Editing History of Iceland (section)

==Early history==
Iceland remained, for a long time, one of the world's last uninhabited larger islands (alongside [[New Zealand]] and [[Madagascar]]). It has been suggested that the land called [[Thule]] by the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] geographer [[Pytheas]] (fourth century BCE) was actually Iceland, although it seems highly unlikely considering Pytheas' description of it as an agricultural country with plenty of milk, honey, and fruit;<ref>{{Cite book|title=A history of the old Icelandic commonwealth|last=Johannesson, Jon, 1909–1957, auteur.|isbn=9780887553318|pages=1–2|oclc=990634956|date = 14 May 2014}}</ref> the name is more likely to have referred to [[Norway]], or possibly the [[Faroe Islands]] or [[Shetland]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=North Icelandic waters.|last=Stefánnson, Unnsteinn.|date=1962|publisher=Atvinnudeild Háskólans, Fiskideild|pages=29–30|oclc=609923962}}</ref> Many of the early settlers were [[Thelir]], fleeing the recent union of [[Norway]] under Harald Fairhair and came from [[Telemark]]. A similar argument explains the name of [[Greenland]] from [[Grenland]], neighbouring Telemark and also populated by [[Thelir]]. The exact date that humans first reached the island is uncertain. [[Roman currency]] dating to the third century has been found in Iceland, but it is unknown whether they were brought there at that time or came later with [[Vikings]] after circulating for centuries.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Eldjám|first=Kristján|title=Fund af romerske mønter på Island|journal=Nordisk Numismatisk Årsskrift|year=1949|pages=4–7}}</ref>

===Irish monks===
There is some literary evidence that [[monk]]s from a [[Hiberno-Scottish mission]] may have settled in Iceland before the arrival of the [[Norsemen]].<ref>The 9th-century Irish monk and geographer [[Dicuil]] describes Iceland in his work [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Dicuil/De_mensura_orbis_terrae/text*.html ''Liber de Mensura Orbis Terrae''].</ref> The ''[[Landnámabók]]'' ("Book of Settlements"), written in the 1100s, mentions the presence of Irish monks, called the [[Papar]], prior to Norse settlement and states that the monks left behind Irish books, bells, and crosiers, among other things. According to the same account, the Irish monks abandoned the country when the Norse arrived or had left prior to their arrival. The twelfth-century scholar [[Ari Þorgilsson]]'s ''[[Íslendingabók]]'' reasserts that items including bells corresponding to those used by Irish monks were found by the settlers. No such artifacts have been discovered by archaeologists, however. Some Icelanders claimed descent from [[Cerball mac Dúnlainge]], [[Kings of Osraige|King of Osraige]] in southeastern Ireland, at the time of the ''Landnámabók''{{'}}s creation.

Another source mentioning the Papar is [[Íslendingabók]], dating from between 1122 and 1133. According to this account, the previous inhabitants, a few Irish monks known as the Papar, left the island since they did not want to live with pagan Norsemen. One theory suggests that those monks were members of a [[Hiberno-Scottish mission]], Irish and Scottish monks who spread Christianity during the Middle Ages.  They may also have been hermits.

An archaeological excavation has revealed the ruins of a cabin in [[Hafnir]] on the [[Reykjanes]] peninsula (close to [[Keflavík International Airport]]). Carbon dating reveals that the cabin was abandoned somewhere between 770 and 880, suggesting that Iceland was populated well before 874. This archaeological find may also indicate that the monks left Iceland before the Norse arrived.<ref>[http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/A_New_View_on_the_Origin_of_First_Settlers_in_Iceland_0_378670.news.aspx ”New View on the Origin of First Settlers in Iceland”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605235513/http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/A_New_View_on_the_Origin_of_First_Settlers_in_Iceland_0_378670.news.aspx |date=5 June 2011 }}, ''Iceland Review Online'', 4 June 2011, accessed 16 June 2011.</ref>

===Norse discovery===
[[File:The Norwegians land in Iceland year 872.jpg|250px|thumb|Norsemen landing in Iceland. Painting by [[Oscar Wergeland]] (1909).]]

According to the ''Landnámabók'', Iceland was discovered by [[Naddodd]], one of the first settlers in the Faroe Islands, who was sailing from Norway to the Faroes but lost his way and drifted to the east coast of Iceland. Naddodd called the country ''Snæland'' "Snowland". Swedish sailor [[Garðar Svavarsson]] also accidentally drifted to the coast of Iceland. He discovered that the country was an island and called it ''Garðarshólmi'' "Garðar's Islet" and stayed for the winter at [[Húsavík]].

The first Norseman who deliberately sailed to Iceland was [[Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson]]. Flóki settled for one winter at [[Barðaströnd]]. After the cold winter passed, the summer came and the whole island became green, which stunned Flóki. Realizing that this place was in fact habitable, despite the horribly cold winter, and full of useful resources, Flóki restocked his boat.  He then returned east to Norway with resources and knowledge.