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Thingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.(wiki)
Canon EOS M5 - Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Thingvellir, the original meeting place of one of the oldest parliaments in the world, the Althing, which was founded here in 930.
Here was signed the full and complete independence of Iceland on June 17, 1944.
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park is a site of immense cultural, historical, and geological significance located in southwestern Iceland. It is the original location of the Alþingi (Althing), the national parliament of Iceland, established in 930 AD, making it one of the oldest surviving parliaments in the world. Þingvellir is also a remarkable geological site where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates visibly drift apart, creating dramatic rift valleys and fissures such as Almannagjá.
The area is part of the Golden Circle and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Surrounded by mountains and bordered by Iceland’s largest natural lake, Þingvallavatn, the park is a destination of awe-inspiring beauty where Iceland’s natural and human histories converge. The visible faults and lava fields are reminders of the island’s volcanic origins, while the open plains once echoed with ancient assemblies and lawmaking gatherings.
The all-new Ford Explorer Active stands confidently against the dramatic Icelandic highlands. This modern SUV merges bold American design with advanced hybrid efficiency, ready for rugged terrain and scenic journeys.
Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Þingvellir is a place in Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It is the site of a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is also home to Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Parliament or Alþingi was established at Þingvellir in 930 and remained there until 1798. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930 to protect the remains of the parliament site and was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area. Þingvellir National Park was the first national park in Iceland and was decreed "a protected national shrine for all Icelanders, the perpetual property of the Icelandic nation under the preservation of parliament, never to be sold or mortgaged.
(Wikipedia)
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I was originally enrolled into the GETTY IMAGES collection as a contributor on April 9th 2012, and when links with FLICKR were terminated in March 2014, I was retained and fortunate enough to be signed up via a second contract, both of which have proved to be successful with sales of my photographs all over the world now handled exclusively by them.
On November 12th 2015 GETTY IMAGES unveiled plans for a new stills upload platform called ESP (Enterprise Submission Platform), to replace the existing 'Moment portal', and on November 13th I was invited to Beta test the new system prior to it being officially rolled out in December. ESP went live on Tuesday December 15th 2015 and has smoothed out the upload process considerably.
These days I take a far more leisurely approach to my photographic exploits, a Nikon D850 FX Pro body as my trusted companion, I travel light with less constraints and more emphasis on the pure capture of the beauty that I see, more akin to my original persuits and goals some five decades previously when starting out. I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 31.629+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on November 18th 2018
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1067779610 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 3,556th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
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Photograph taken at an altitude of One hundred and forty one metres at 15:20pm on Thursday 8th November 2018, off Þingvallavegur 36 in the Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir National Park), Iceland which is situated in a rift valley caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates and features fissures such as the Almannagjá fault.
This is the location where the Alþing (Althing) parliamentary general assembly met between 930 CE and 1798. It has been home to a church for over One thousand years.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 27mm. Hand held with Nikkor VR vibration reduction enabled on Normal setting. Shutter speed 1/15s Aperture f/13.0 iso100 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 FX). Colour space. Adobe RGB. AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto 0 white balance (8030K). Nikon Distortion control on. Vignette control Normal.
Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Phot-R ultra slim 77mm UV filter. Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.
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LATITUDE: N 64d 15m 19.20s
LONGITUDE: W 21d 7m 43.30s
ALTITUDE: 141.0m
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RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 91.3MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 21.20MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.01 (16/01/2018) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB DATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Þingvellir is a historically and geologically significant site in southwestern Iceland, located about 40 kilometers northeast of Reykjavík. It is one of the country’s most important cultural landmarks and forms part of the popular Golden Circle route. Þingvellir is both a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its unique combination of natural features and its central role in Iceland’s history.
The area lies within a rift valley created by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it one of the few places in the world where this geological boundary is clearly visible on land. Over time, the shifting plates have formed dramatic fissures, lava fields, and clear freshwater springs, including the well-known Silfra fissure, where the two continental plates can be observed diverging. The landscape is characterized by rugged cliffs, open plains, and the nearby Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest natural lake.
Historically, Þingvellir holds exceptional importance as the site of the Althing, one of the world’s oldest existing parliaments, established around the year 930 during the early period of Icelandic settlement. For centuries, chieftains and representatives from across the island gathered here annually to make laws, settle disputes, and conduct assemblies, making Þingvellir the political and social heart of medieval Iceland. The location was chosen for its accessibility and natural amphitheater-like setting created by the surrounding cliffs.
Throughout the centuries, Þingvellir has remained a symbol of Icelandic identity and independence. It was here that Iceland formally declared independence from Denmark in 1944, reinforcing its deep national significance. Today, the park is protected for both its cultural heritage and its distinctive geological environment, attracting visitors interested in history, nature, and photography. The combination of tectonic activity, historical legacy, and scenic beauty makes Þingvellir one of the most iconic and meaningful locations in Iceland.
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I was originally enrolled into the GETTY IMAGES collection as a contributor on April 9th 2012, and when links with FLICKR were terminated in March 2014, I was retained and fortunate enough to be signed up via a second contract, both of which have proved to be successful with sales of my photographs all over the world now handled exclusively by them.
On November 12th 2015 GETTY IMAGES unveiled plans for a new stills upload platform called ESP (Enterprise Submission Platform), to replace the existing 'Moment portal', and on November 13th I was invited to Beta test the new system prior to it being officially rolled out in December. ESP went live on Tuesday December 15th 2015 and has smoothed out the upload process considerably.
These days I take a far more leisurely approach to my photographic exploits, a Nikon D850 FX Pro body as my trusted companion, I travel light with less constraints and more emphasis on the pure capture of the beauty that I see, more akin to my original persuits and goals some five decades previously when starting out. I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 31.011+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on November 25th 2018
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1071320494 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 3,605th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
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Photograph taken at an altitude of One hundred and forty six metres at 15:23pm on Thursday 8th November 2018, off Þingvallavegur 36 in the Þingvellir national park (Thingvellir National Park) looking over towards Þingvellir church in Þingvallakirkja, Southern Iceland. This is the location where the Alþing (Althing) parliamentary general assembly met between 930 CE and 1798. It has been home to a church for over One thousand years.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 32mm. Hand held with Nikkor VR vibration reduction enabled on Normal setting. Shutter speed 1/40s Aperture f/13.0 iso100 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 FX). Colour space. Adobe RGB. AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto 0 white balance (8030K). Nikon Distortion control on. Vignette control Normal.
Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Phot-R ultra slim 77mm UV filter. Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.
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LATITUDE: N 64d 15m 19.40s
LONGITUDE: W 21d 7m 41.20s
ALTITUDE: 146.0m
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RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 92.1MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 33.30MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.01 (16/01/2018) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB DATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse. Icelandic horses are long-lived and hardy. In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return. The Icelandic displays two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, canter and gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. The only breed of horse in Iceland, they are also popular internationally, and sizable populations exist in Europe and North America. The breed is still used for traditional farm work in its native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing.
Developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Scandinavian settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, the breed is mentioned in literature and historical records throughout Icelandic history; the first reference to a named horse appears in the 12th century. Horses were venerated in Norse mythology, a custom brought to Iceland by the country's earliest settlers. Selective breeding over the centuries has developed the breed into its current form. Natural selection has also played a role, as the harsh Icelandic climate eliminated many horses through cold and starvation. In the 1780s, much of the breed was wiped out in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. The first breed society for the Icelandic horse was created in Iceland in 1904, and today the breed is represented by organizations in 19 different nations, organized under a parent association, the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations.
Breed characteristics
Icelandic horses weigh between 330 and 380 kilograms (730 and 840 lb) and stand an average of 13 and 14 hands (52 and 56 inches, 132 and 142 cm) high, which is often considered pony size, but breeders and breed registries always refer to Icelandics as horses. Several theories have been put forward as to why Icelandics are always called horses, among them the breed's spirited temperament and large personality and the lack of a word in Icelandic for "pony". Another theory suggests that the breed's weight, bone structure and weight-carrying abilities mean it can be classified as a horse, rather than a pony. The breed comes in many coat colors, including chestnut, dun, bay, black, gray, palomino, pinto and roan. There are over 100 names for various colors and color patterns in the Icelandic language. They have well-proportioned heads, with straight profiles and wide foreheads. The neck is short, muscular, and broad at the base; the withers broad and low; the chest deep; the shoulders muscular and slightly sloping; the back long; the croup broad, muscular, short and slightly sloping. The legs are strong and short, with relatively long cannon bones and short pasterns. The mane and tail are full, with coarse hair, and the tail is set low. The breed is known to be hardy and an easy keeper. The breed has a double coat developed for extra insulation in cold temperatures.
Characteristics differ between various groups of Icelandic horses, depending on the focus of individual breeders. Some focus on animals for pack and draft work, which are conformationally distinct from those bred for work under saddle, which are carefully selected for their ability to perform the traditional Icelandic gaits. Others are bred solely for horsemeat. Some breeders focus on favored coat colors.
Members of the breed are not usually ridden until they are four years old, and structural development is not complete until age seven. Their most productive years are between eight and eighteen, although they retain their strength and stamina into their twenties. An Icelandic mare that lived in Denmark reached a record age of 56, while another horse, living in Great Britain, reached the age of 42. The horses are highly fertile, and both sexes are fit for breeding up to age 25; mares have been recorded giving birth at age 27. The horses tend to not be easily spooked, probably the result of not having any natural predators in their native Iceland. Icelandics tend to be friendly, docile and easy to handle, although also enthusiastic and self-assured. As a result of their isolation from other horses, disease in the breed within Iceland is mostly unknown, except for some kinds of internal parasites. The low prevalence of disease in Iceland is maintained by laws preventing horses exported from the country being returned, and by requiring that all equine equipment taken into the country be either new and unused or fully disinfected. As a result, native horses have no acquired immunity to disease; an outbreak on the island would be likely to be devastating to the breed. This presents problems with showing native Icelandic horses against others of the breed from outside the country, as no livestock of any species can be imported into Iceland, and once horses leave the country they are not allowed to return.
