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VON TROIL’s LETTERS ON ICELAND. 651
To fecure themfelyes, therefore, again{t their powerful neighbours, they were obliged
to enlarge their hiftorical knowledge; they likewife took great pains in fludying per-
fectly their own laws, for the maintenance and protection of their internal fecurity.
Thus Iceland, at a time when ignorance and obfcurity pervaded the reft of Europe, was
enabled to produce a confiderable number of poets and hiftorians. When the Chriftian
religion was introduced there, more were found converfant in the law than could have
been expected, confidering the extent of the country, and the number of its inhabitants.
Fifhing was followed among them; but they devoted their attention confiderably more
to agriculture *, which has fince entirely ceafed.
Two things have principally contributed towards producing a great change both in
their character and way of life, viz. the progrefs of the Chriftian religion under Olof
Tryggwafon, and the lofs of their liberty under King Harold. For if religion, on one
fide, commanded them to defift from their ravages and warlike expeditions ; the fecular
power, on the other, deprived them of the neceflary forces for the execution of them:
tince this time, we find no farther traces of their heroic deeds, except thofe which are
preferved in their hiftories. Our prefent Icelanders give the preference to fifhing, and
the care of their cattle, to war. .
The Icelanders are middle-fized and well made, though not very ftrong; and the
women are in general ill-featured. The men have left off the cuftom of wearing beards
long ago, though you find them reprefented with them in Eggert Olafsen’s travels
through Iceland ; a drawing which, perhaps, may reprefent an inhabitant of Sondmoer,
in Norway, but by no means an Icelander +.
Vices are indeed much lefs common among them than in other parts, whcre riches
and luxury have corrupted the morals of the people. Theft is feldom heard of; nor
are they inclined to incontinence, though there are examples of perfons having been
punifhed more than once on that account.
Though their poverty difables them from imitating the hofpitality of their anceftors
in all refpects, yet the defire of doing it ftill exifts: they cheerfully give away the little
they have to {pare, and exprefs the utmoft joy and fatisfaCtion if you are pleafed with
their gift. When they want to fhew themfelves particularly affectionate, they kifs one
another on the mouth on their vifits: they do the fame to the hufband and the wife, the
mother and the daughter ; they are uncommonly obliging and faithful, and extremely
attached to government }. They are very zealous in their religion §, and it mutt be
* Hans Finflen, in his letter on the feafibility of agriculture in Iceland, Copenhag. 1772, Sve. demon-
itrates this by a written document during the time of Snorre Sturlefon, page 64, which likewife appears
from Landnama Bok, chap. z1.
+ This, however, is fubje€t to fome exceptions : for the inhabitants of Omund Fiorden, and fome fami-
lies on the north fide of the ifland, ftill wear beards ; and in Fniofkadul livesa man named Bevediét, known
on account of his beard. Between 1740 and 1750 it happened, between the icy mountains of Sneefaelds
Jokne, that two brethren dividing between themlelves the inheritance left them by their father, one of them,
called Helge, gave his brothes four rix-dollars for the exclufive right of wearing a beard, which right, in
their family, was the fole prerogative of their late father.
{ To prevent {muggling, there is a fevere penalty for piloting a ftrange fhip into harbour. When the
philofophic travellers made the coatt, they were under neceflity to force an Icelander to ftay on board, and
to ferve them asa pilot. And though appeafed by good treatment and prefents, he neverthek fs carricd the
fhip to an unfafe place, till the governor granted his leave to bring the fhip to afafe anchorage. When the
reafon of this flrange behaviour was afked, the Icelander anfwered, he would rather fuffer himfelf to be cut
in pieces, than to act againft the regulations of his king. It is however told, that the inhsbitants on the
northern coait are not quite fo docile, and therefore lefs obfequious.
€ An Icelander never paffes a river, or any other dangerous place, without previoully taking off his hat,
and imploring divine prote€tion ; and he is always thankful for the protection of God, when he has paffed
the danger in fecurity.
40-2 owned
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