Dan Snow's History Hit

Episode: The First Vikings in Iceland

Date: February 16, 2026

Overview

In this immersive episode, historian Dan Snow travels to Iceland to chronicle the dramatic founding story of the island’s first Viking settlers. Venturing from Reykjavik to a reconstructed Viking farmstead and the site of the Althing, Dan delves into the legends, the practical challenges of survival, and the legal and cultural legacy that shaped Iceland. Featuring expert insights from Professor Gisli Sigurdsson and visits to crucial historic sites, the episode traces the journey of Ingolfr Arneson and his fellow Norse, exploring their motivations, ingenuity, and the resilience required to build a thriving society on the edge of the world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Arrival of the Vikings in Iceland

(01:48 - 05:39)

• Dan sets the scene in 874 CE with Ingolfr Arneson's landing:
  "In the year 874... Ingolfr Arneson stood on the prow of his ship... This was Iceland, the edge of the known world, the hope of a new beginning." (01:48, Dan Snow)
• Background on why Vikings left Norway: political turmoil, scarce farmland, and a hunger for freedom and new opportunities.
• Ingolfr's symbolic casting of the high seat pillars into the sea, with the intention to land wherever the Norse gods brought them—leading to Reykjavik.

2. The Book of Settlements: Iceland’s Founding Document

(05:39 - 16:51)

• Dan visits the Arni Magnusson Institute to see the actual Book of Settlements, a vital text chronicling the first settlers, their origins, and land claims.
• Professor Gisli Sigurdsson explains the document's origins and its dual function as history and land registry:

  “It’s the origin story, who came first, where they came from... and thus, whom does the land belong to?” (11:59, Professor Gisli Sigurdsson)

• The Book of Settlements draws from oral tradition but is rooted in legal and practical issues of property and belonging, still referenced in Icelandic courts today.
• Early contacts: Before Norse settlement, Irish hermits ("Papar") left evidence of Christian presence.
• Early explorations: Named explorers visit and name the island “Snowland” and later “Iceland”, after harsh winters thwart early attempts to settle.

3. Societal Foundations: Family, Slavery, and Survival

(09:56 – 16:51)

• The first settlers were families—a genuine “colonial project”—not just men.
• The ugly side: Settlement spurred a slave trade, particularly from Ireland and Scotland, as cheap labor was crucial for survival in the new land.

  “The slave market in Dublin probably flourished because of the settlement of Iceland.” (10:23, Professor Gisli Sigurdsson)

• Import dependencies: Iron and grain had to be imported; wealthy settlers indulged in luxuries such as wine and spices.
• The Book of Settlements as an enduring legal document to determine land ownership.
• Discussion on historical reliability: While details may be fuzzy, the broad strokes of the settlement era align with archaeology and DNA evidence.

4. Life on a Viking Farm: Reconstruction at Erikstarr

(19:12 – 32:10)

• Dan visits the reconstructed Viking longhouse at Erikstarr, once home to Erik the Red and birthplace of Leif Eriksson.
• Vivid description of the landscape, the architecture (turf and stone construction), and the communal, snug living arrangements:

  "You can fit about 20 people here... one extended family. You got to know them very well—everything that you hate about them as well, that you love." (24:24–24:39, Dan Snow & Farm Guide)

• Discussion with a farm guide about daily life:
  • Hearth and warmth critical for survival; beds shared, privacy minimal.
  • Provisions stored rigorously for winter; the lady of the house wielded significant domestic power.
  • Later summers focused on preparation and preservation of food.
  • Wool and cloth production (by women) vital for warmth and as an export.
  • Social life: Stories were essential, both for entertainment and cultural continuity.

    "What kept us alive is not really the fire or the wool or the food, but the storytelling." (31:54, Farm Guide)

• Children, women, slaves, and the master all shared in the grueling work—hard labor evident in physical remains.

5. The Althing: World’s First Parliament

(32:48 – 39:14)

• Dan stands in Thingvellir National Park, site of the Althing, Iceland’s legendary parliament established 930 CE:

  "This is the site of the Althing... a place of calm, of collaboration, of cooperation.” (35:11, Dan Snow)

• Geologically unique setting: Located on the Mid-Atlantic rift, symbolizing the meeting of worlds—both literally and metaphorically.
• The Althing as a legal and social innovation—open to all free men, not just chieftains.

6. The Sagas, Memory, and Meaning

(37:35 – 43:05)

• The Icelandic sagas (oral histories written down in the 13th and 14th centuries) form the backbone of Icelandic cultural memory.
• Professor Gisli Sigurdsson discusses Njál’s Saga, a tale of peacemaking lawmen and warriors:

  "The overall message... is the coming of Christianity that brings peace to this violent world." (38:50, Professor Gisli Sigurdsson)

• Law, storytelling, and the quest for order pervade the sagas; the Althing is a recurring symbol.

  "It is what we call a parliament in modern terms. It has elected law speaker... responsible for knowing what is the right law." (39:54, Professor Gisli Sigurdsson)

• The cultural endurance and emotional realism of the sagas is stressed:

  “So we get somehow a sense of the real persons, living persons behind the literary works, which makes them so fascinating and still captivating.” (42:36, Professor Gisli Sigurdsson)

7. Iceland as Springboard for Discovery

(43:05 – 43:35)

• From Iceland, further westward discoveries were launched: Erik the Red’s Greenland settlement and Leif Eriksson’s historic landing in North America.
• Dan’s closing thoughts:

  “The Viking settlement of Iceland was not just about carving farms out of the wilderness. It was about law without kings, memories becoming legends, journeys without borders... the story of Iceland is the story of how people turned unclaimed land into a society that still endures today.” (43:27, Dan Snow)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Book of Settlements

  “Could give us a medal in the Olympics of cultural achievements, if there ever was one.”
  (05:50, Professor Gisli Sigurdsson)

• On hardship and early failure

  “Flokje... enjoys the wonderful summers, fishing and what he deems to be a paradise, and forgets to prepare for the winter and leaves the year after.”
  (07:51, Professor Gisli Sigurdsson)

• On law as a living tradition

  “Even today we are clarifying where the boundaries are...this document is still in use in court.”
  (12:31, Professor Gisli Sigurdsson)

• On Women’s Power

  “That’s the lady of the house. Don’t trust anyone else with that [the key to the pantry]."
  (29:45, Farm Guide)

• On Saga Characters

  “The characters in these texts, they are not like stereotypical medieval character, but rather... living persons behind the literary works.”
  (42:36, Professor Gisli Sigurdsson)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 01:48 – 05:39: Setting the scene and arrival of the Vikings.
• 05:39 – 16:51: The Book of Settlements and the foundation of Icelandic society.
• 19:12 – 32:10: Viking daily life at Erikstarr farmstead.
• 32:48 – 39:14: Thingvellir and the founding of the Althing.
• 37:35 – 43:05: The sagas, cultural memory, and societal values.

Tone and Language

Throughout, the episode maintains a tone of epic wonder and storytelling, blending awe for the Icelandic landscape with scholarly curiosity and a hint of wry British humor. The interplay between Dan’s immersive fieldwork and Professor Sigurdsson’s relaxed, learned commentary offers both authority and accessible insight into Iceland’s foundational legends and hard realities.

Summary

This episode offers a sweeping, atmospheric journey through Iceland’s Viking origins. Dan Snow, guided by experts and the stunning landscape itself, peels back layers of myth and fact—from the drama of the first landings to the legacy of laws, sagas, and the indomitable Icelandic spirit. For listeners, it’s both narrative adventure and cultural deep dive—leaving you with a vivid sense of how this land of “fire and ice” shaped one of history’s most resilient societies.