History of The Faroe Islands - Pre-14th Century

Pre-14th Century

Little is known about Faroese history up until the 14th century.

The name of the islands is first recorded on the Hereford map (1280), where they are labelled farei. The name has been explained as derived from a Celtic term for "far islands", but in popular etymology it has long been understood as based on Old Norse fár "livestock", thus fær-øer "sheep islands".

The main historical source for this period is the 13th century work Færeyinga Saga (Saga of the Faroese), and it is disputed as to how much of this work is historical fact. Færeyinga Saga only exists today as copies in other sagas. In particular three manuscripts called Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar, Flateyjarbók and one registered as AM 62 fol.

According to Flateyjarbók Grímr Kamban settled in Faroe when Harald Hårfagre was king of Norway (872 – 930). But this version does not correspond with the above mentioned writings of Dicuil. Ólafs Saga Tryggvasonar, however, does. According to that manuscript, Færeyinga Saga starts like this:

There was a man named Grímr Kamban; he first settled in Faroe. But in the days of Harold Fairhair many men fled before the king's overbearing. Some settled in Faroe and began to dwell there, and others sought to other waste lands.

According to this many men did indeed flee from Harald Hårfagre. But the text suggests that Grímr Kamban settled in the Faroes some time before. Maybe even hundreds of years. His first name Grímr is Norse. But his last name Kamban (Cambán) is Gaelic. He may have been of mixed Norse and Irish origin and come from a settlement in the British isles; a so-called Norse-Gael. These Norse-Gaels had intermarried with the local Gaelic speaking people in Britain, a feature that is still visible in the Faroese genes today, which prove to be mixed Scandinavian-British.

If many men settled in the Faroes in the reign of Harald Hårfagre, people must have known about the Faroes. And therefore someone may have settled or visited there some time before.

The fact that settlers from Norway also settled in the Faroe Islands is proven by a runestone (see Sandavágur stone) found in the village of Sandavágur on Vágoy Island. It says:

Þorkil Onundsson, austmaþr af Hrua-lande, byggþe þe(n)a staþ fyrst.

I.e. "Thorkil Onundsson, eastman (Norwegian) from Rogaland, settled first in this place (Sandavágur)".

This description "eastman" (from Norway) has to be seen together with the description "westman" (From Ireland/Scotland) which is to be found in local place-names such as "Vestmanna-havn" i.e. "Irish-mens harbour" in the Faroe Isles, and "Vestmannaeyjar" i.e. "Irish-mens islands" in Iceland.

According to Færeyinga Saga there was an ancient institution on the headland Tinganes in Tórshavn on the island of Streymoy. This was an Alþing or Althing (All-council.) This was the place where laws were made and disputes solved. All free men had the right to meet in the Alþing. It was a parliament and law court for all, thus the name. Historians estimate the Alþing to have been established from 800 to 900.

The islands were converted to Christianity around the year 1000, with the Diocese of the Faroe Islands based at Kirkjubøur, southern Streymoy, of which there were 33 Catholic bishops. The Faroes became a part of the Kingdom of Norway in 1035.

Early in the 11th century Sigmund or Sigmundur Brestisson, whose family had flourished in the southern islands but had been almost exterminated by invaders from the northern, was sent from Norway, whither he had escaped, to take possession of the islands for Olaf Tryggvason, king of Norway. He introduced Christianity, and, though he was subsequently murdered, Norwegian supremacy was upheld and continued.

King Sverre of Norway was brought up in the Faroe, being stepson of a Faroese man, and relative to Roe, bishop of the islands.