare as public policy tasks in times of transition. The book discusses the various trends impacting the tools and strategies applied by the Nordic countries in their efforts to regulate harmful and unhealthy be- haviours and uphold public health at the population level. The main focus is on recent history and developments over the past 20 years. The book contains thirteen cases, descriptions and analyses of policy devel- opments in the fields of lifestyle, public health and welfare, covering a whole host of policy areas: alcohol, tobacco, nutrition, illicit drugs, gambling and pharma- ceuticals. The thirteen chapters are grouped together into four parts.
    [Show full text]
  • Reference Report of the Icelandic Qualifications Framework ISQF To
    Reference report of the Icelandic Qualifications Framework ISQF to the European Qualifications Framework for Life Long Learning EQF Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneyti Mars 2014 Útgefandi: Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneyti Sölvhólsgötu 4 150 Reykjavík Sími: 545 9500 Bréfasími: 562 3068 Netfang: [email protected] Veffang: www.menntamalaraduneyti.is Umbrot og textavinnsla: Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneyti 2014 Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneyti ISBN 978-9935-436-22-1 Reference report of the Icelandic Qualifications Framework ISQF to the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning EQF Table of Contents Icelandic Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 6 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 7 2. The European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning ................................................ 9 3. The Icelandic Education System and its Qualifications ........................................................... 10 3.1 Legislative Framework ....................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Pre-schools ......................................................................................................................... 11 3.3 Compulsory
    [Show full text]
  • Living Simultaneity
    Living Simultaneity Simultaneity Living Semi-secular individuals, those who are neither religious nor unreligious, seldom get the attention of scholars of religion. Here, however, they stand at the center. Th e interviewees live in the same Stockholm neighborhood and it is their ways of talking about and relating to religion that is analyzed and described. Simultaneity is one particular feature in the material. Th is concept emphazises a ‘both and’ approach in: the way the respon- dents ascribe meaning to the term religion; how they talk about themselves in relation to diff erent religious designations and how they interpret experiences that they single out as ‘out-of-the- ordinary’. Th ese simultaneities are explained and theorized through analyses focusing on intersubjective and discursive processes. Th is work adds to a critical discussion on the supposedly far-reaching secularity in Sweden on the one hand and on the incongruence and inconsistency of lived religion on the other. In relation to theorizing on religion and religious people, this study off ers empirical material that nuance a dichotomous under- standing of ‘the religious’ and ‘the secular’. In relation to method- ology it is argued that the salience of simultaneity in the material shows that when patterns of religiosity among semisecular Swedes are studied there is a need to be attentive to expressions of com- plexity, contradiction and incongruity. Ann af Burén Living Simultaneity On religion among semi-secular Swedes Södertörns högskola SE-141 89 Huddinge Ann af Burén
    [Show full text]
  • Stefan Arnason's Lineage on His Father's Side
    Stefan Arnason’s lineage on his father’s side This is an edited and translated version of a lineage that Judith Fulford (née Arnason) got from the Íslendingabók (see glossary below). I’ve also combine this with information found in the Book of Settlements, the Sturlunga and Njall Sagas, and information on Geni. Please let me know if you spot any errors or other issues. (Jon) The idea was to take Stefan Arnason’s direct patrilineal line back as far as it would go –– a line of fathers and sons with the names highlighted in red. I’ve also added dates of key events in Iceland’s history to try to put some of these lives into the context of the times they lived in. 1 Stefan Arnason (1882 – 1956) Born: August 6, 1882. Died: December 17, 1956. Husband of Gudrun Sigurbjorg Arnason. In 1904 Stefan emigrated to Canada Father of Olof Gudrun Steeves, Einar Arni Arnason, Herman Arnason, Marvin Skafti Arnason, Katrin Margret Morgan, Valgier Snorri Arnason, Evelyn Ingibjorg Arnason, Mildred Lillian Hooke, Stephan Arnason, Anna Sigridur McLeod, Helen Donovan and Norman Gisli Arnason 2 Árni Jónatansson (1840 – 1921) Born: May 21, 1840 at Reykjadal. Died: January 19, 1921, Farmer at Þríhyrningi 1885–98 and Auðbrekku 1883–5 & from 1898 on. Husband of Gudrun Jonsdottir Father of Stefan Arnason, Valgier Sigurjon Arnason, Sigurbjorg Arnadottir, Gudrun Arnadottir, Hildur Sigrun Arnadottir, Jonaton Arnason, Anna Steinunn Arnadottir, Svanfridur Arnadottir, Snorri Jonsson Arnason, Hilmar Arnason, Sigrun Arnadottir and Ingolfur Arnason Note: This is the ancestor the surname Arnason was derived from. 3 Jónatan Eiríksson (1817 – 1879) Born: August 10, 1817 at Skriðulandi at Aðaldal, Died: May 17, 1879 at Sámstöðum at Öngulstaðahreppi Farmer at Bergsstöðum at Aðaldal.
