After making my post about Viking Age names in Iceland from a museum exhibit, I started thinking about names for a persona while I play in the SCA. I started collecting a few ideas on that page, but then it all became very long and off-topic from the original post, so I’ve moved that information over here now…
I’m going to consider most of this a work-in-progress, as I’m sure to change things as I learn more.
Persona background:
Family
- Icelandic-born
- Parents originally from Norway, who came to “Ísland” from Norway prior to 930 – when the ‘settlement age’ for Iceland ended, but after the intentional settlement by
Ingólfur Arnarson & his wife Hallveig circa 870.
(Source: “The age of settlement is considered to have ended in the year 930 with the establishment of Alþingi, when almost all land in the country had been claimed by settlers.” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlement_of_Iceland & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ing%C3%B3lfr_Arnarson)- (Starting point of parents coming to Iceland in 910, making the current year about 950)
- Parents would have arrived on knörr, a Viking cargo ship which would have held livestock, grains, tools, and other materials needed for intentional settlement. The voyage from Norway to Iceland would have taken one to two weeks by sea. (Source: http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/society/text/settlement_of_iceland.htm)
- Father was likely a wealthy & influential Norwegian, who left Norway when King Haraldur inn hárfagri took the throne and started imposing rules about landownership that he and his contemporaries found disagreeable. (Source: http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/society/text/settlement_of_iceland.htm) Land shortage in Scandinavia, an improvement in the production of Iron, and a desire for new markets to trade with also contributed with Viking Age exploration and the settlement of Iceland. (Source: http://www.nat.is/travelguideeng/icelandic_vikings.htm) Over-population and a thirst for riches may also have contributed to Viking Age exploration. (Source: http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/vikings-history)
- Mother was also Nordic (only about 62% of Iceland’s female ancestors were from the British Isles). Region currently undecided.
Dawn's Dress Diary 