The Conversion to Christianity in 1000
The adoption of Christianity at the Althing in 999 or 1000 is one of the most remarkable events in Icelandic history. Instead of fighting over their faith, Icelanders decided to settle the dispute by law – and so Iceland became Christian without bloodshed.
The old religion
Most settlers were pagan and worshipped Norse gods such as Odin, Thor, Frey and Freyja. The chieftains kept temples and led sacrifices. Many settlers of Celtic origin, however, were Christian, and some were mixed in their faith, like Helgi the Lean, who "believed in Christ but called on Thor for sea voyages and hard times".
Missions and conflict
Towards the end of the 10th century, King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway sent missionaries to Iceland. The priest Þangbrandur was a forceful missionary who killed men for composing mocking verses about him. The king also held Icelanders hostage in Norway to force the conversion. At the Althing in the summer of 999 or 1000 Christians and pagans came close to battle, and each side declared itself outside the law of the other.
Under the cloak
The Christians asked Hallur of Síða to proclaim the law for them, but he made an agreement with the lawspeaker, Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, who was a pagan, that he should decide. Þorgeir lay under his cloak for a full day and night without saying a word. When he rose, he went to the Law Rock and said, among other things:
"It will prove true that if we divide the law, we will also divide the peace."
His ruling was that all the people of the country should be Christian and be baptised. Pagans were, however, allowed to keep some old customs for a while: to sacrifice in secret, to expose infants and to eat horse meat. These exceptions were abolished a few years later.
The Church takes root
The first Icelandic bishop, Ísleifur Gissurarson, was consecrated in 1056 and had his seat at Skálholt. His son Gissur donated the land for the bishopric and introduced the tithe law of 1096–1097. A bishop's seat was established at Hólar in 1106. The Church became central to education and literary culture, and many of the country's most important manuscripts were written there.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 981 | First mission, Þorvaldur the Far-Travelled and Bishop Friðrik |
| c. 997 | Þangbrandur arrives in Iceland |
| 999/1000 | Christianity adopted at the Althing |
| 1056 | Ísleifur Gissurarson first bishop at Skálholt |
| 1106 | Bishop's seat at Hólar |
| 1133 | First monastery, at Þingeyrar |
| 1550 | Reformation; Jón Arason beheaded |
The Reformation
The Lutheran Reformation came to Iceland between 1541 and 1550 at the initiative of the Danish king. Jón Arason, the last Catholic bishop at Hólar, resisted it but was captured and beheaded at Skálholt with two of his sons on 7 November 1550. After that Lutheranism became dominant and the king took over much of the Church's property. Today the National Church of Iceland is Evangelical Lutheran, and about 55–60% of the population belong to it, though the proportion has been steadily falling.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Iceland adopt Christianity?
Mainly because of pressure from the Norwegian king and to avoid civil war. Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði ruled that everyone should have one law and one faith.
Was the conversion in 999 or 1000?
The sources disagree. Tradition holds the year 1000, but many historians believe it was 999.