    [Show full text]
  • Geologic Map and Stratigraphy of the Yggdrasil Quadrangle from the 2015 Canmars Msr Analogue Mission
    47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2016) 2225.pdf GEOLOGIC MAP AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE YGGDRASIL QUADRANGLE FROM THE 2015 CANMARS MSR ANALOGUE MISSION. P. A. Christoffersen1, J. D. Newman1, Z. R. Morse1, L. L. Torna- bene1, G. R. Osinski1,2, 1Department of Earth Sciences & Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada. [email protected] 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London ON, Canada. Introduction: The 2015 CanMars MSR analogue grated with orbital datasets [6] to characterize the stra- mission was a Mars Sample Return Analogue Mission tigraphy and lithologies within the Yggdrasil quadran- carried out in partnership between the Canadian Space gle. The integration of these data sets allowed for the Agency (CSA), MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates creation of a finer scale bedrock geologic map, and a Ltd. (MDA), and the Centre for Planetary Science and stratigraphic column of the quadrangle. Exploration (CPSX) at the University of Western On- tario, as part of the NSERC CREATE project “Tech- nologies and Techniques for Earth and Space Explora- tion” [1]. The 2015 CanMars mission took place in an undisclosed location in Utah, USA over the course of ~2 weeks during November using the Mars Explora- tion Science Rover (MESR) rover, built by MDA. Mission goals included evaluating hardware and soft- ware capabilities along with exploration strategies, workflow, and logistics associated with a Mars Sample Return mission. The mission payload instrumentation used by the rover included: a hand-held XRF stand-in for Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) [2], portable XRD, a hand-held Raman spectrometer, the Three Dimensional Exploration Multispectral Mi- croscope Imager (TEMMI) [3, 4], a MastCam [5], a push tube solid sampler, and a portable field core drill as a stand-in for a rock core sampler.
    [Show full text]
  • Þingvellir National Park
    World Heritage Scanned Nomination File Name: 1152.pdf UNESCO Region: EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA __________________________________________________________________________________________________ SITE NAME: Þingvellir National Park DATE OF INSCRIPTION: 7th July 2004 STATE PARTY: ICELAND CRITERIA: C (iii) (vi) CL DECISION OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE: Excerpt from the Report of the 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee Criterion (iii): The Althing and its hinterland, the Þingvellir National Park, represent, through the remains of the assembly ground, the booths for those who attended, and through landscape evidence of settlement extending back possibly to the time the assembly was established, a unique reflection of mediaeval Norse/Germanic culture and one that persisted in essence from its foundation in 980 AD until the 18th century. Criterion (vi): Pride in the strong association of the Althing to mediaeval Germanic/Norse governance, known through the 12th century Icelandic sagas, and reinforced during the fight for independence in the 19th century, have, together with the powerful natural setting of the assembly grounds, given the site iconic status as a shrine for the national. BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is the National Park where the Althing - an open-air assembly, which represented the whole of Iceland - was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798. Over two weeks a year, the assembly set laws - seen as a covenant between free men - and settled disputes. The Althing has deep historical and symbolic associations for the people of Iceland. Located on an active volcanic site, the property includes the Þingvellir National Park and the remains of the Althing itself: fragments of around 50 booths built of turf and stone.
