Origins & Early Life

Ingólfr Arnarson, in some sources named Björnólfsson, (c. 849 – c. 910) is commonly recognized as the first Icelander, when he became the first Norse settler of Iceland, together with his wife Hallveig Fróðadóttir and foster brother Hjǫrleifr Hróðmarsson. According to tradition, they settled in Reykjavík in 874.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Ingólfr Arnarson was from the valley of Rivedal in Sunnfjord in western Norway. According to the Icelandic Book of Settlements, he built his homestead in and gave name to Reykjavík in 874. However, archaeological finds in Iceland suggest settlement may have started somewhat earlier. The medieval chronicler Ari Þorgilsson said Ingólfr was the first Nordic settler in Iceland, but mentioned that Irish monks had been in the country before the Norsemen. He wrote that they left because they did not want to live among the newly arrived Norse pagans.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

However, the existence of the Papar in Iceland remains archaeologically unproven. Excavations on Papey, a site traditionally associated with the Papar, documented ninth-century Norse settlement but found no traces of Papar. The Book of Settlements (written two to three centuries after the settlement) contains a story about...

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