Gaits
The Icelandic is a "five-gaited" breed, known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain. As well as the typical gaits of walk, trot, and canter/gallop, the breed is noted for its ability to perform two additional gaits. Although most horse experts consider the canter and gallop to be separate gaits, on the basis of a small variation in the footfall pattern, Icelandic breed registries consider the canter and gallop one gait, hence the term "five-gaited".
The first additional gait is a four-beat lateral ambling gait known as the tölt. This is known for its explosive acceleration and speed; it is also comfortable and ground-covering. There is considerable variation in style within the gait, and thus the tölt is variously compared to similar lateral gaits such as the rack of the Saddlebred, the largo of the Paso Fino, or the running walk of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Like all lateral ambling gaits, the footfall pattern is the same as the walk (left hind, left front, right hind, right front), but differs from the walk in that it can be performed at a range of speeds, from the speed of a typical fast walk up to the speed of a normal canter. Some Icelandic horses prefer to tölt, while others prefer to trot; correct training can improve weak gaits, but the tölt is a natural gait present from birth. There are two varieties of the tölt that are considered incorrect by breeders. The first is an uneven gait called a "Pig's Pace" or "Piggy-pace" that is closer to a two-beat pace than a four-beat amble. The second is called a Valhopp and is a tölt and canter combination most often seen in untrained young horses or horses that mix their gaits. Both varieties are normally uncomfortable to ride.
The breed also performs a pace called a skeið, flugskeið or "flying pace". It is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) Not all Icelandic horses can perform this gait; animals that perform both the tölt and the flying pace in addition to the traditional gaits are considered the best of the breed. The flying pace is a two-beat lateral gait with a moment of suspension between footfalls; each side has both feet land almost simultaneously (left hind and left front, suspension, right hind and right front). It is meant to be performed by well-trained and balanced horses with skilled riders. It is not a gait used for long-distance travel. A slow pace is uncomfortable for the rider and is not encouraged when training the horse to perform the gait. Although most pacing horses are raced in harness using sulkies, in Iceland horses are raced while ridden.
History
The ancestors of the Icelandic horse were probably taken to Iceland by Viking Age Scandinavians between 860 and 935 AD. The Norse settlers were followed by immigrants from Norse colonies in Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Western Isles of Scotland. These later settlers arrived with the ancestors of what would elsewhere become Shetland, Highland, and Connemara ponies, which were crossed with the previously imported animals. There may also have been a connection with the Yakut pony, and the breed has physical similarities to the Nordlandshest of Norway. Other breeds with similar characteristics include the Faroe pony of the Faeroe Islands and the Norwegian Fjord horse. About 900 years ago, attempts were made to introduce eastern blood into the Icelandic, resulting in a degeneration of the stock. In 982 AD the Icelandic Althing (parliament) passed laws prohibiting the importation of horses into Iceland, thus ending crossbreeding. The breed has now been bred pure in Iceland for more than 1,000 years.
The earliest Norse people venerated the horse as a symbol of fertility, and white horses were slaughtered at sacrificial feasts and ceremonies. When these settlers arrived in Iceland, they brought their beliefs, and their horses, with them. Horses played a significant part in Norse mythology, and several horses played major roles in the Norse myths, among them the eight-footed pacer named Sleipnir, owned by Odin, chief of the Norse gods. Skalm, a mare who is the first Icelandic horse known by name, appeared in the Book of Settlements from the 12th century. According to the book, a chieftain named Seal-Thorir founded a settlement at the place where Skalm stopped and lay down with her pack. Horses also play key roles in the Icelandic sagas Hrafnkel's Saga, Njal's Saga and Grettir's Saga. Although written in the 13th century, these three sagas are set as far back as the 9th century. This early literature has an influence today, with many riding clubs and horse herds in modern Iceland still bearing the names of horses from Norse mythology.
Horses were often considered the most prized possession of a medieval Icelander. Indispensable to warriors, war horses were sometimes buried alongside their fallen riders, and stories were told of their deeds. Icelanders also arranged for bloody fights between stallions; these were used for entertainment and to pick the best animals for breeding, and they were described in both literature and official records from the Commonwealth period of 930 to 1262 AD. Stallion fights were an important part of Icelandic culture, and brawls, both physical and verbal, among the spectators were common. The conflicts at the horse fights gave rivals a chance to improve their political and social standing at the expense of their enemies and had wide social and political repercussions, sometimes leading to the restructuring of political alliances. However, not all human fights were serious, and the events provided a stage for friends and even enemies to battle without the possibility of major consequences. Courting between young men and women was also common at horse fights.
Natural selection played a major role in the development of the breed, as large numbers of horses died from lack of food and exposure to the elements. Between 874 and 1300 AD, during the more favorable climatic conditions of the medieval warm period, Icelandic breeders selectively bred horses according to special rules of color and conformation. From 1300 to 1900, selective breeding became less of a priority; the climate was often severe and many horses and people died. Between 1783 and 1784, around 70% of the horses in Iceland were killed by volcanic ash poisoning and starvation after the 1783 eruption of Lakagígar. The eruption lasted eight months, covered hundreds of square miles of land with lava, and rerouted or dried up several rivers. The population slowly recovered during the next hundred years, and from the beginning of the 20th century selective breeding again became important. The first Icelandic breed societies were established in 1904, and the first breed registry in Iceland was established in 1923.
Icelandics were exported to Great Britain before the 20th century to work as pit ponies in the coal mines, because of their strength and small size. However, those horses were never registered and little evidence of their existence remains. The first formal exports of Icelandic horses were to Germany in the 1940s. Great Britain's first official imports were in 1956, when a Scottish farmer, Stuart McKintosh, began a breeding program. Other breeders in Great Britain followed McKintosh's lead, and the Icelandic Horse Society of Great Britain was formed in 1986. The number of Icelandic horses exported to other nations has steadily increased since the first exports of the mid-19th century. Since 1969, multiple societies have worked together to preserve, improve and market these horses under the auspices of the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations. Today, the Icelandic remains a breed known for its purity of bloodline, and is the only horse breed present in Iceland.
The Icelandic is especially popular in western Europe, Scandinavia, and North America. There are about 80,000 Icelandic horses in Iceland (compared to a human population of 317,000), and around 100,000 abroad. Almost 50,000 are in Germany, which has many active riding clubs and breed societies.
Uses
Icelandic horses still play a large part in Icelandic life, despite increasing mechanization and road improvements that diminish the necessity for the breed's use. The first official Icelandic horse race was held at Akureyri in 1874, and many races are still held throughout the country from April through June. Both gallop and pace races are held, as well as performance classes showcasing the breed's unique gaits. Winter events are often held, including races on frozen bodies of water. In 2009 such an event resulted in both horses and riders falling into the water and needing to be rescued. The first shows, focused on the quality of animals as breeding stock, were held in 1906. The Agricultural Society of Iceland, along with the National Association of Riding Clubs, now organizes regular shows with a wide variety of classes. Some horses are still bred for slaughter, and much of the meat is exported to Japan. Farmers still use the breed to round up sheep in the Icelandic highlands, but most horses are used for competition and leisure riding.
IJslanders of IJslandse paarden worden al meer dan duizend jaar raszuiver gefokt.
Rasomschrijving
Het hoofd van de IJslander kan variëren tussen heel edel en heel groot. De hals is kort en dik. Het lichaam is gedrongen. De benen en de hoeven zijn heel sterk. Het behang (beenbeharing) behoort overvloedig aanwezig te zijn. Het gezichts- en het oriëntatievermogen zijn goed ontwikkeld. De stokmaat (schofthoogte) varieert van 1,30 tot 1,45 meter. Natuurlijk bestaan hierop uitzonderingen.
Geschiedenis
Toen aan het einde van de 9e eeuw de eerste inwoners op IJsland kwamen wonen, waren daar geen paarden. De Vikingen namen paarden en andere huisdieren mee uit de gebieden waar ze vandaan kwamen, vooral uit Noorwegen maar ook van de Schotse eilanden. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat de paarden van de Vikingen van verschillende oorsprong waren en zelfs dat ze uit verschillende subgroepen van Equus caballus afkomstig zijn. Zo lijkt de verwantschap met Noorse paarden, oorspronkelijk afkomstig uit noordelijk Eurazië, overduidelijk. Met name is de gelijkenis met het uiterst zeldzame Nordland-paard opvallend en enkele van deze paarden schijnen ook te kunnen tölten.
Ook een belangrijke voorouder van de IJslander is de Keltische pony, oorspronkelijk meegenomen door de Kelten westwaarts door Europa en dus ook naar de Britse eilanden. Verschillende paardenrassen in Groot-Brittannië stammen af van deze voorouder, zoals de Shetlanders, Exmoors en ook minder bekende rassen op de eilanden bij Schotland. Hoewel het invoeren van paarden na de 13e eeuw uiterst zeldzaam was, is er pas sinds 1882 sprake van een wettelijk invoerverbod op paarden en andere huisdieren in IJsland. Voor die tijd was er geen noodzaak om het importeren te verbieden want eeuwenlang was het eiland uiterst geïsoleerd en waren transportmiddelen zeldzaam. Het was pas in de negentiende eeuw dat IJslanders weer schepen gingen bouwen en meer contacten gingen zoeken met de buitenwereld. Hoogstwaarschijnlijk zijn er ook vanaf de twaalfde eeuw tot de negentiende eeuw geen paarden meer naar IJsland geïmporteerd. Een van de bekendste misverstanden rond de geschiedenis van het IJslandse paard is waarschijnlijk de mythe dat er al in de tijd van de Vikingen een invoerverbod op paarden naar IJsland bestond.
