Editing History of Iceland (section)

==Commonwealth (930–1262)==
{{Main|Icelandic Commonwealth}}
[[File:Law speaker.jpg|thumb|Nineteenth century depiction of a session of the Alþingi.]]
[[File:Thingvellir1-2.jpg|thumb|[[Þingvellir]], seat of the Alþingi.]]{{Country infobox
| conventional_long_name = Norwegian Iceland
| common_name            = Norwegian Iceland
| native_name            = ''Norska Ísland'' <small>([[Icelandic language|Icelandic]])</small>
| image_flag             = Royal Banner of Norway (14th Century).svg
| image_coat             = Royal Arms of Norway, Denmark & Sweden (1460-1523).svg
| image_map              = Iceland, Carta Marina.jpg
| official_languages     = 
| languages              = 
| religion               = '''1262–1814''' <br />[[Catholic Church|Catholic]]
| year_end               = 1814
| year_start             = 1262
| common_languages       = Icelandic
| p1                     = Commonwealth of Iceland
| s1                     = Danish Iceland
| flag_s1                = Flag of Denmark.svg
}}
In 930, the ruling chiefs established an assembly called the ''Alþingi'' ([[Althing]]). The parliament convened each summer at [[Þingvellir]], where chieftains ([[Gothi|Goðorðsmenn]] or Goðar) amended laws, settled disputes and appointed juries to judge lawsuits. Laws were not written down but were instead memorized by an elected [[Lawspeaker]] (''lǫgsǫgumaðr''). The Alþingi is sometimes said to be the world's oldest existing parliament. Importantly, there was no central executive power, and therefore laws were enforced by the chieftains.  This gave rise to [[feud]]s, which provided the writers of the sagas with plenty of material.

Iceland enjoyed a mostly uninterrupted period of growth in its commonwealth years. Settlements from that era have been found in southwest [[Greenland]] and eastern Canada, and sagas such as ''[[Saga of Erik the Red]]'' and ''[[Greenland saga]]'' speak of the settlers' exploits.

[[File:Reykjavik - Thor-Figur 1.jpg|thumb|upright|10th-century [[Eyrarland Statue]] of [[Thor]], found in [[Iceland]].]]{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Danish Iceland
| common_name            = Danish Iceland
| native_name            = ''Danska Ísland'' <small>([[Icelandic language|Icelandic]])</small>
| image_flag             = Royal Standard of Denmark (1731–1819).svg
| flag_caption           = Royal Standard of Denmark (1731–1819)
| image_coat             = Royal Arms of Denmark & Norway (1699–1819).svg
| symbol_type            = Royal Arms of Denmark & Norway (1699–1819)
| image_map              = Abraham Ortelius-Islandia-ca 1590.jpg
| religion               = '''1524–1550''' <br />[[Catholic Church|Catholic]] <br />'''1550–1945''' <br />[[Lutheranism|Lutheran]]
| demonym                = Icelandic
| year_end               = 1945
| year_start             = 1524
| common_languages       = Icelandic
| p1                     = Norwegian Iceland
| s1                     = Kingdom of Iceland
| flag_p1                = Royal Banner of Norway (14th Century).svg
| flag_s1                = Flag of Iceland.svg
| today                  = {{flag|Iceland}}
}}

===Christianisation===
{{Main|Christianization of Iceland}}

The settlers of Iceland were predominantly [[Germanic paganism|pagans]] and worshiped the [[list of Germanic deities|Norse gods]], among them [[Odin]], [[Thor]], [[Freyr]], and [[Freyja]]. By the tenth century, political pressure from Europe to [[Christianization|convert to Christianity]] mounted. As the end of the first millennium grew near, many prominent Icelanders had accepted the new faith.

Around 961, [[Eldgjá]], a volcano in Southern Iceland, erupted 7.7 square miles of lava and lifted up huge clouds of sulfuric gas that affected all of Northern Europe and spanned out as far as Northern China. It also created rare hazes and multiple food crises in different parts of the world, including that year and many years that followed. Early Norse settlers in Iceland followed Paganism, however, after the Eldgjá volcano eruption, many thought of it as an act from God and started to convert to Christianity instead with the help of Alþingi. It is also believed they converted to Christianity to maintain peace with their European neighbors and the Catholic church.

In the year 1000, as a civil war between the religious groups seemed likely, the Alþingi appointed one of the chieftains, [[Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi]], to decide the issue of religion by arbitration. He decided that the country should convert to Christianity as a whole, but that pagans would be allowed to worship privately.

The first Icelandic bishop, [[Ísleifur Gissurarson]], was consecrated by bishop [[Adalbert of Hamburg]] in 1056.

===Civil war and the end of the commonwealth===
{{Main|Age of the Sturlungs}}

During the 11th and 12th centuries, the centralization of power had worn down the institutions of the commonwealth, as the former, notable independence of local farmers and chieftains gave way to the growing power of a handful of families and their leaders. The period from around 1200 to 1262 is generally known as the [[Age of the Sturlungs]]. This refers to Sturla Þórðarson and his sons, [[Sighvatr Sturluson]], and [[Snorri Sturluson]], who were one of two main clans fighting for power over Iceland, causing havoc in a land inhabited almost entirely by farmers who could ill-afford to travel far from their farms, across the island to fight for their leaders.

In 1220, Snorri Sturluson became a vassal of [[Haakon IV of Norway]]; his nephew [[Sturla Sighvatsson]] also became a vassal in 1235. Sturla used the power and influence of the [[Sturlungar family clan]] to wage war against the other clans in Iceland. The Norwegian king's power of Iceland increased over the course of the 13th century.<ref name=":18">{{Cite journal|last=Jakobsson|first=Sverrir|date=2021|title=All the King's men. The incorporation of Iceland into the Norwegian Realm|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/03468755.2021.1961856|journal=Scandinavian Journal of History|volume=46|issue=5|pages=571–592|doi=10.1080/03468755.2021.1961856|s2cid=238770622|issn=0346-8755}}</ref> After decades of internal conflict, the Icelandic chieftains agreed to accept the sovereignty of Norway and signed the [[Old Covenant (Iceland)|Old Covenant]] (''Gamli sáttmáli'') establishing a union with the Norwegian monarchy.<ref name=":16">{{Cite journal|last=Jakobsson|first=Sverrir|title=Politics and Courtly Culture in Iceland, 1200–1700|url=https://www.academia.edu/44581336|journal=La matière arthurienne tardive en Europe, 1270–1530. Late Arthurian Tradition in Europe|date=January 2020|language=en}}</ref>  The end of the Icelandic Commonwealth is typically dated to the signing of the Old Covenant (1262–1264) or to the adoption of Jónsbók in 1281.<ref name=":18" />

The period also saw the ''[[staðamál]]'', two major disputes over whether secular aristocrats should benefit from the [[tithes]] of [[proprietary churches]] they had founded. The latter, concluded in 1297, saw a significant shift of wealth and power from the aristocracy to the Church, which was increasingly independent of secular influence.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}