Eurotrip 2007

Þingvellir National Park was the site of the world’s first democratic parliament, the Alþing, established here in AD 930. A UNESCO Heritage Site, it had a superb natural setting inside an immense, fissure-ridden rift valley caused by the separating North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. They are pulling apart at a rate of a few centimetres per year. It is now possible to see the long, deep crack where they are pulling apart, and many people throw coins in there for luck. Helgafell, to the north of the capital, is the holy mountain that figured so prominently in Icelandic history and literature, though in reality it's a 73m hill. This was where the first Icelandic þing, or legislative assembly, met. Farmers from all over Iceland would come to this place every year in the summer to debate their problems, deliver justice, marry their children, and have a good time exchanging news. But it was later moved to the flat promontory Þingvöllur after assembly members defiled the sacred mountain with their toilet ablutions.
There was an interesting Interpretive Centre at Þingvellir. There he learned more history: Many of Iceland’s first settlers had run-ins with royalty back in mainland Scandinavia. These chancers and outlaws decided that they could live happily without kings in the new country, instead creating district þings (assemblies) where justice could be served. Eventually, a nationwide þing became necessary. One man was dispatched to Norway to study law, while his foster brother travelled the country looking for a suitable site. As mentioned above, they first chose Helgafall, but when that site was ruined, another was chosen - Bláskógur – now named Þingvellir (Parliament Fields). It lay at a crossroads by a huge fish-filled lake. It had plenty of firewood and a setting that would make even the most tedious orator dramatic, so it fitted the bill perfectly. Every important decision affecting Iceland was argued out on this plain – new laws were passed, marriage contracts were made, and even the country’s religion was decided here (the Christians won out over the pagans around 1000 AD). In the Alþing, Christians and pagans had been polarising into two radically opposite factions, threatening to divide the country. Þorgeir, the lögsögumaður (law-speaker), appealed for moderation on both sides, and eventually it was agreed that Christianity would officially become the new religion, although pagans were still allowed to practise in private.
The annual parliament was also a great social occasion, thronging with traders and entertainers. Over the following centuries, escalating violence between Iceland’s most powerful men led to the breakdown of law and order, a time called the Sturlung Era. Viking chiefs fought others with private armies and ignored the decisions of the þing. Governance was surrendered to the Norwegian crown and the Alþing was stripped of its legislative powers in 1271. It functioned solely as a courtroom until 1798, when it was dissolved entirely. When it regained its powers in 1843, members voted to move the meeting place to Reykjavík.
The Alþing used to convene annually at the Lögberg (Law Rock), between the Flosagjá and Nikulásargjá fissures. This was where the lögsögumaður recited the law to the assembled parliament each year. After Iceland’s conversion to Christianity, the site shifted to the foot of Almannagjá cliffs, which acted as a natural amplifier, broadcasting the voices of the speakers across the assembled crowds. The Alþing typically lasted two weeks. The site is marked by a flagpole, and a path leads down to it from the multimedia centre at the top of Almannagjá. Decisions were reached by the Lögrétta (Law Council), made up of 146 men (48 voting members, 96 advisers and two bishops), who are thought to have assembled at Neðrivellir (Low Fields), the flat area in front of the cliffs. All free men were allowed to watch the proceedings, and single men often came looking for wives.
Behind the Þingvallabær farmhouse, Þingvallakirkja was one of Iceland’s first churches. The original was consecrated in the 11th century, but the current wooden building only dates from 1859. Inside are several bells from earlier churches, a 17th-century wooden pulpit, and a painted altarpiece from 1834. The Independence-era poets Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807 – 1845) and Einar Benediktsson (1864–1940) are interred in the small cemetery behind the church. Both men made a significant contribution in the nationalistic revival leading to Iceland's independence.Read more