Dat er geen invoerverbod blijkt te zijn geweest, verandert niets aan het feit dat IJslandse paarden al honderden jaren zonder bloedvermenging van buitenaf zijn gefokt. Zo komt het dat het IJslandse paard een regelrechte afstammeling is van het Europese oerpaard: Equus stenonsis. Deze paarden verspreidden zich in Scandinavië en Groot-Brittannië en kwamen uiteindelijk op IJsland terecht. De IJslanders stammen van deze paarden af. De IJslandse boeren hebben hun paarden raszuiver doorgefokt, maar ook op het continent van Europa en in de Verenigde Staten zijn er mensen die dit oeroude ras zuiver willen houden en verbeteren.
Het tegenwoordige invoerverbod in IJsland geldt ook voor inheemse paarden die zijn geëxporteerd. Een IJslands paard dat bijvoorbeeld naar een kampioenschap in het buitenland is afgevaardigd, zal na afloop verkocht moeten worden door zijn ruiter, die hem niet mee terug mag nemen naar IJsland.
Bijzonderheden typen
De IJslander is eeuwenlang gebruikt als rijpaard en als pakpaard, onder andere voor het vervoer van de post, voor het bijeendrijven van schapen en als vervoermiddel voor de mens, maar ook - recenter - als sportpaard bij gangenwedstrijden en races. Op het Europese vasteland zijn veel van de IJslandse mogelijkheden overgenomen en elementen zijn toegevoegd. In Europa worden gangenwedstrijden gereden. Ook wordt er gereden met handpaarden en worden afstandsritten gemaakt. De IJslanders worden ook ingespannen voor de wagen en voor de slee. Hoewel er beslist vele rassen zijn die er meer talent voor hebben, kan men met een IJslander een sprongetje wagen. Het rijden van dressuur blijft de basis voor het rijden van de gangen en het beheersen van het paard in het algemeen. De IJslander is een zeer leergierig paard. Ze zijn heel vriendelijk, maar ook heel eigenwijs. Om deze reden zijn het geen echte "kinderpony's". Wel zijn goed opgevoede IJslanders heel sensibel en vaak ook erg voorwaarts. Het rijden op deze paarden vraagt daarom, vooral in het begin enige begeleiding. De hulpen worden bij voorkeur licht en vriendelijk gegeven. De IJslander is in staat om van verre de weg naar huis terug te vinden.
Bijzonderheden gangen
In tegenstelling tot de meeste paarden, die slechts in de drie basisgangen stap, draf en galop kunnen gaan, kan een IJslander zich in vier en soms vijf verschillende gangen voortbewegen. Deze extra gangen heten tölt en telgang. Het zijn natuurlijke gangen die veulens van enkele uren oud al tonen. De IJslander is niet het enige ras dat over deze extra gangen beschikt. Vele paarden van allerlei min of meer bekende rassen bewegen zich voort in tölt en telgang. Bij IJslanders is alleen de snelle telgang, de rentelgang, gewenst. De langzame variant wordt niet gewaardeerd en wordt vaak met Schweinepass aangeduid. De gangenaanleg verschilt per paard. Er wordt gesproken van vier- of vijfgangers en natuurtölters. Viergangers zijn paarden die naast de stap, draf en galop ook kunnen tölten. Deze paarden hebben vaak de draf als voorkeursgang. Vijfgangers zijn paarden die naast de andere gangen ook over telgangaanleg beschikken. Echter, niet elke vijfganger heeft het temperament om goed te kunnen rentelgangen. Natuurtölters zijn paarden die zo gemakkelijk in tölt lopen, dat deze gang ook voor beginnende ruiters makkelijk te rijden is. Voor ruiters en hun IJslandse Paarden worden ook specifieke gangenwedstrijden uitgeschreven. Hier worden proeven uitgeschreven die plaatsvinden op een ovaalbaan. Ook zijn er snelheidsonderdelen, zoals telgangraces. De wedstrijden vinden plaats op regionale, nationale en internationale schaal. Elke twee jaar vindt er een Wereldkampioenschap voor IJslandse Paarden plaats. In 2007 werd dit WK gehouden in Nederland, in Oirschot. Het laatste WK werd in 2011 gehouden in Oostenrijk.
Tölt
De voetvolgorde van tölt is gelijk aan die van stap. Het verschil zit in het optillen en neerzetten van de hoeven. Gevolg hiervan is dat het paard in stap afwisselend op twee of op drie benen staat en in tölt op twee benen of op één been tegelijk steunt. Een IJslander kan in tölt verschillende tempo's lopen; dit varieert van een langzame draf tot een flinke galop. Doordat er in tölt geen zweefmoment bestaat, zoals in draf, ervaart de ruiter ook nooit (onaangename) opwaartse bewegingen en kan men ontspannen in het zadel blijven zitten. In tölt draagt het paard zijn hoofd en hals hoog. Er ontstaat een trotse beweging, versterkt door het ritmisch meedansen van de staart. Het gewicht wordt voornamelijk door de achterhand gedragen, zodat de voorbenen en schouders vrij kunnen bewegen. Bij zeer goede tölters gaat dit gepaard met een hoge knieactie. Behalve spectaculair is de tölt op de eerste plaats een comfortabele gang, zowel voor het paard als voor de ruiter. Om aan te tonen hoe rustig de ruiter in het zadel zit, wordt in tölt-demonstraties vaak met één hand gereden, met in de andere hand een vol glas bier.
Telgang
Telgang zien we niet alleen bij IJslanders, maar ook bij andere dieren. Zo loopt een hond aan de lijn vaak in telgang, kamelen en dromedarissen gaan uitsluitend in telgang en hetzelfde geldt voor giraffen. In tegenstelling tot de draf wordt niet het diagonale, maar het laterale benenpaar gelijktijdig opgetild. Hierdoor ontstaat voor de ruiter een heen en weer schommelende beweging. Telgang in een langzaam tempo heeft de naam 'Schweinepass' en wordt niet gewaardeerd. Alleen de echte rentelgang, waarbij hoge snelheden worden gehaald, wordt als een positieve eigenschap beschouwd. Op wedstrijden worden telgangrennen gehouden over 150 en 250 meter. Het record op 250 m staat op 21,4 seconden. Ter vergelijking: het galoprecord over 250 m is 17,3 seconden. De snelste hengst aller tijden in rentelgang is: Trausti van Hall. Tijd op 250 meter: 21,7 seconden. De kwaliteit van de gangen van een IJslands paard hangt af van de erfelijke aanleg, de bouw en de training. Sommige IJslanders hebben duidelijk meer 'laterale aanleg' dan andere: er zijn IJslanders die uit zichzelf niet in draf gaan maar alleen in tölt (natuurtölters genoemd) of, vaak minder gewenst, alleen in een langzame telgang. Met behulp van bepaalde trainingsmethoden of hulpmiddelen kunnen de gangen die het paard niet vanzelf aanbiedt, vaak alsnog ontwikkeld worden. Helaas blijven er dan altijd nog enkele paarden over die de IJslandse gangen niet beheersen. Deze dieren worden voor de fokkerij zo veel mogelijk uitgesloten, want de specifieke IJslandse gangen willen we in dit ras behouden. Juist de IJslandse gangen geven immers een extra dimensie aan het houden en rijden van IJslandse paarden. Als er wedstrijden op het ijs worden gereden dan krijgt de IJslander speciale nageltjes onder zijn hoefijzers. Ze rijden de wedstrijden ook in de tölt.
Kleur
Binnen het ras zijn alle kleuren vertegenwoordigd, behalve appaloosa (stippels). Witte aftekeningen zijn toegestaan. Binnen de IJslanderpopulatie zien we ook kleuren die niet bij de paarden van het Europese vasteland voorkomen zoals; zilverappel, isabel en wildkleur.
Þingvallakirkja
Tucked away in Þingvellir National Park, Southern Iceland is a small church. By its anglicized name, “Thingvellier,” this breathtaking location was where the Althing parliamentary general assembly met between 930 CE and 1798. It has also been home to a church for over a 1,000 years
After Iceland accepted Christianity around 1000 CE, wood to build a church, and a bell to adorn its tower were sent from Norway as a gift from the delightfully named King Olaf the Stout, according to the history of Norwegian kings written down by Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic poet and historian. It stood as a fine little addition to the lush natural surroundings where Iceland’s government formed and operated for centuries.
The church currently on the site dates back to 1859 and is called Þingvallakirkja. Small in size, but no less beautiful for it, the church, with its warming wooden interior, resembles more a snug cabin in the snow-filled, woods than a house of worship. The historic church has been repaired and updated a number of times down the years, but even today, the little church looks like something out of the past.
Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Photograph taken at an altitude of One hundred and forty seven metres at 15:40pm on Thursday 8th November 2018, off Þingvallavegur 36 in the Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir National Park). This is the location where the Alþing (Althing) parliamentary general assembly met between 930 CE and 1798. It has been home to a church for over One thousand years.
Here we are looking over a body of water known as Þingvallavatn (Þingvallavatn lake).
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The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse. Icelandic horses are long-lived and hardy. In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return. The Icelandic displays two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, canter and gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. The only breed of horse in Iceland, they are also popular internationally, and sizable populations exist in Europe and North America. The breed is still used for traditional farm work in its native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing.
Developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Scandinavian settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, the breed is mentioned in literature and historical records throughout Icelandic history; the first reference to a named horse appears in the 12th century. Horses were venerated in Norse mythology, a custom brought to Iceland by the country's earliest settlers. Selective breeding over the centuries has developed the breed into its current form. Natural selection has also played a role, as the harsh Icelandic climate eliminated many horses through cold and starvation. In the 1780s, much of the breed was wiped out in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. The first breed society for the Icelandic horse was created in Iceland in 1904, and today the breed is represented by organizations in 19 different nations, organized under a parent association, the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations.
Breed characteristics
Icelandic horses weigh between 330 and 380 kilograms (730 and 840 lb) and stand an average of 13 and 14 hands (52 and 56 inches, 132 and 142 cm) high, which is often considered pony size, but breeders and breed registries always refer to Icelandics as horses. Several theories have been put forward as to why Icelandics are always called horses, among them the breed's spirited temperament and large personality and the lack of a word in Icelandic for "pony". Another theory suggests that the breed's weight, bone structure and weight-carrying abilities mean it can be classified as a horse, rather than a pony. The breed comes in many coat colors, including chestnut, dun, bay, black, gray, palomino, pinto and roan. There are over 100 names for various colors and color patterns in the Icelandic language. They have well-proportioned heads, with straight profiles and wide foreheads. The neck is short, muscular, and broad at the base; the withers broad and low; the chest deep; the shoulders muscular and slightly sloping; the back long; the croup broad, muscular, short and slightly sloping. The legs are strong and short, with relatively long cannon bones and short pasterns. The mane and tail are full, with coarse hair, and the tail is set low. The breed is known to be hardy and an easy keeper. The breed has a double coat developed for extra insulation in cold temperatures.
Characteristics differ between various groups of Icelandic horses, depending on the focus of individual breeders. Some focus on animals for pack and draft work, which are conformationally distinct from those bred for work under saddle, which are carefully selected for their ability to perform the traditional Icelandic gaits. Others are bred solely for horsemeat. Some breeders focus on favored coat colors.
Members of the breed are not usually ridden until they are four years old, and structural development is not complete until age seven. Their most productive years are between eight and eighteen, although they retain their strength and stamina into their twenties. An Icelandic mare that lived in Denmark reached a record age of 56, while another horse, living in Great Britain, reached the age of 42. The horses are highly fertile, and both sexes are fit for breeding up to age 25; mares have been recorded giving birth at age 27. The horses tend to not be easily spooked, probably the result of not having any natural predators in their native Iceland. Icelandics tend to be friendly, docile and easy to handle, although also enthusiastic and self-assured. As a result of their isolation from other horses, disease in the breed within Iceland is mostly unknown, except for some kinds of internal parasites. The low prevalence of disease in Iceland is maintained by laws preventing horses exported from the country being returned, and by requiring that all equine equipment taken into the country be either new and unused or fully disinfected. As a result, native horses have no acquired immunity to disease; an outbreak on the island would be likely to be devastating to the breed. This presents problems with showing native Icelandic horses against others of the breed from outside the country, as no livestock of any species can be imported into Iceland, and once horses leave the country they are not allowed to return.
Gaits
The Icelandic is a "five-gaited" breed, known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain. As well as the typical gaits of walk, trot, and canter/gallop, the breed is noted for its ability to perform two additional gaits. Although most horse experts consider the canter and gallop to be separate gaits, on the basis of a small variation in the footfall pattern, Icelandic breed registries consider the canter and gallop one gait, hence the term "five-gaited".
The first additional gait is a four-beat lateral ambling gait known as the tölt. This is known for its explosive acceleration and speed; it is also comfortable and ground-covering. There is considerable variation in style within the gait, and thus the tölt is variously compared to similar lateral gaits such as the rack of the Saddlebred, the largo of the Paso Fino, or the running walk of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Like all lateral ambling gaits, the footfall pattern is the same as the walk (left hind, left front, right hind, right front), but differs from the walk in that it can be performed at a range of speeds, from the speed of a typical fast walk up to the speed of a normal canter. Some Icelandic horses prefer to tölt, while others prefer to trot; correct training can improve weak gaits, but the tölt is a natural gait present from birth. There are two varieties of the tölt that are considered incorrect by breeders. The first is an uneven gait called a "Pig's Pace" or "Piggy-pace" that is closer to a two-beat pace than a four-beat amble. The second is called a Valhopp and is a tölt and canter combination most often seen in untrained young horses or horses that mix their gaits. Both varieties are normally uncomfortable to ride.
The breed also performs a pace called a skeið, flugskeið or "flying pace". It is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) Not all Icelandic horses can perform this gait; animals that perform both the tölt and the flying pace in addition to the traditional gaits are considered the best of the breed. The flying pace is a two-beat lateral gait with a moment of suspension between footfalls; each side has both feet land almost simultaneously (left hind and left front, suspension, right hind and right front). It is meant to be performed by well-trained and balanced horses with skilled riders. It is not a gait used for long-distance travel. A slow pace is uncomfortable for the rider and is not encouraged when training the horse to perform the gait. Although most pacing horses are raced in harness using sulkies, in Iceland horses are raced while ridden.
History
The ancestors of the Icelandic horse were probably taken to Iceland by Viking Age Scandinavians between 860 and 935 AD. The Norse settlers were followed by immigrants from Norse colonies in Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Western Isles of Scotland. These later settlers arrived with the ancestors of what would elsewhere become Shetland, Highland, and Connemara ponies, which were crossed with the previously imported animals. There may also have been a connection with the Yakut pony, and the breed has physical similarities to the Nordlandshest of Norway. Other breeds with similar characteristics include the Faroe pony of the Faeroe Islands and the Norwegian Fjord horse. About 900 years ago, attempts were made to introduce eastern blood into the Icelandic, resulting in a degeneration of the stock. In 982 AD the Icelandic Althing (parliament) passed laws prohibiting the importation of horses into Iceland, thus ending crossbreeding. The breed has now been bred pure in Iceland for more than 1,000 years.
The earliest Norse people venerated the horse as a symbol of fertility, and white horses were slaughtered at sacrificial feasts and ceremonies. When these settlers arrived in Iceland, they brought their beliefs, and their horses, with them. Horses played a significant part in Norse mythology, and several horses played major roles in the Norse myths, among them the eight-footed pacer named Sleipnir, owned by Odin, chief of the Norse gods. Skalm, a mare who is the first Icelandic horse known by name, appeared in the Book of Settlements from the 12th century. According to the book, a chieftain named Seal-Thorir founded a settlement at the place where Skalm stopped and lay down with her pack. Horses also play key roles in the Icelandic sagas Hrafnkel's Saga, Njal's Saga and Grettir's Saga. Although written in the 13th century, these three sagas are set as far back as the 9th century. This early literature has an influence today, with many riding clubs and horse herds in modern Iceland still bearing the names of horses from Norse mythology.
Horses were often considered the most prized possession of a medieval Icelander. Indispensable to warriors, war horses were sometimes buried alongside their fallen riders, and stories were told of their deeds. Icelanders also arranged for bloody fights between stallions; these were used for entertainment and to pick the best animals for breeding, and they were described in both literature and official records from the Commonwealth period of 930 to 1262 AD. Stallion fights were an important part of Icelandic culture, and brawls, both physical and verbal, among the spectators were common. The conflicts at the horse fights gave rivals a chance to improve their political and social standing at the expense of their enemies and had wide social and political repercussions, sometimes leading to the restructuring of political alliances. However, not all human fights were serious, and the events provided a stage for friends and even enemies to battle without the possibility of major consequences. Courting between young men and women was also common at horse fights.
Natural selection played a major role in the development of the breed, as large numbers of horses died from lack of food and exposure to the elements. Between 874 and 1300 AD, during the more favorable climatic conditions of the medieval warm period, Icelandic breeders selectively bred horses according to special rules of color and conformation. From 1300 to 1900, selective breeding became less of a priority; the climate was often severe and many horses and people died. Between 1783 and 1784, around 70% of the horses in Iceland were killed by volcanic ash poisoning and starvation after the 1783 eruption of Lakagígar. The eruption lasted eight months, covered hundreds of square miles of land with lava, and rerouted or dried up several rivers. The population slowly recovered during the next hundred years, and from the beginning of the 20th century selective breeding again became important. The first Icelandic breed societies were established in 1904, and the first breed registry in Iceland was established in 1923.
Icelandics were exported to Great Britain before the 20th century to work as pit ponies in the coal mines, because of their strength and small size. However, those horses were never registered and little evidence of their existence remains. The first formal exports of Icelandic horses were to Germany in the 1940s. Great Britain's first official imports were in 1956, when a Scottish farmer, Stuart McKintosh, began a breeding program. Other breeders in Great Britain followed McKintosh's lead, and the Icelandic Horse Society of Great Britain was formed in 1986. The number of Icelandic horses exported to other nations has steadily increased since the first exports of the mid-19th century. Since 1969, multiple societies have worked together to preserve, improve and market these horses under the auspices of the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations. Today, the Icelandic remains a breed known for its purity of bloodline, and is the only horse breed present in Iceland.
The Icelandic is especially popular in western Europe, Scandinavia, and North America. There are about 80,000 Icelandic horses in Iceland (compared to a human population of 317,000), and around 100,000 abroad. Almost 50,000 are in Germany, which has many active riding clubs and breed societies.
