A.D. 



1592. 



Island first 

 inhabited. 



[I- 5r3.] 



Frtdericus 

 Saxo the first 

 preacher of the 

 Christianfaith 

 in Island. 

 Anno Domini 

 981. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



that I may make good the credite of our Countreymen, 

 I wil impart with strangers a fewe things which I found 

 in our most ancient records of the conversion of Island 

 unto Christ, and of the succession of Bishops in our 

 Churches. Which although they be of litle moment, 

 and not altogether worthy to be written, yet must they 

 of necessitie bee set downe for the defence of the trueth 

 of our affaires against Krantzius and others : Thus there- 

 fore standeth the certeintie thereof. 



In the yeere of Christ 874. Island (being indeed 

 discovered before that time, as is above mentioned) was 

 then first of all inhabited by certaine Noruagians. Their 

 chiefetaine was one Ingulphus from whose name the 

 East cape of Island is called Ingulffs hoffdi. These 

 planters are reckoned up by name in our recordes more 

 then to the number of 400. together with those of their 

 blood and kinred, and great families besides : neither 

 onely is their number described, but it is also plainely 

 set downe, what coasts, what shores, and what in-land 

 places eche of them did occupie and inhabite, and what 

 names the first inhabitants did give unto Streights, bayes, 

 harboroughs, necklands, creekes, capes, rockes, cragges, 

 mountaines, hilles, valleys, homockes, springs, floods, 

 rivers. And to be short, what names they gave unto 

 their graunges or houses, whereof many at this day are 

 reteined and used. Therefore the Norwayes with their 

 company peopled all the habitable parts of Island now 

 occupied by them for the space of 60. yeeres or there- 

 about: but they remayned Ethnickes almost a 100. 

 yeres, except a very few which were baptised in Norwaie. 

 But scarce a 100. yeres from their first entrance being 

 past, presently Christian Religion began to be considered 

 upon, namely about the yeere of our Lord 974. Which 

 thing above 20. yeres together, was diversly attempted 

 of many not without notable rebellion : amongst the 

 rest there are mentioned two outlandish Bishops, who 

 with others diligently laboured in converting the Hand 

 to Christian faith: the former was one Fridericus a 



150 