    [Show full text]
  • Pocket Reykjavik 1
    REYKJAVĺK TOP EXPERIENCES • LOCAL LIFE • MADE EASY Alexis Averbuck 00--title-contents-pk-rey1.inddtitle-contents-pk-rey1.indd 1 115/01/20155/01/2015 112:09:092:09:09 PM In This Book 16 Need to Know 17 18 Neighbourhoods 19 Before You Go Arriving in Getting Around QuickStart Reykjavík Laugavegur & Skólavörðustígur Need to Iceland’s primary international airport, Kefla- A car is unnecessary in central Reykjavík as Reykjaví k & Around Your Daily Budget (p48) vík International Airport (KEF) is 48km west it’s so easy to explore on foot and by bus. Laugavegur is Reykjavík’s of Reykjavík, on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Car and camper hire are best for countryside Know Budget less than Ikr20,000 Neighbourhoods premier shopping street Frequent, convenient buses serve central excursions. X Dorm bed Ikr4000–7000 and centre for cool cafes, Reykjavík. Golden Circle West Iceland For more information, X Grill-bar grub/soup lunch Ikr1200–1800 J Local Bus bars and restaurants. (p74) (p102) From KeÁ avík International Its arty cousin Skóla- E see Survival Guide (p137) X Golden Circle bus pass Ikr8500 A Strætó (%540 2700; www.straeto.is) oper- Whale Top Experiences E Top Experiences Airport vörðustígur leads to ates regular, easy buses around Reykjavík and Watching famous Hallgrímskirkja. Þingvellir Settlement Centre Currency Midrange Ikr20,000–35,000 Bus Flybus (%580 5400; www.re.is; W), its suburbs; it also operates long-distance # E E Top Experiences Geysir Icelandic króna (Ikr) X Guesthouse double room Ikr17,000–25,000 Airport Express (%540 1313; www.air- buses (p141). It has online schedules, a Snæfellsjökull Hallgrímskirkja Gullfoss National Park X Cafe meal Ikr1800–3000 portexpress.is; W) and discount operator smartphone app and a route book for sale Language K-Express (%823 0099; www.kexpress.
    [Show full text]
  • Manuscript and E-Text Sources from Northern Europe
    Manuscript and e-text sources from northern Europe Anna de Byxe Anna Troy [email protected] Medieval manuscripts from the different Nordic countries are not always as easy to find. This is due to various factors; national borders changing, the destruction of medieval manuscripts, the cost of digitlization and the fact that book production was never at such a high level as on the Continent. But there are some gems and hopefully this presentation will help more people discover them. For more background information about Scandinavian (especially Swe- dish and Icelandic) archives and libraries. I recommend the cara session articles from the University of Arizona [4]. Web URLs go to the English version of a site if such has been found. Collections The Danish Royal Library [7] (Denmark) The largest collection of e-manuscripts in Scandinavia can be found on the website of the Danish Royal Library. The three, pre-16th century sections, are the \Codices Laitini Hauniensis" which contains Latin texts from the 7th until the 16th century, the \Fragmenta Latina Hauniensia" which con- tains 3350 fragments of various texts and the section \Middle Ages and Renaissance" which seems to be everything else. When looking at the manuscripts another window opens and you are met by an introduction on the first page. The photos of the manuscript pages are quite clear and you are able to see the manuscript pages in two different grades of magnification. More decorated versals are provided with a close-up. The manuscripts of Lund University [12] (Sweden) Of its 67 volumes the Manuscript Department of Lund University has to date digitized 64.
    [Show full text]