Uses
Icelandic horses still play a large part in Icelandic life, despite increasing mechanization and road improvements that diminish the necessity for the breed's use. The first official Icelandic horse race was held at Akureyri in 1874, and many races are still held throughout the country from April through June. Both gallop and pace races are held, as well as performance classes showcasing the breed's unique gaits. Winter events are often held, including races on frozen bodies of water. In 2009 such an event resulted in both horses and riders falling into the water and needing to be rescued. The first shows, focused on the quality of animals as breeding stock, were held in 1906. The Agricultural Society of Iceland, along with the National Association of Riding Clubs, now organizes regular shows with a wide variety of classes. Some horses are still bred for slaughter, and much of the meat is exported to Japan. Farmers still use the breed to round up sheep in the Icelandic highlands, but most horses are used for competition and leisure riding.
IJslanders of IJslandse paarden worden al meer dan duizend jaar raszuiver gefokt.
Rasomschrijving
Het hoofd van de IJslander kan variëren tussen heel edel en heel groot. De hals is kort en dik. Het lichaam is gedrongen. De benen en de hoeven zijn heel sterk. Het behang (beenbeharing) behoort overvloedig aanwezig te zijn. Het gezichts- en het oriëntatievermogen zijn goed ontwikkeld. De stokmaat (schofthoogte) varieert van 1,30 tot 1,45 meter. Natuurlijk bestaan hierop uitzonderingen.
Geschiedenis
Toen aan het einde van de 9e eeuw de eerste inwoners op IJsland kwamen wonen, waren daar geen paarden. De Vikingen namen paarden en andere huisdieren mee uit de gebieden waar ze vandaan kwamen, vooral uit Noorwegen maar ook van de Schotse eilanden. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat de paarden van de Vikingen van verschillende oorsprong waren en zelfs dat ze uit verschillende subgroepen van Equus caballus afkomstig zijn. Zo lijkt de verwantschap met Noorse paarden, oorspronkelijk afkomstig uit noordelijk Eurazië, overduidelijk. Met name is de gelijkenis met het uiterst zeldzame Nordland-paard opvallend en enkele van deze paarden schijnen ook te kunnen tölten.
Ook een belangrijke voorouder van de IJslander is de Keltische pony, oorspronkelijk meegenomen door de Kelten westwaarts door Europa en dus ook naar de Britse eilanden. Verschillende paardenrassen in Groot-Brittannië stammen af van deze voorouder, zoals de Shetlanders, Exmoors en ook minder bekende rassen op de eilanden bij Schotland. Hoewel het invoeren van paarden na de 13e eeuw uiterst zeldzaam was, is er pas sinds 1882 sprake van een wettelijk invoerverbod op paarden en andere huisdieren in IJsland. Voor die tijd was er geen noodzaak om het importeren te verbieden want eeuwenlang was het eiland uiterst geïsoleerd en waren transportmiddelen zeldzaam. Het was pas in de negentiende eeuw dat IJslanders weer schepen gingen bouwen en meer contacten gingen zoeken met de buitenwereld. Hoogstwaarschijnlijk zijn er ook vanaf de twaalfde eeuw tot de negentiende eeuw geen paarden meer naar IJsland geïmporteerd. Een van de bekendste misverstanden rond de geschiedenis van het IJslandse paard is waarschijnlijk de mythe dat er al in de tijd van de Vikingen een invoerverbod op paarden naar IJsland bestond.
Dat er geen invoerverbod blijkt te zijn geweest, verandert niets aan het feit dat IJslandse paarden al honderden jaren zonder bloedvermenging van buitenaf zijn gefokt. Zo komt het dat het IJslandse paard een regelrechte afstammeling is van het Europese oerpaard: Equus stenonsis. Deze paarden verspreidden zich in Scandinavië en Groot-Brittannië en kwamen uiteindelijk op IJsland terecht. De IJslanders stammen van deze paarden af. De IJslandse boeren hebben hun paarden raszuiver doorgefokt, maar ook op het continent van Europa en in de Verenigde Staten zijn er mensen die dit oeroude ras zuiver willen houden en verbeteren.
Het tegenwoordige invoerverbod in IJsland geldt ook voor inheemse paarden die zijn geëxporteerd. Een IJslands paard dat bijvoorbeeld naar een kampioenschap in het buitenland is afgevaardigd, zal na afloop verkocht moeten worden door zijn ruiter, die hem niet mee terug mag nemen naar IJsland.
Bijzonderheden typen
De IJslander is eeuwenlang gebruikt als rijpaard en als pakpaard, onder andere voor het vervoer van de post, voor het bijeendrijven van schapen en als vervoermiddel voor de mens, maar ook - recenter - als sportpaard bij gangenwedstrijden en races. Op het Europese vasteland zijn veel van de IJslandse mogelijkheden overgenomen en elementen zijn toegevoegd. In Europa worden gangenwedstrijden gereden. Ook wordt er gereden met handpaarden en worden afstandsritten gemaakt. De IJslanders worden ook ingespannen voor de wagen en voor de slee. Hoewel er beslist vele rassen zijn die er meer talent voor hebben, kan men met een IJslander een sprongetje wagen. Het rijden van dressuur blijft de basis voor het rijden van de gangen en het beheersen van het paard in het algemeen. De IJslander is een zeer leergierig paard. Ze zijn heel vriendelijk, maar ook heel eigenwijs. Om deze reden zijn het geen echte "kinderpony's". Wel zijn goed opgevoede IJslanders heel sensibel en vaak ook erg voorwaarts. Het rijden op deze paarden vraagt daarom, vooral in het begin enige begeleiding. De hulpen worden bij voorkeur licht en vriendelijk gegeven. De IJslander is in staat om van verre de weg naar huis terug te vinden.
Bijzonderheden gangen
In tegenstelling tot de meeste paarden, die slechts in de drie basisgangen stap, draf en galop kunnen gaan, kan een IJslander zich in vier en soms vijf verschillende gangen voortbewegen. Deze extra gangen heten tölt en telgang. Het zijn natuurlijke gangen die veulens van enkele uren oud al tonen. De IJslander is niet het enige ras dat over deze extra gangen beschikt. Vele paarden van allerlei min of meer bekende rassen bewegen zich voort in tölt en telgang. Bij IJslanders is alleen de snelle telgang, de rentelgang, gewenst. De langzame variant wordt niet gewaardeerd en wordt vaak met Schweinepass aangeduid. De gangenaanleg verschilt per paard. Er wordt gesproken van vier- of vijfgangers en natuurtölters. Viergangers zijn paarden die naast de stap, draf en galop ook kunnen tölten. Deze paarden hebben vaak de draf als voorkeursgang. Vijfgangers zijn paarden die naast de andere gangen ook over telgangaanleg beschikken. Echter, niet elke vijfganger heeft het temperament om goed te kunnen rentelgangen. Natuurtölters zijn paarden die zo gemakkelijk in tölt lopen, dat deze gang ook voor beginnende ruiters makkelijk te rijden is. Voor ruiters en hun IJslandse Paarden worden ook specifieke gangenwedstrijden uitgeschreven. Hier worden proeven uitgeschreven die plaatsvinden op een ovaalbaan. Ook zijn er snelheidsonderdelen, zoals telgangraces. De wedstrijden vinden plaats op regionale, nationale en internationale schaal. Elke twee jaar vindt er een Wereldkampioenschap voor IJslandse Paarden plaats. In 2007 werd dit WK gehouden in Nederland, in Oirschot. Het laatste WK werd in 2011 gehouden in Oostenrijk.
Tölt
De voetvolgorde van tölt is gelijk aan die van stap. Het verschil zit in het optillen en neerzetten van de hoeven. Gevolg hiervan is dat het paard in stap afwisselend op twee of op drie benen staat en in tölt op twee benen of op één been tegelijk steunt. Een IJslander kan in tölt verschillende tempo's lopen; dit varieert van een langzame draf tot een flinke galop. Doordat er in tölt geen zweefmoment bestaat, zoals in draf, ervaart de ruiter ook nooit (onaangename) opwaartse bewegingen en kan men ontspannen in het zadel blijven zitten. In tölt draagt het paard zijn hoofd en hals hoog. Er ontstaat een trotse beweging, versterkt door het ritmisch meedansen van de staart. Het gewicht wordt voornamelijk door de achterhand gedragen, zodat de voorbenen en schouders vrij kunnen bewegen. Bij zeer goede tölters gaat dit gepaard met een hoge knieactie. Behalve spectaculair is de tölt op de eerste plaats een comfortabele gang, zowel voor het paard als voor de ruiter. Om aan te tonen hoe rustig de ruiter in het zadel zit, wordt in tölt-demonstraties vaak met één hand gereden, met in de andere hand een vol glas bier.
Telgang
Telgang zien we niet alleen bij IJslanders, maar ook bij andere dieren. Zo loopt een hond aan de lijn vaak in telgang, kamelen en dromedarissen gaan uitsluitend in telgang en hetzelfde geldt voor giraffen. In tegenstelling tot de draf wordt niet het diagonale, maar het laterale benenpaar gelijktijdig opgetild. Hierdoor ontstaat voor de ruiter een heen en weer schommelende beweging. Telgang in een langzaam tempo heeft de naam 'Schweinepass' en wordt niet gewaardeerd. Alleen de echte rentelgang, waarbij hoge snelheden worden gehaald, wordt als een positieve eigenschap beschouwd. Op wedstrijden worden telgangrennen gehouden over 150 en 250 meter. Het record op 250 m staat op 21,4 seconden. Ter vergelijking: het galoprecord over 250 m is 17,3 seconden. De snelste hengst aller tijden in rentelgang is: Trausti van Hall. Tijd op 250 meter: 21,7 seconden. De kwaliteit van de gangen van een IJslands paard hangt af van de erfelijke aanleg, de bouw en de training. Sommige IJslanders hebben duidelijk meer 'laterale aanleg' dan andere: er zijn IJslanders die uit zichzelf niet in draf gaan maar alleen in tölt (natuurtölters genoemd) of, vaak minder gewenst, alleen in een langzame telgang. Met behulp van bepaalde trainingsmethoden of hulpmiddelen kunnen de gangen die het paard niet vanzelf aanbiedt, vaak alsnog ontwikkeld worden. Helaas blijven er dan altijd nog enkele paarden over die de IJslandse gangen niet beheersen. Deze dieren worden voor de fokkerij zo veel mogelijk uitgesloten, want de specifieke IJslandse gangen willen we in dit ras behouden. Juist de IJslandse gangen geven immers een extra dimensie aan het houden en rijden van IJslandse paarden. Als er wedstrijden op het ijs worden gereden dan krijgt de IJslander speciale nageltjes onder zijn hoefijzers. Ze rijden de wedstrijden ook in de tölt.
