The Viking Age in the Faroe Islands lasted from Grímur Kamban's conquest of the country around 825 until the death of Tróndur í Gøtu, the last Viking chieftain on the Faroe Islands in 1035, and the rise to power of Leivur Øssursson in the same year.Arge, S.V., Sveinbjarnardóttir, G., Edwards, K.J. et al. Viking and Medieval Settlement in the Faroes: People, Place and Environment. Hum Ecol 33, 2005, p. 597–620. While the Norse settlement in the Faroe Islands can be definitively traced back to sometime between the 9th and 10th centuries, with the first Norsemen on the islands arguably around the late 8th century, accounts from Irish priests such as Dicuil claim monks were there for "nearly a hundred years" (in centum ferme annis) beforehand.

The biggest historical break in this period was the Christianization of the Faroe Islands by Sigmundur Brestisson in 999, which heralded the end of the Viking Age and at the same time the end of the Faroe Islands as a free settler republic.Books LLC. Färöische Geschichte. Reference Series, 2012,

Unfortunately for historians, many sources from this period have been lost in the various devastations of libraries and archives. The most important source we have today is therefore the Færeyinga saga and statements in other external sources that can support the stories there and allow us to date them.

Although the dates and events mentioned in this article are generally regarded as indisputable in the Faroe Islands and form part of the national founding myth, they should always be viewed with a certain degree of caution, as the Faroese saga is not a chronicle in the true sense of the word, but a historical novel. Very clear myths that appear completely unrealistic are labeled as such (usually in the further articles on individual episodes of the saga).

There have been numerous archaeological investigations on the Faroe Islands in recent decades so our picture of that time is becoming increasingly clear. Most of the archaeological finds from this period can be found in the National Museum of the Faroe Islands.

Evidence Excavation of a Viking Age farm found in the village of Kvívík on the island Streymoy, shows substantial evidence of farming done in a style common to the Faroe Islands. A longhouse was unearthed during an excavation alongside a byre (smaller dwelling intended to house livestock during winter). This find furthers the validity of the sagas by providing an aspect of the agricultural lifestyle being brought from Norway to the Faroe Islands.

A more complete example of the agricultural Norse lifestyle on the Faroe Islands can be found at Toftanes, where a preserved longhouse was unearthed with its walls intact. The structure was made of stones and earth and measured 20 meters by 5 meters. A byre was attached to the eastern wall of the longhouse and both what has been determined to be an outhouse. Also on the north end was a house layered in old embers and charcoal, this room was determined to be for making fires.

The Sandavágur stone is a runestone discovered in 1917 in Sandvágur. The inscription tells of Torkil Onandarson from Rogaland who first settled that area. The 13th century relic is on display at Sandavágur Church.

Settlement

When the Vikings first visited the Faroe Islands in 795, they found monks from Ireland living as hermits. They, in turn, had found no native population to convert, so they bred sheep and planted oats, among other things, which now allows them to date their arrival to around 625.

The history of Viking Age settlement of the Faroe Islands comes from the Færeyinga saga, a manuscript that is now lost. Portions of the tale were inscribed in three other sagas, such as Flateyjarbók and Saga of Óláfr Tryggvason. Similar to other sagas, the historical credibility of the Færeyinga saga is often questioned.

Both the Saga of Ólafr Tryggvason and Flateyjarbók claim a man named Grímur Kamban was the first man to discover the Faroe Islands. However, the two sources disagree on the year in which he left and the cause of his departure. Flateyjarbók details the emigration of Grímur Kamban as sometime during the reign of King Harald Hårfagre, between 872 and 930.Flateyjarbók The Saga of Óláfr Tryggvason indicates that Kamban was residing in the Faroes long before the rule of Harald Hårfagre, and that other Norse were driven to the Faroe Islands due to his chaotic rule.The Saga of Óláfr Tryggvason

This mass migration to the Faroe Islands shows a prior knowledge of the location of Norse settlements, furthering the claim of Grímur Kamban's settlement much earlier. While Kamban is recognized as the first Norse settler of the Faroe Islands (although his surname is of Gaelic origin), he actually re-settled the island. Writings from the Papar, an order of Irish monks, indicate their settling of the Faroes long before the Norse set foot there, only leaving due to ongoing Viking raids.Schei, Liv Kjørsvik & Moberg, Gunnie (2003) The Faroe Islands. Berlin.

