| Summary: | Newsletter of the North Dakota School for the Deaf. THE NORTH DAKOTA BANNER Floki explored this country. Great quantities of Polar ice were seen, so Floki called this country “Iceland” and by that name it has ever since been known. Before Iceland was discovered, Norway was divided into many small kingdoms that were often at war with each other. At the time of the settlement in Iceland, the most powerful*ruler was King Harold who had conquered all the other kings. Being a tyrannical ruler, the people disliked him for he had laid heavy taxes on them and had made them pay him rent for land, so rather than submit, many emigrated to Iceland. The original settlers divided their mount of humane laws and regulations. It was in the year 1030. When Christianity was accepted, the constitution was greatly improved. The leaders formed a grand jury and used their power to improve their country. They established churches instead of temples and a number of men obtained sufficient education to become priests. In the Christian time bishops of Rome were sent to Iceland by the Pope to bring the people to a knowledge of the Christian doctrine. The church was first established at Skalholt. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries twenty witches were burned to death owing to the superstitions of Icelanders won the victories. This led Iceland to become a republic. Since the establishment of a republic, those conditions have been changed a great deal. Schools have been built and at present some English schools are being erected for the people who can learn the English language. Emigration has diminished in recent years. There is no school for the deaf in Iceland for it is too small a country to maintain a school for deaf children who have to be sent to other countries to be educated, if educated'at all. The language spoken in Northern Europe, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and even further south a thousand years *** 9) Hi * ib ** & * ib lb m Hi * ib 'mV .i bl, * U» Hi w Hi m \i> m \y if; w Hi ib Hj *9 ) Hi Hi 9S Hi V \h a; T* XU Hi 9* Hi Hi *** Hi ib Hi * * * Hi Hi Hi Hi 9* Hi # ib iHt/i W Hi \U it/ Hi * Hi Hkii. IV lb lb w Hi lb w lb Hi Ui \b it/ Hi Hi ib Hi Hi ib Hi Hi ib Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi \ii \h it/ if/ Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi Hi 11/ Hi Hi if/ Hi lb Hi Hi Hi wif/ W lb iVti/i tlbl. w Hi W ib CLASS OF 1909. property with those who came at a later date. A share of land was possessed by every one. Most of the early Icelanders were heathen. Odin was thought to be the chief of Gods and Thor, the God of Thunder and Battle. They used to worship idols. The temples were built by the leaders or chief men. The owner of a temple was called a priest and the neighbors who could not build temples for themselves, used to go to the priests' temples paying a tithe or tax called “Temple Tax.” But in later \ cars when the constitution was adopted, the number and power of the temple owners were curtailed. Under heathen rule, the people were in feu'ds or wars which were upheld by the Vikings liqt at the time of the introduction of Christianity, peace brought contentment and a great a* the times. The people really believed that they could see imps or ghosts. Witchcraft had a terrible hold on them. If a person got sick, some imp was the cause of his illness. Also if a horse was lost or died, some imp or ghost was blamed for it. The neighbors were arrested and accused of being witches and magicians. Innocent people were often arrested and burned to death. The law in Denmark proclaimed that the witches should be burned to death, blit in 1690 witchcraft was abolished. When Iceland was discovered, attempts were made by the former kings of Norway to conquer the country and annex it to the kingdom of Norway but without success for the great men of Iceland prevented the kings from gaining authority over the island and they found it impossible to annex Iceland. Several battles occurred and the ago is still retained in Iceland with very little change. The Edda poems originating in the 10th and 12th centuries can be read and understood at present. A Congress called Alihing i« held every year where several districts are represented. A code of laws and jury system have been adopted. The powers are represented by legislature and the highest judicial and executive departments. Iceland's jury system owes its existence to the Norse invasion of the British Isles. Later on Norway and Iceland went under the Danish rule but after three centuries Norway broke loose from this rule but Iceland still remained under it, though enjoying home rule at present to a certain extent. The people in Iceland have boon trying to improve their farms and they are beginning to understand commercial
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