Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This is a concise history of Iceland from discovery and settlement to fall of the Commonwealth with the death of Gissur Thorvaldsson in 1269. It includes a chronology and references. ... Read more

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reprint of 1937 edition ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Iceland's prophetic end-time destiny
After extensive biblical and historical research, Adam Rutherford is convinced the people of Iceland are primarily descended from the tribe of Benjamin. He points out that Benjamin means "light bearer," and as such they were the first to bring the Gospel of Christ even as far as Britain in the 1st century. According to biblical prophecy, they will also have an important responsibility in the end-times. You can't read this book without giving glory to God for His Sovereignty and faithfulness on behalf of this nation. Excellent! I couldn't put it down!

FROM THE BOOK...
Mr. Rutherford wrote this wonderful little book in 1937 when he became convinced after throughly researching the subject that Iceland is strongly represented by the descendants of the Tribe of Benjamin.

He presents what he believes to be the Scriptural parallels between the two. His basic scripture passage for his theory is:

"They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea. Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea. From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous." (Isaiah 24: 14-16. English Bible)

Mr. Rutherford stipulates that three particulars are given concerning this place from which songs and thanksgiving are to be heard in the midst of a troubled world:
The place is insular, for the sons of praise are stated to rise"from the sea", "from the isles of the sea". The Old Testament of course was written in Hebrew, but the Hebrew word for"sea" and for "west" is the same, namely "yom". As there are no islands of any consequence that are not in the sea, the proper translation is , "isles of the west". The only important islands in the west are the British Isles and Iceland, but the following considerations show that one of these islands in particular is referred to in the first place, and ultimately incite the inhabitants of the other isles to sing also.
These insular people are described in prophecy as living amidst fires. In our world the only fires of nature that we know of are volcanoes, and Iceland is the only one of these islands that have active volcanoes. Not only so, but in proportion to its size, Iceland contains more volcanoes than any other country in the world. In modern times, the tremendous outpourings of white-hot lava in Iceland are unexampled anywhere else in the world. As comparatively recently as 1783 the great Laki Craters threw out a lava stream about 45 miles in length and 15 miles in breadth. Stefan Stefansson in his book on "Iceland" says that this is "by far the greatest on record" and "unparalleled on the earth in historic times." So far as is known this is the biggest fire the world has ever seen since man was upon the earth. The whole country of Iceland was formed by fire; it owes its existence entirely to volcanic action, and the many geysers and hot springs to be found all over the island are connected with the volcanic fires below. Iceland is known to Europeans as "The Land of Fire". Truly the Icelandic nation has lived amidst fires!
The prophecy locates this insular country as being in "the uttermost part of the earth" or as the ancients said, the "ultima thule". The expression was at one time applied in a general way to the far north, but later became localised to Iceland. Sir Richard Burton has written a work of two large volumes entitled Ultima Thule: this work is a description of Iceland, which this author calls "The Canaan of the North". Iceland is certainly at "the uttermost part of the earth," for beyond it there is nothing but the ice-bound Polar Sea. The north coast of Iceland touches the Arctic Circle.
Although a small book, it contains a rich supply of well-researched facts combined with Scriptural passages to help the author prove his point that Iceland is truly one of the remarkable countries in the world. It is the author's conviction that this great destiny of Iceland will prove to be a blessing not only to the Icelanders themselves but also to the kindred Scandinavian, Anglo-Saxon and Celtic peoples. ... Read more

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And Some Fell into Good Soil is a history of Christianity in Iceland from the first settlement of the country around A.D. 870 to the present time.Three major turning points are emphasized: the official conversion of Iceland to Christianity in A.D. 1000; the Reformation around 1550; and the transition to the modern age around 1900.The only previous history of Icelandic Christianity written in English was published in 1946.The present book is aimed at the general reader, and has special relevance in view of the upcoming thousandth anniversary of the adoption of Christianity by Iceland. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
In 930, Iceland first established a common law for the island and became an autonomous republic, which lasted until it came under the sovereignty of the Norwegian king nearly three and a half centuries later.This volume is a two-part analysis of that society, known as the Icelandic "commonwealth" or "Freestate."The first section examines how medieval Icelanders classified and perceived such domains as time, space, kinship, political organization, and cosmology, linking together these various realms to present an integrated picture of the society's world-view.The second section focuses on the changes that took place during the period in the fields of ecology, demography, religion, property relations, and the law, and explains how and why these changes, interacting with more fundamental social structures and beliefs, undermined--and ultimately destroyed--the society. ... Read more

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Rolf, son of Hiarandi the Unlucky, is a character who exemplifies the effect of Christ's teachings upon the Icelandic people during their heroic age. The book is set in Iceland in the days when Christianity has come to the island though the old customs still linger. Hiarandi, at the urging of his wife, does an unprecedented thing: he lights a signal fire on a dangerous point of his land, thereby challenging the accepted custom which places lucrative salvage at higher value than the saving of life. However, the life that is saved that night causes his own death and the unjust outlawing of his son Rolf. Rolf's response to this injustice creates a suspenseful, thought-provoking tale difficult to put down. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great story, prefectly told (not sure he was a Coalbiter)
This is one of my all time favorites.The subject matter and the style are based on the Icelandic sagas.French's execution in this book is just flawless.The story is tight and so satisfying, and the high, archaic style is consistent throughout.