Kleur
Binnen het ras zijn alle kleuren vertegenwoordigd, behalve appaloosa (stippels). Witte aftekeningen zijn toegestaan. Binnen de IJslanderpopulatie zien we ook kleuren die niet bij de paarden van het Europese vasteland voorkomen zoals; zilverappel, isabel en wildkleur.
Iceland is probably unique in that the decision to convert to Christianity was taken at the Althing or parliament and once the decision was made the population abided by it! It has been a Christian community for 1,000 years. The Bishop of Iceland has his seat at Skálholt in the south of the island and there have been several cathedrals there over the years but many of them burnt down as they were made of wood.
This was taken from in front of the Cathedral looking out across the expanse. The flag is at half mast in honour of those who died in the Attack by Al Shabab terrorists in Kenya.
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I was originally enrolled into the GETTY IMAGES collection as a contributor on April 9th 2012, and when links with FLICKR were terminated in March 2014, I was retained and fortunate enough to be signed up via a second contract, both of which have proved to be successful with sales of my photographs all over the world now handled exclusively by them.
On November 12th 2015 GETTY IMAGES unveiled plans for a new stills upload platform called ESP (Enterprise Submission Platform), to replace the existing 'Moment portal', and on November 13th I was invited to Beta test the new system prior to it being officially rolled out in December. ESP went live on Tuesday December 15th 2015 and has smoothed out the upload process considerably.
These days I take a far more leisurely approach to my photographic exploits, a Nikon D850 FX Pro body as my trusted companion, I travel light with less constraints and more emphasis on the pure capture of the beauty that I see, more akin to my original persuits and goals some five decades previously when starting out. I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 32.512+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on December 13th 2018
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1081567100 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 3,672nd frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
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Photograph taken at an altitude of One hundred and forty four metres at 15:38pm on Thursday 8th November 2018, off Þingvallavegur 36 in the Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir National Park) in Iceland. Situated East of Reykjavik, this is the location where the Alþing (Althing) parliamentary general assembly met between 930 CE and 1798.
It has been home to a church for over One thousand years.
The park sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates with cliffs and fissures such as the Almannagjá fault.
Here we are looking over a body of water known as Þingvallavatn (Þingvallavatn lake). The lake has a surface area of 84 km² and a depth of 114m and lies partially with the national park.The only outflow from lake Þingvallavatn is the river Sog.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 75mm. Hand held with Nikkor VR vibration reduction enabled on Normal setting. Shutter speed 1/800s Aperture f/4.0 iso100 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 FX). Colour space. Adobe RGB. AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto 0 white balance (8030K). Nikon Distortion control on. Vignette control Normal.
Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Phot-R ultra slim 77mm UV filter. Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.
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LATITUDE: N 64d 15m 19.20s
LONGITUDE: W 21d 7m 43.30s
ALTITUDE: 144.0m
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RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 87.9MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 33.30MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.01 (16/01/2018) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB DATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Þingvellir, anglicised as Thingvellir, is a beautiful national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 kilometers northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir is associated with the Althing, the national parliament of Iceland, which was established at the site in 930 AD. Sessions were held at the location until 1798.
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Information from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Eingvellir
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Oxararfoss is a waterfall in Þingvellir National Park, Iceland. It flows from the river Öxará over the Almannagjá. The pool at the base of the waterfall is filled with rocks and is often extremely icy during winter.
The waterfall is one of the main attractions of Þingvellir National Park and there is a path from the nearby car park leading up to it.
Þingvellir anglicised as Thingvellir, is a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir is associated with the Althing, the national parliament of Iceland, which was established at the site in 930 AD. Sessions were held at the location until 1798.
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004. (wiki)
Canon EOS M5 - Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM
Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is a historic site and national park in Iceland, east of Reykjavík. It's known for the Alþing (Althing), the site of Iceland's parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries. On the site are the Þingvellir Church and the ruins of old stone shelters. The park sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of 2 tectonic plates, with rocky cliffs and fissures like the huge Almannagjá fault.
Shot hand held with a Nikon D850 + Sigma 35mm lens between massive gusts of wind that very nearly took you off your feet!
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I was originally enrolled into the GETTY IMAGES collection as a contributor on April 9th 2012, and when links with FLICKR were terminated in March 2014, I was retained and fortunate enough to be signed up via a second contract, both of which have proved to be successful with sales of my photographs all over the world now handled exclusively by them.
On November 12th 2015 GETTY IMAGES unveiled plans for a new stills upload platform called ESP (Enterprise Submission Platform), to replace the existing 'Moment portal', and on November 13th I was invited to Beta test the new system prior to it being officially rolled out in December. ESP went live on Tuesday December 15th 2015 and has smoothed out the upload process considerably.
These days I take a far more leisurely approach to my photographic exploits, a Nikon D850 FX Pro body as my trusted companion, I travel light with less constraints and more emphasis on the pure capture of the beauty that I see, more akin to my original persuits and goals some five decades previously when starting out. I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 25.184+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on December 13th 2018
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1080278306 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 3,262nd frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
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Photograph taken at an altitude of One hundred and forty seven metres at 15:25pm on Thursday 8th November 2018, off Þingvallavegur 36 in the Þingvellir National Park, the only UNESCO world heritage site on the Icelandic mainland. It is situated East of Rekjavik in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland and is known historically for the Alþing (Althing), the site of Iceland's parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries.
The park sits in a Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 120mm. Hand held with Nikkor VR vibration reduction enabled on Normal setting. Shutter speed 1/100s Aperture f/13.0 iso100 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 FX). Colour space. Adobe RGB. AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto 0 white balance (8030K). Nikon Distortion control on. Vignette control Normal.
Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Phot-R ultra slim 77mm UV filter. Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.
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LATITUDE: N 64d 15m 19.90s
LONGITUDE: W 21d 7m 40.90s
ALTITUDE: 147.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 89.4MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 17.50MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.01 (16/01/2018) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
La faille d'Almannagjá est le principal site historique d'Islande puisque les premiers Islandais, profitant de l'acoustique du lieu, ont proclamé en 930 la formation du premier État islandais et la constitution de leur Parlement, l'Althing, au Lögberg, l'un des blocs basculés du rebord oriental de la faille.
Parc National de Thingvellir, site classé au Patrimoine de l'UNESCO.
La rivière Öxará se jette dans le lac Þingvallavatn.
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I was originally enrolled into the GETTY IMAGES collection as a contributor on April 9th 2012, and when links with FLICKR were terminated in March 2014, I was retained and fortunate enough to be signed up via a second contract, both of which have proved to be successful with sales of my photographs all over the world now handled exclusively by them.
On November 12th 2015 GETTY IMAGES unveiled plans for a new stills upload platform called ESP (Enterprise Submission Platform), to replace the existing 'Moment portal', and on November 13th I was invited to Beta test the new system prior to it being officially rolled out in December. ESP went live on Tuesday December 15th 2015 and has smoothed out the upload process considerably.
These days I take a far more leisurely approach to my photographic exploits, a Nikon D850 FX Pro body as my trusted companion, I travel light with less constraints and more emphasis on the pure capture of the beauty that I see, more akin to my original persuits and goals some five decades previously when starting out. I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 24.829+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on November 25th 2018
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1070970220 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 3,225th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
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Photograph taken at an altitude of One hundred and forty six metres at 15:26pm on Thursday 8th November 2018, off Þingvallavegur 36 in the Þingvellir national park (Thingvellir National Park) looking over towards Þingvellir church in Þingvallakirkja, Southern Iceland.
This is the location where the Alþing (Althing) parliamentary general assembly met between 930 CE and 1798. It has been home to a church for over One thousand years.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 95mm. Hand held with Nikkor VR vibration reduction enabled on Normal setting. Shutter speed 1/30s Aperture f/13.0 iso100 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 FX). Colour space. Adobe RGB. AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto 0 white balance (8030K). Nikon Distortion control on. Vignette control Normal.
Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Phot-R ultra slim 77mm UV filter. Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.
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LATITUDE: N 64d 15m 19.90s
LONGITUDE: W 21d 7m 40.90s
ALTITUDE: 146.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 89.8MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 41.40MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.01 (16/01/2018) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Þingvellir, anglicised as Thingvellir, is a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance. It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
The Althing, the national parliament of Iceland, was established at Þingvellir in 930, and held its sessions there until 1798. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the one-thousandth anniversary of the Althing. It was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and became a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Takn near the site of the world's first parliament, the Althing.
Geologically interesting for being in the zone between two tectonic plates. This photo looks approximately southwards, so technically the cliff to the right is part of the oceanic crust attached to North America. The rest of the photo is in a kind of geological no-mans-land between America and Europe.
Þingvellir is a world heritage site.
the site of the world's first parliament, the alþingi - Þingvellir national park, iceland
which sits in center of the continental drift between the north american and eurasian plates.
