Ingólfur Arnarson

Who is Ingólfur Arnarson?

Ingólfur Arnarson is traditionally identified, in Iceland's medieval historical sources, as the first permanent Norse settler of Iceland. According to Íslendingabók (The Book of Icelanders), written by the priest Ari Þorgilsson in the early twelfth century, and the later, more detailed Landnámabók (The Book of Settlements), Ingólfur emigrated from Norway with his family and, following Norse custom, threw the pillars of his high seat overboard as his ship approached the coast, vowing to settle wherever they washed ashore. His search party found them in a bay marked by rising geothermal steam, which he named Reykjavík, "Smoky Bay," around the year 874 AD — the settlement that grew into modern Iceland's capital. Landnámabók records his establishment of a farmstead there and lists his household and descendants in detail. While some of the saga-era narrative detail cannot be independently verified and later scholarship treats parts of the settlement account with appropriate caution, Ingólfur's traditional status as Iceland's first settler is a foundational element of Icelandic national history and is commemorated with a statue overlooking Reykjavík harbor.

Sources: Ari Þorgilsson, Íslendingabók (early 12th century) · Landnámabók (Book of Settlements, 12th–13th century compilation)