This is by far my favorite of Allen French's books.I'll read it over and over again, to my self and to my family.I'll always be grateful to our firends who first recommended it.

And if you like this book, I recommend that you give R.A. Lafferty's "The Fall of Rome" a shot.

P.S. I have not found any evidence that French was a member of Tolkien's group of Coalbiters. According to Wikipedia (I know -- not the most reliable source in the world), French was an American who attended Harvard.If Mr. Borgquist has evidence to the contrary, I'd would love to know of it.

Elisha Kim
The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow is set in Christian Iceland, and the story is of a boy named Rolf. Rolf was the son of Hiarandi and lived in Cragness Hall, until his HIarandi's neigbors, who were envious of Cragness, outlawed Hiarandi unjustly. He freed Hiarandi's slaves, and stole them. When one slave was escaping, Hiarandi ran out of his boundaries as an outlaw and was killed. Rolf, trying to save his father, killed his neighbor's herdsman and was made outlaw. He sailed with his cousin to the Orkneys, and was enslaved by the men there...
How was Rolf freed, and how did he earn the Viking Bow? How did he get back to Iceland and avenge his father's death? Read this book to find out.

Elisha Kim

Good story
Purchased for my son, he then encouraged me to read it.I'm glad I did.Its a good story with many lessons that can then be discussed with your child.If you're considering this book I give it a hearty child/parent recommendation.

A wonderful modern version of the Icelandic sagas
Rolf is the only son of Hiarandi the Unlucky. Most of his father's ill luck springs from the fact that he is compassionate and that his neighbor, Einar, covets his land and his spacious hall. The wicked Einar manages to get Hiarandi ensnared in legal difficulties and he is sentenced to spend a year within a bow-shot of his own hall. Not content, Einar sends his henchmen to trick Hiarandi into venturing beyond this perimeter where he will be fair game for slaughter. Hiarandi is killed, but in the process, young Rolf also kills one of Einar's henchmen. Now Rolf is made an outlaw and is forced to flee from Iceland until his sentence is complete. But Rolf will not be content until he can prove that his father was killed within a bowshot of his home--and thus make Einar subject to the law.

Rolf and the Viking Bow is a wonderful read. It is a story told in the style of the Icelandic sagas, even including some of the same characters, but the prose is completely approachable for a modern reader. The reading level is about age 12 and up, I'd say, but a precocious 10 year old could handle the content. The book is perfectly suited for parents to read along with their youngsters and there is plenty of fodder here for discussions about important subjects like justice, virtue, greed, the law, corruption, and loyalty.

This book has the look and feel of a "young adult" novel, but I must admit that I enjoyed it very much, even though I'm approaching 40. I read the edition published by Bethelehem Books and was impressed by the production values--it's definitely worth a couple extra dollars. I recommend it heartily to all.

by an 11 year old boy!!!!!!!
This book was an amazing story. You will read this book again and again until you've memorized it. What happens is that Rolf a young viking boy is the best archer in the land. He lives a happy life until someone kills his father. He leaves his land to find someone who can out do him with the bow by three yards. I'm not telling you anymore about this story. Read this book and find out what happens. I'm sure you will have a blast reading Rolf and the Viking bow. ... Read more

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"[Snorri Sturluson] speaks--as almost no other historian ever has spoken--with the authority of a man whose masterful skills would have made him one of the formidable, foremost in any of the events he records. So he saturates even remotely past happenings with a gripping first-hand quality. . . Hollander's translation is very good, fresh on every page . . . Wherever you open the book, the life grips you and you read on . . ."--Ted Hughes, New York Review of Books ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

WARNING:Contains only Medieval Kings
Any prospective reader should know that Snorri has not written a comprehensive history of ALL of the Norwegian kings.His account stops in 1177, so don't expect any juicy gossip about the current king, Harald V or his son, the crown prince Haakon.Still, if the prospective reader's interest is the medievalhistory of Norway, Snorri's sagas are a good primary source to read.In fact, the prospective reader should stongly consider this work if he or she has a strong interest in medieval history in general, or if he or she is interested in the Christianization of Northern Europe, or if he or she wants to learn more about Norwegian state formation, or if he or she likes to read gory stories about Norwegians killing Norwegians.

Don't be daunted
Don't be afraid to start this very, very long book.You can skip around and read the exciting histories of the kings of Norway.I loved the tale of how Norway's "1st King" Harald Fairhair conquered the kingdom for the sake of a gal he liked.The sections on St. Olaf are good too.Happy reading!

Onward, Christian Vikings!
"The Heimskringla" was written around 1230 by Snorri Sturluson, a powerful Icelandic chief living in Norway. Snorri also wrote the "Prose (or Younger) Edda", a book about poetry that incidentally gives much valuable information on heathen Scandinavian mythology. While Snorri's contemporaries primarily regarded him as a politician and dangerous enemy, posterity remembers him as a writer and poet.

"The Heimskringla" is a highly entertaining work, at least if you are a hard-core Viking or medievalist buff. The story starts in Sweden, at Old Uppsala, then moves on to Norway, with occasional landfalls in England, Spain, Constantinopel and even Jerusalem. Today, the earliest portion of "the Heimskringla", the saga of the Ynglings, is regarded as purely mythological. While Old Uppsala undoubtedly existed (the large burial mounds mentioned by Snorri still stands), it was hardly the capital of a powerful Swedish kingdom. The later parts of Snorri's work deal with real people: St. Olaf, Magnus the Good, Harald Hardruler, Sigurd the Crusader, and others. This part of "the Heimskringla" blends fact and fiction. Some has been confirmed by other medieval chronicles. For instance, Sigurd did sail all the way from Norway to Palestine around the year 1100! Much else sound like tall-tales, as when St.Olaf, still a young boy, attacks and plunders the heathen Estonians...

Even so, this work tells us a lot about how at least some groups of Scandinavians saw themselves and their world during the 13th century. To a modern reader, much of it sounds shocking. That Muslims and heathens should be killed is taken for granted. Sigurd takes a dip in the Jordan river at the spot where Jesus was baptized. Then, he moves on to kill some infidels. He never sees any contradiction. Martial prowess, at as young an age as possible, is the ideal. Most wars are actually fought between different Christian factions. Part of the heroic exploit is to capture and enslave the womenfolk of your enemies. There are also constant supernatural occurances, as when an angel stops St.Olaf from sailing through the strait of Gibraltar, or when Harald Hardruler is saved by a supernaturally risen St.Olaf!

Most of the people described in this remarkable chronicle are Christians, as was Snorri himself. Yet, it's as if the Viking Age never ended. Onward, Christian Vikings!

Fun and Interesting Reading
First of all, a great translation! Fun and interesting (often very violent) reading. A good history also. Worth reading.

Long Live Hakon the Good!
I have never read a more hilarious piece of academic literature. The Norse Kings are so funny... you wouldn't believe how many of them died in drunken accidents. But that's not the book's focus. As a college junior, I found this book to be a great reference for my History and English papers and have included it in my necessary-reference-books collection. Sturluson is great! A very entertaining read.

Word Ninja ... Read more

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This book contains over sixty papers presented at the congress, which was the first international congress on the history of the arctic and sub-arctic region. The papers are by scholars from eleven countries and deal with a wide variety of subjects relating to the history of the entire arctic and sub-arctic region. ... Read more

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Part detective story, part exposé, and part travelogue, Promising Genomics investigates one of the signature biotech stories of our time and, in so doing, opens a window onto the high-speed, high-tech, and high-finance world of genome science. In a luminous account, Mike Fortun investigates how deCODE Genetics, in Iceland, became one of the wealthiest companies of its kind, as well as one of the most scandalous, with its plan to use the genes and medical records of the entire Icelandic population for scientific research. Delving into the poetry of W. H. Auden, the novels of Halldór Laxness, and the perils of Keiko the killer whale, Fortun maps the contemporary genomics landscape at a time when we must begin to ask questions about what "life" is made of in the age of DNA, databases, and derivatives trading. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the text that can both be accessed online and used to create new print copies. This book and thousands of others can be found in the digital collections of the University of Michigan Library. The University Library also understands and values the utility of print, and makes reprints available through its Scholarly Publishing Office. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book surveys mathematical education in Iceland from medieval times to the present. Its main focus is on the international "modern" mathematics reform movement in the 1960s, promoted by the OECD. At that time mathematics education in Iceland had drifted into stagnation, characterized by a shortage of teachers, curricula and textbooks. In spite of the turmoil and confusion in the Icelandic school system caused by the introduction of modern mathematics, this reform had significant positive impact. It stimulated the creativity and initative of a generation of teachers and played an important role in the transformation of Icelandic society. Icelanders came to recognize the importance of mathematics for technical and economic progress and for its inherent cultural value. ... Read more

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A comprehensive and profusely illustrated accompaniment to the exhibition The Manuscripts of Iceland, which was organized by the Arni Magnusson Institute and opened in the Culture House in Reykjavik on October 5, 2002. In this collection of articles scholars present the story of Icelandic manuscripts, their medieval origins, the literature they contain and its influence up to the present day. The meeting of written Christian and classical culture with the rich oral traditions in Iceland brought forth a remarkable literary flowering, an eloquent source of information about pagan Scandinavian culture and thought. In time this literature came to inspire the sense of national character in the Nordic countries and exerted notable influence in the German- and English- speaking worlds. This book and the exhibition it accompanies are a tribute to the central role that medieval Icelandic literature played in forging national identities in Northern Europe. Contains 112 color and 32 b/w ilustrations. ... Read more

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The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Iceland traces Iceland's history and provides a compass for the direction the country is heading. This is done through its chronology, introductory essays, appendixes, map, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects. ... Read more