Þingvellir is a historically and geologically significant site in southwestern Iceland, located about 40 kilometers northeast of Reykjavík. It is one of the country’s most important cultural landmarks and forms part of the popular Golden Circle route. Þingvellir is both a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its unique combination of natural features and its central role in Iceland’s history.
The area lies within a rift valley created by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it one of the few places in the world where this geological boundary is clearly visible on land. Over time, the shifting plates have formed dramatic fissures, lava fields, and clear freshwater springs, including the well-known Silfra fissure, where the two continental plates can be observed diverging. The landscape is characterized by rugged cliffs, open plains, and the nearby Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest natural lake.
Historically, Þingvellir holds exceptional importance as the site of the Althing, one of the world’s oldest existing parliaments, established around the year 930 during the early period of Icelandic settlement. For centuries, chieftains and representatives from across the island gathered here annually to make laws, settle disputes, and conduct assemblies, making Þingvellir the political and social heart of medieval Iceland. The location was chosen for its accessibility and natural amphitheater-like setting created by the surrounding cliffs.
Throughout the centuries, Þingvellir has remained a symbol of Icelandic identity and independence. It was here that Iceland formally declared independence from Denmark in 1944, reinforcing its deep national significance. Today, the park is protected for both its cultural heritage and its distinctive geological environment, attracting visitors interested in history, nature, and photography. The combination of tectonic activity, historical legacy, and scenic beauty makes Þingvellir one of the most iconic and meaningful locations in Iceland.
The Alþingi (anglicised as Althingi or Althing) is the national parliament of Iceland. It is the oldest parliament in the world. The Althing was founded in 930 at Þingvellir ("thing fields"), situated approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) east of what later became the country's capital, Reykjavík. Even after Iceland's union with Norway in 1262, the Althing still held its sessions at Þingvellir until 1800, when it was discontinued for 45 years. It was restored in 1844 and moved to Reykjavík, where it has resided ever since. The present parliament building, the Alþingishús, was built in 1881, of hewn Icelandic stone.
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Thingvallabaer, five-gabled farmhouse used as official summer residence of Prime Minister and Thingvallakirkja church beside Oxara River, Thingvellir National Park.
Þingvellir, anglicised as Thingvellir, is a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance. It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
The Althing, the national parliament of Iceland, was established at Þingvellir in 930, and held its sessions there until 1798. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the one-thousandth anniversary of the Althing. It was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and became a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Goðafoss (Falls of the Gods) is situated in the 175 km long glacial river Skjálfandafljót in N-Iceland. The name of the waterfall is not a reflection of its beauty, but has a historical explanation. According to the Saga of Christianity the chieftain Thorgeir threw wooden images of the pagan gods into the waterfall after Christianity had been accepted in Althing, the ancient parliament, in the year 1000. Thorgeir was a key player in the Christianisation of Iceland. Pagans and Christians had amassed forces at the Althing, and it was feared that the question of the dominating religion would be settled by the sword but not the law. Both sides agreed to leave the decision to Thorgeir, who was a pagan chieftain, but universally trusted and respected for his wisdom. He spent a night thinking under a cloak, but then decided that Icelanders should become Christians, although some pagan customs, including discreet worship of the old gods, would be allowed. It was no doubt a wise political decision, as most other north European countries had adopted Christianity, and the King of Norway had made it clear that he thought he had the mandate to use force against pagans in his perceived sphere of incluence. So Thorgeir may have prevented both a civil war and a threat of foreign intervention by his diplomatic decision.
Thingvellir national park.
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is a historic site and national park in Iceland, east of Reykjavík. It's known for the Alþing (Althing), the site of Iceland's parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries. On the site are the Þingvellir Church and the ruins of old stone shelters. The park sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of 2 tectonic plates, with rocky cliffs and fissures like the huge Almannagjá fault.
Address: Iceland
Þingvellir is a historically and geologically significant site in southwestern Iceland, located about 40 kilometers northeast of Reykjavík. It is one of the country’s most important cultural landmarks and forms part of the popular Golden Circle route. Þingvellir is both a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its unique combination of natural features and its central role in Iceland’s history.
The area lies within a rift valley created by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, making it one of the few places in the world where this geological boundary is clearly visible on land. Over time, the shifting plates have formed dramatic fissures, lava fields, and clear freshwater springs, including the well-known Silfra fissure, where the two continental plates can be observed diverging. The landscape is characterized by rugged cliffs, open plains, and the nearby Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest natural lake.
Historically, Þingvellir holds exceptional importance as the site of the Althing, one of the world’s oldest existing parliaments, established around the year 930 during the early period of Icelandic settlement. For centuries, chieftains and representatives from across the island gathered here annually to make laws, settle disputes, and conduct assemblies, making Þingvellir the political and social heart of medieval Iceland. The location was chosen for its accessibility and natural amphitheater-like setting created by the surrounding cliffs.
Throughout the centuries, Þingvellir has remained a symbol of Icelandic identity and independence. It was here that Iceland formally declared independence from Denmark in 1944, reinforcing its deep national significance. Today, the park is protected for both its cultural heritage and its distinctive geological environment, attracting visitors interested in history, nature, and photography. The combination of tectonic activity, historical legacy, and scenic beauty makes Þingvellir one of the most iconic and meaningful locations in Iceland.
Acrylic on canvas 21" x 13" March 16, 2023 www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Low-Orbital-Tracking-Stat... #painting #peinture #kunst #konst #architecture #technology #space #cosmos #spazio #weltraum #futurism #futurismo #futurist #geometric
Þingvellir is a place in Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It is the site of a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is also home to Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Parliament or Alþingi was established at Þingvellir in 930 and remained there until 1789. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930 to protect the remains of the parliament site and was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area. Þingvellir National Park was the first national park in Iceland and was decreed "a protected national shrine for all Icelanders, the perpetual property of the Icelandic nation under the preservation of parliament, never to be sold or mortgaged."
Founding of Parliament
According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Over the next centuries, people of Norse and Celtic origin settled in Iceland. Early on, district assemblies were formed, but as the population grew there was a need for a general assembly. The descendants of Ingólfur Arnarson who dominated the region of southwest Iceland had become the most powerful family in the country, and other chieftains felt a need for a general assembly to limit their power.
Grímur Geitskör was allotted the role of rallying support and finding a suitable location for the assembly. At about the same time, the owner of Bláskógar (then name for the Þingvellir region) was found guilty of murder and his land was declared public and obligated to be used for assembly proceedings, the building of temporary dwellings, the use of the forest for kindling and the grazing of horses. The Þingvellir region was chosen for this reason and the accessibility from the most populous regions of the North, South and West.[6] The farthest distance a goði (chieftain) had to travel was 17 days traveling from the easternmost part of the country where mountains and glacial rivers proved bothersome obstacles.
The foundation of the Icelandic parliament is said to be the founding of the nation of Iceland, and the first parliamentary proceedings in the summer of 930 laid ground for a common cultural heritage and national identity. Þingvellir played a central role in the history of the country, and its history runs almost parallel with the history of the Icelandic Commonwealth.
From commonwealth to foreign rule
The Alþingi (assembly) at Þingvellir was Iceland's supreme legislative and judicial authority from its establishment in 930 until 1271. The Lögberg (Law Rock) was the focal point of the Alþingi and a natural platform for holding speeches. The Lawspeaker, elected for three years at a time, presided over the assembly and recited the law of the land. Before the law was written down, he was expected to recite it from memory on the Lögberg over the course of three summers along with the complete assembly procedures every summer. Inauguration and dissolution of the assembly took place at the Lögberg, where rulings made by the Law Council were announced, the calendar was confirmed, legal actions were brought and other announcements made which concerned the entire nation. Anyone attending the assembly was entitled to present his case on important issues from the Lögberg.
The Law Council served as both a parliament and supreme court. Laws were passed and approved there, and rulings made on points of Law. The Law Council appointed members of the Fifth Court (a kind of appellate court), appointed the Lawspeaker, and took part in the election of the bishop. Unlike the Alþingi, the Law Council was a closed body in which only certain people enjoyed full rights: chieftains who held the office of "goði", their "Þingmen" and later also bishops. However, everyone at the assembly was entitled to watch and listen to the Law Council at work.
From the earliest times until the 15th century, the Law Council met at Neðri-Vellir on the east bank of Öxará, but when the river changed its course around 1500, the council was moved to an islet in it. In 1594, the Law Council was relocated to the foot of the ancient Law Rock, where it remained until the Alþingi was finally transferred from it in 1798.
The Alþingi was Iceland's legislative and chief judicial authority for the duration of the Commonwealth, until 1271. Executive power was in the hands of the chieftains and parties to individual cases at each time. This proved to be quite an adequate arrangement for as long as the balance of power remained, but flaws emerged when it was disrupted. The final decades of the Commonwealth were characterized by clashes between chieftain families, which resulted in Iceland becoming part of the Norwegian crown. Executive power was strengthened under this new order, while legislative and judicial authority remained in the hands of the Alþingi but was gradually transferred to the Norwegian and later Danish rulers until the King of Denmark became an absolute monarch of Iceland in 1662.
Historical Althing site
Þingvellir was the center of Icelandic culture. Every year during the Commonwealth period, people would flock to Þingvellir from all over the country, sometimes numbering in the thousands. They set up dwellings with walls of turf and rock and temporary roofing and stayed in them for the two weeks of the assembly. Although the duties of the assembly were the real reason for going there, ordinary people gathered at Þingvellir for a wide variety of reasons. Merchants, sword-sharpeners, and tanners would sell their goods and services, entertainers performed, and ale-makers brewed drinks for the assembly guests. News was told from distant parts; games and feasts were held. Young people met to make their plans, no less than leading national figures and experts in law. Itinerant farmhands looked for work and vagrants begged. Þingvellir was a meeting place for everyone in Iceland, laying the foundation for the language and literature that have been a prominent part of people's lives right up to the present day.
