landnámsmenn

Landnámsmenn refers to the Norse settlers who colonized Iceland between the late 9th and early 10th centuries. This period is known as the Landnám Age. These individuals, primarily from Norway, but also from other Norse settlements like the British Isles, sought new lands and opportunities, often fleeing political strife or seeking economic advancement.

The settlement of Iceland was not a unified invasion but a gradual process of individual or familial land claims. Settlers chose their land based on suitability for farming and livestock, establishing homesteads that would become the basis of Icelandic society. Early Icelandic sagas, such as the Landnámabók (Book of Settlements), meticulously record the names of these settlers, their origins, their landed properties, and their descendants.

These landnámsmenn brought with them their Norse pagan religion, social structures, legal traditions, and language, which formed the bedrock of Icelandic culture and society. The establishment of the Althing, the world's oldest parliament, in 930 AD, is a direct testament to the organizational capacity and political acumen of these early settlers. The legacy of the landnámsmenn is central to understanding Iceland's history, identity, and enduring cultural heritage.