It’s a storied island with a rich saga tradition. A land of ice and fire. But rarely do we hear of how Iceland went from being a stouthearted farming settlement to one of the most respected nations on Earth. This week, Danièle speaks with Sverrir Jakobsson about what life in Iceland was like in the early Middle Ages, how it became linked to the kingdom of Norway, and how Iceland’s interactions with Europe changed after the Black Death.
It’s a storied island with a rich saga tradition. A land of ice and fire. But rarely do we hear of how Iceland went from being a stouthearted farming settlement to one of the most respected nations on Earth. This week, Danièle speaks with Sverrir Jakobsson about what life in Iceland was like in the early Middle Ages, how it became linked to the kingdom of Norway, and how Iceland’s interactions with Europe changed after the Black Death.
Sverrir Jakobsson is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Iceland. His new book is Medieval Iceland: Politics, Patronage and Power.
The creator and host of The Medieval Podcast is Danièle Cybulskie. Click here to visit her website or follow her on BlueSky @5minmedievalist.bsky.social
You can subscribe to The Medieval Podcast via iTunes, Spotify, Podbay, PlayerFM, our RSS feed or on Youtube
Subscribe to Medievalverse
Related Posts