First settlement wave

It is not entirely clear whether the often-claimed expulsion of the Irish monks by the Vikings around 795 took place, or whether only some of them went to Iceland. In any case, they are considered to be the first settlers there. At this time, the Faroe Islands may have been uninhabited for 30 years, as Scandinavians had not yet settled on the Faroe Islands.Arge, S. V. (1991). The Landnám in the Faroes. Arctic Anthropology, 28(2), 101-120. University of Wisconsin Press. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/40316279 According to this hypothesis, which is based on the account in the book Liber de Mensura Orbis Terræ by the Irish chronicler Dicuil (825), Grímur Kamban entered a land around 825 where there were only the sheep and seabirds left by the monks.

The name Kamban itself suggests a Celtic origin. Grímur Kamban may have come from the British Isles, where the Scandinavians had already established their rule, or he may have been a baptized Norwegian given the nickname by Irish missionaries. In any case, the first people to settle the Faroe Islands around this time were people from the surrounding Scandinavian dominions to the south and east - mostly Scandinavians themselves, but certainly with Celtic slaves and women in their luggage.Curtin, L., D’Andrea, W.J., Balascio, N.L. et al. Sedimentary DNA and molecular evidence for early human occupation of the Faroe Islands. Commun Earth Environ 2, 2021, 253.

Grímur's settlement is said to have been in Funningur on Eysturoy. Excavations have revealed other Viking settlements in the neighborhood and on the other islands.

The Norwegian emigrant Naddoddur also arrived in the Faroe Islands during this period. According to tradition, he discovered Iceland around 850 and named it Snowland. According to a more recent theory, his (presumed) daughter Ann Naddodsdóttir is the mother of Brestir and Beinir, who will be discussed below.

Second settlement wave The great immigration to the Faroe Islands took place around 880–900. This wave of land occupation is precisely dated to 885–890. It was the time of Harald Fairhair of Norway (r. 870–933). The Faroese saga tells us that many people fled from his rule. One of the reasons is the tax burden. As in the first land conquest, the immigrants came from Norway and probably also from the parts of the British Isles controlled by Norway.

The fact that the majority of these Vikings on the Faroe Islands came from Norway can be determined by a linguistic peculiarity (in addition to other similarities with the dialects of western Norway): In Faroese, northeast is called landnyrðingur ("land north"), southeast landsynningur ("land south"), northwest útnyrðingur ("out north") and southwest útsynningur ("out south"). These terms can only be coined by people who live on a continental west coast, such as Bergen. From a Faroese perspective, such a neologism would make no sense, as there is land to the northwest in the form of Iceland and Shetland to the southeast, while the shores of Spitsbergen and Newfoundland are located to the northeast and southwest - terra incognita (unknown land) at the time. And: from a Faroese point of view, every direction is out to sea. It is said that people from the Faroe Islands and Bergen can still communicate in their respective local dialects without much difficulty. The relationship between this Norwegian trading metropolis and later Hanseatic League and the Faroe Islands has always played a special role throughout the centuries. See also: Monopoly trade via the Faroe Islands (period 1529–1856)

First Thing

Around 900, the Faroese already had their Thing on the peninsula named after him, Tinganes. Tórshavn thus became the capital of the islands early on. The thing at that time was called the Althing (as is still the case in Iceland today). Since around 1400, it has borne its current name Løgting. It is one of the oldest parliaments in the world (see there). In addition to the central Thing, there were local Thing sites called Várting.

Even if it is not entirely clear what the political order of the Faroe Islands was like at this time, it is no exaggeration to speak of a Republic, as the king in Norway, 500 kilometers away, had no power on the archipelago during the Viking Age, and the thing was an assembly of the local free men, i.e. the large farmers. This was also where jurisdiction was exercised.

Settlement and population development At that time, all the islands of the Faroe Islands were already inhabited, except for Lítla Dímun. This has not changed until today. The population of the Faroe Islands after the second wave of land grabbing was perhaps 3000 people. This number remained almost stable until the end of the 18th century and did not exceed 4000. Agriculture in this very limited area did not allow for more.

The descendants of the two waves of settlements effectively formed the population for the next 450 years. It was not until the Black Death in 1349 and 1350, with the loss of a third of the population, that dramatic changes occurred, creating space and demand for new immigrants.

Everyday life

Diet and acquisition

The Vikings on the Faroe Islands were an agricultural people. They grew barley, which was ground with slate millstones imported from Norway. The most important domestic animals were sheep, and Faroese wool was already an important export at that time. There were also cows and, unlike today, many pigs. The name of the island, Svínoy, testifies to this. Hay was produced for animal feed. Over time, the Faroese horses developed into a separate breed, the Faroe pony, of which only a few individuals remain today.

Fishing and grindadráp served as an important food supplement and were practiced near the coast in the fjords. The typical Faroese boat still stands as a reminder of these times. It is still built in the style of the Viking ship.

The Faroese bird life also provided an abundance of food. Seabird hunting was much more important here than in other countries - and still is. Of the dozens of species, three were preferred.

Economy