Editing History of Iceland (section)

===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.