ICELAND, 77 



but the court of Denmark now appoints a governor, styled the stift- 

 ^amfitmann, who constantly resides there, at a place called Bessestee-- 

 der, in the south-west part of the island, and who appoints his own 

 am/it maun, or deputy. Each of the 18 syssels or districts, into which 

 Iceland is divided, has a magistrate called a sysselman, who acts as a 

 justice ot cue peace, and before whom actions are usually commenced ; 

 Du. they may be carried by appeal to the courts of two superior judges, 

 ana thence to the supreme court of judicature at Copenhagen. Jus- 

 tice is, in general, administered according to the Danish laws ; but 

 sometimes, likewise, according to the old Icelandic ordinances. Men 

 convinced of < apital crimes are put to death by beheading or hanging : 

 but k a woman is condemned to die, she is sewed up in a sack and 

 thrown intu the sea. 



Religion.. ..The inhabitants of Iceland were converted to Chris- 

 tiannv about die year 1000; and in 1551, Lutheranism, which is still 

 the religion ot the country, was estabiisned. The island is divided into 

 two dioceses, bkalholt and Hoolum ; of which the former contains 127 

 pansneb, and the latter 62. The yearly revenue of these bishoprics 

 is about. 200/. each. All tne ministers are native Icelanders, and are 

 said oy Van Troil to receive a yearly salary of four or five hundred 

 rix-duhars nom the king of Denmark, exclusive of what they obtain 

 from their congregations. According to Mr. Coxe, some have not 

 more than three or four pounds annually. 



Literature. ...From the introduction of the Christian religion into 

 Iceland, liil tne year 1264, when this island became subject to Norway, 

 it was one ol trie few countries in Europe, and the only one in the North, 

 in which the sciences were cultivated and held in esteem. But this 

 period ot time seems to have produced more learned men in Iceland 

 than anj other period since. It appears from their ancient chronicles, 

 that tney had considerable knowledge in morality, philosophy, natural 

 history, and astronomy. Most of their works were written in the 1 1th, 

 12th, 15th, and 14th centuries; and some of them have been printed. 

 Mr. Banks, now Sir Joseph Banks, presented one hundred and sixty- 

 two Icelandish manuscripts to the British Museum. That gentleman 

 visited Iceland in 1772, accompanied by Dr. Solander, Dr. Van Troil, 

 and Dr. Lind. Dr. Van Troil, who published an account of their 

 voyage, observes, that he found more knowledge among the lower class 

 in Iceland than is to be met with in most other places, ; that many of 

 them could repeat the works of some of their poets by heart ; and that 

 a peasant was seldom to be found, who, besides being well instructed 

 in the principles of religion, was not also acquainted with the history 

 of his country ; which proceeds from the frequent reading of their 

 traditional histories, that being one of their principal amusements. 



Language.. ..The Icelandic is a very ancient dialect of the Gothic, 

 and has been preserved so pure that any Icelander can understand the 

 most ancient chronicles of his country. The Lord's Prayer in Icelandic 

 is as follows : 



Fader vor som est i Himulum ; I Halgad nvarde thitt nama. Til- 

 komme thitt Rikie. Skie thitt vilie so som i himmalam so oghfio Jordanne. 

 Wort dachlicha Rrodh gif os i dagh Ogh forlat os nora Skuldar, so som 

 ogh vi forlate them os Skildighe are Ogh inled os ikkie i Frestalsan. 

 Vtanfrels os ifra ondo. Amen. 