Geography
Þingvellir became a national park in 1928 due to its historical importance, as well as the special tectonic and volcanic environment.
The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks or faults which traverse the region, the biggest one, Almannagjá, being a veritable canyon. This also causes the often-measurable earthquakes in the area.
Some of the rifts are full of surprisingly clear water. One, Nikulásargjá, is better known as Peningagjá (lit. "coin fissure"), as it is littered with coins at its bottom. After being bridged in 1907 for the arrival of King Frederick VIII of Denmark, visitors began to throw coins in the fissure, a tradition based on European legends.
Þingvellir is situated on the northern shore of Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake of Iceland. The river Öxará traverses the national park and forms a waterfall at the Almannagjá, called Öxarárfoss. On the lake's northern shore Silfra fissure is a popular dive and snorkel tour location. Together with the waterfall Gullfoss and the geysers of Haukadalur, Þingvellir is part of the most famous sights of Iceland, the Golden Circle.
Þingvellir is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nationaal Park Þingvellir
UNESCO-werelderfgoedlijst
Overzicht over Þingvellir
Þingvellir is een van de drie nationale parken in IJsland. Het ligt ongeveer 50 km ten oosten van de hoofdstad Reykjavik en is een 6 bij 40 km grote verzakking van de aarde.
Historie
Þingvellir is voor de IJslanders een meer dan historisch belangrijke plaats. De nakomelingen van stichter van Reykjaviks Ingólfur Arnarson stichtten in 930 het Alþing bij Þingvellir. Dit was de plaats waar 's zomers elk jaar de grote grondeigenaars, boeren, krijgslieden, handeldrijvers en anderen bijeen kwamen om onderlinge vetes te beslechten, om huwelijksverbonden aan te gaan, om zaken te doen, om recht te spreken, om nieuwe wetten uit te vaardigen, om nieuws uit de verre uithoeken van IJsland uit te wisselen, om weergeld voor moord en doodslag te betalen of te ontvangen en om mensen vogelvrij te verklaren of te executeren. Kortom, het Alþing was dé plaats waar voor iedereen zaken van (levens)belang werden geregeld. Zo werd hier bijvoorbeeld in het jaar 1000 besloten dat het christendom de landsgodsdienst zou worden (in elk geval buitenshuis, binnenskamers mocht men nog de oude goden vereren.
Wel hadden alle gewesten in IJsland hun eigen þing, maar het Alþing was veelomvattender. Een probleem was, dat er geen uitvoerend of controlerend orgaan was dat op de naleving van de afspraken toezag, hetgeen regelmatig aanleiding was voor nieuwe conflicten die vaak bloedig werden beslecht.
Vrijwel alles wat tot 1271 in IJsland gebeurde had iets met het Alþing te maken en de geschiedenis van het land heeft altijd te maken met zaken die hier werden geregeld. Het was de volksvertegenwoordiging, de voorloper van het parlement van IJsland, en men kan rustig zeggen dat het Alþing de eerste democratie van Europa vertegenwoordigde. In 1262 werd, ook hier, besloten dat IJsland zich zou overgeven aan Noorwegen, waardoor de macht van het Alþing vanaf 1271 sterk afnam. In 1798 vond hier de laatste openluchtvergadering plaats en in 1800 werd het parlement naar Reykjavik overgebracht. Vanaf 1843 was IJsland bezig om zich onafhankelijk te maken, maar de macht die ooit bij Þingvellir lag was ten einde.
Þingvellir is nu een belangrijke ontmoetingsplaats ten tijde van belangrijke historische gebeurtenissen. Op 17 juni 1944 werd hier IJslands onafhankelijkheid uitgeroepen, in 1974 werd hier massaal het 1000-jarig bestaan van IJslands kolonisatie gevierd, en in 2000 werd het 1000-jarig christendom op het eiland groots herdacht.
Geologie
De nakomelingen van Arnarson kozen Þingvellir niet bij toeval uit. De plaats werd uitgekozen door de aanwezigheid van een groot fissuur in de aarde, de Almannagjá (alle-mensen-kloof) boven een grote vlakte, die ruimte aan vele tienduizenden mensen kon bieden, een waterval en de Öxará (bijlrivier), en de aanwezigheid van een meer, het Þingvallavatn, die vers water en volop vis leverde. De Almannagjá fungeerde als een echomuur waardoor er een optimale akoestiek voor de toehoorders in het open veld was. Op deze plek is de Midden-Atlantische Rug heel duidelijk zichtbaar.
Het gebied is de scheidingslijn tussen het Noord-Amerikaanse (ten noordwesten van de kloof) en het Europese (ten zuidoosten van de vlakte) continent, met de vlakte zelf als scheiding. Op deze plaats drijft IJsland door tectonische bewegingen schoksgewijs met een gemiddelde snelheid van 1 à 2 cm per jaar uit elkaar, waar diverse fenomenen van getuigen: diepe kloven gevuld met zeer koud en helder water gevoed vanuit ondergrondse waterbronnen, kloven, barsten, watervallen, verzakkingen en breukvlakken. Een aanzienlijk gedeelte van de vlakte is bedekt met lava van de nabij gelegen schildvulkaan Skjaldbreiður, die 9000 jaar geleden nog actief was. Het is ook deze lava geweest die de waterafvloed van het gebied blokkeerde waardoor het Þingvallavatn kon ontstaan. De Almannagjá kloof is ontstaan doordat er een grote aardverzakking heeft plaatsgevonden waarbij de grond over een lengte van zo'n 16 km plaatselijk 30 tot 40 meter daalde. De laatste aardverzakking vond in 1789 plaats waar de vlakte na een aardbeving in 10 dagen tijd met 60 cm daalde.
Andere þingvellirs
Behalve de hierboven beschreven vlakte zijn er nog meerdere plaatsen op IJsland die Þingvellir heten. Eén daarvan was voor de eerste bewoners van IJsland eveneens zeer belangrijk. Een van de eerste kolonisten van IJsland was de invloedrijke Þórólfur Mostrarskegg, een fervent aanbidder van Þor, een van de oude Germaanse goden. Hij ontvluchtte Noorwegen (zie geschiedenis van IJsland) en vestigde zich op een landtong van het schiereiland Snæfellsnes (West-IJsland). Deze landtong noemde hij Þorsnes (Thors landengte). Hij bouwde daar zijn tempel voor Þor, en in de Eyrbyggja saga wordt de ingebruikname van dit stuk land en de daarop volgende (bloedige) verwikkelingen uitvoerig beschreven.
Wegens omstandigheden moest hij zijn tempel een eindje naar het oosten verplaatsen en dat gebied werd tevens als Þing gebruikt en werd ook Þingvellir genoemd. Op dit moment zijn er nog (vermeende) ruïnen en overblijfselen zichtbaar, waaronder Þorssteinn (steen van Thor); één van de offerstenen. Op een steenworp afstand van Þingvellir ligt de 73 meter hoge berg Helgafell (Heilige berg). Met name Þórólfur Mostrarskegg, en met hem de andere vikingen, beschouwden deze berg als zeer heilig en dachten dat daar een entreeplaats naar Walhalla was. Op dit bergje zijn nu nog de restanten van de kleine (Christelijke) kapel Tótt zichtbaar. Oostelijk van Helgafell is een boerderij en een kerkje, waarvan de fundamenten uit de 10e eeuw stammen. Deze boerderij en haar bewoners spelen in meerdere saga's van de IJslanders een prominente rol. Zo ligt een van de hoofdpersonen uit de Laxdæla saga, Guðrún Ósvífsdóttir, naast de kerk begraven en is haar graf uit 1008 nog steeds zichtbaar.
Een andere plaats die Þingvellir heet ligt in Oost IJsland, ongeveer 60 km ten zuiden van Egilsstaðir vlak bij de ringweg.
Þingvellir, anglicised as Thingvellir, is a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance. It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
The Althing, the national parliament of Iceland, was established at Þingvellir in 930, and held its sessions there until 1798. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the one-thousandth anniversary of the Althing. It was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and became a World Heritage Site in 2004.
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This is Þingvellir (Thingvellir) – the National Park where the Althing - an open-air assembly, which represented the whole of Iceland - was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798.
The Þingvellir also lies within a belt of volcanic activity and fissures which passes across Iceland, a part of the mid-Atlantic Ridge, the junction of the American and Eurasian tectonic plate. On the right is Europe and on the left America.
Gustav Vigeland
Plaster
Vigeland Museum, Oslo, Norway.
Snorri Sturluson[1] (Icelandic: [ˈsnɔrːɪ ˈstʏrtlʏsɔn]; 1179 – 23 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker to the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He was the author of the Prose Edda or Younger Edda, which consists of Gylfaginning ("the fooling of Gylfi"), a narrative of Norse mythology, the Skáldskaparmál, a book of poetic language, and the Háttatal, a list of verse forms. He was also the author of the Heimskringla, a history of the Norwegian kings that begins with legendary material in Ynglinga saga and moves through to early medieval Scandinavian history.[2] For stylistic and methodological reasons, Snorri is often taken to be the author of Egil's saga.
Full circle. The first picture I posted to Flickr (just over a year ago) was very similar to this one, taken today.
Þingvallavatn is a lake in south-western Iceland. With a surface of 84 km² it is the largest natural lake in Iceland. Its greatest depth is at 114 m. At the northern shore of the lake, at Þingvellir (after which the lake is named), the Alþingi, the national parliament, was founded in the year 930.
The Althing is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant.