storknunarplögu

Storknunarplögu is a term of Icelandic origin that translates roughly to "frozen plague." It refers to a historical period of widespread famine and hardship in Iceland, primarily occurring during the Little Ice Age, from roughly the 14th to the 18th centuries. This era was characterized by a significant cooling of the climate, leading to shorter growing seasons, crop failures, and a decline in fishing yields, which were crucial for the Icelandic diet and economy.

The harsh environmental conditions exacerbated existing vulnerabilities in the Icelandic population, which was already reliant on a limited agricultural base and susceptible to disease. Famines were recurrent, leading to significant population decline and widespread suffering. The term "storknunarplögu" encapsulates the devastating impact of these prolonged periods of starvation and the feeling of being overwhelmed by an insurmountable natural disaster. While not a single, distinct epidemic in the modern sense of a disease outbreak, it describes the collective experience of extreme hardship and mortality driven by environmental factors.