Birth of a Nation — A Postcolonical Project

Abstract

Iceland was settled in 874¹ by Norwegian explorers, allegedly fleeing tyranny and the increased tax burden of King Harald. According to historical tales a small society descended from Irish clergy had by then already died out. Half a century later, the Icelandic state was formed with the establishment of the Alpingi in 930. The Alpingi was a parliamentary court held in a rocky gorge where the European and American tectonic plates meet. The cliffs created a natural loudspeaker so that all attendees could hear the voice of the person occupying the podium. The site, located inland in the south of Iceland, was in accordance with its function named Pingvellir, meaning ‘parliamentary fields’. After troubled times of fierce battles between the main noble families, Iceland entered into a union with the King of Norway by an agreement that is now referred to as the Old Treaty. The importance of the Alpingi gradually diminished but it wasn’t formally cancelled until the year 1800.