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123-596: The state's inhabitants were mainly Danes , Norwegians and Germans , and also included Faroese , Icelanders and Inuit in the Norwegian overseas possessions, a Sami minority in northern Norway, as well as other indigenous peoples. The main cities of Denmark–Norway were Copenhagen , Christiania (Oslo), Altona , Bergen and Trondheim , and the primary official languages were Danish and German, but Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Sami and Greenlandic were also spoken locally. In 1380, Olaf II of Denmark inherited

246-669: A mantle plume (the Iceland Plume ), a column of anomalously hot rock in the Earth's mantle which is likely to be partly responsible for the island's creation and continued existence. For comparison, it is estimated that other volcanic islands, such as the Faroe Islands have existed for about 55 million years, the Azores (on the same ridge) about 8 million years, and Hawaii less than a million years. The younger rock strata in

369-607: A personal union that would eventually develop into the 1660 integrated state called Denmark–Norway by modern historians, at the time sometimes referred to as the "Twin Kingdoms". Prior to 1660, Denmark–Norway was de jure a constitutional and elective monarchy in which the King's power was somewhat limited; in that year it became one of the most stringent absolute monarchies in Europe. The Dano-Norwegian union lasted until 1814, when

492-613: A "400-year night". Historians describe the idea of a "400-year night" as a myth that was created as a rhetorical device in the struggle against the Swedish–Norwegian union , inspired by 19th-century national-romanticist ideas. Since the late 19th century the Danish–Norwegian union was increasingly viewed in a more nuanced and favourable light in Norway with a stronger focus on empirical research, and historians have highlighted that

615-507: A be a Danish puppet state, in all but name. The Baltic Sea was one of the most lucrative trade spots in Europe. The German Hanseatic League used to be the dominant party in the region, but the slow collapse of the League allowed for Denmark–Norway to begin enforcing their control in the area. Denmark–Norway had a powerful navy , and with their control over the Oresund was able to enforce

738-596: A change of power in the region. Denmark–Norway had territory surrounding Sweden which appeared threatening, and the Sound Dues were a continuing irritation for the Swedes. In 1643 the Swedish Privy Council determined that the chances of a gain in territory for Sweden in an eventual war against Denmark–Norway would be good. Not long after this, Sweden invaded Denmark–Norway. Denmark was poorly prepared for

861-478: A civil war between the religious groups seemed likely, the Alþingi appointed one of the chieftains, Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi , to decide the issue of religion by arbitration. He decided that the country should convert to Christianity as a whole, but that pagans would be allowed to worship privately. The first Icelandic bishop, Ísleifur Gissurarson , was consecrated by bishop Adalbert of Hamburg in 1056. During

984-537: A climate shift occurred—a phenomenon now called the Little Ice Age . Areas near the Arctic Circle such as Iceland and Greenland began to have shorter growing seasons and colder winters. Since Iceland had marginal farmland in good times, the climate change resulted in hardship for the population. A serfdom-like institution called the vistarband developed, in which peasants were bound to landowners for

1107-749: A crushing defeat. This led to most of the German Protestant states ceasing their support for Christian IV. After another defeat at the Battle of Wolgast and following the Treaty of Lübeck in 1629, which forbade Denmark–Norway from future intervening in German affairs, Denmark–Norways's participation in the war came to an end. Sweden was very successful during the Thirty Years' War, while Denmark–Norway failed to make gains. Sweden saw an opportunity of

1230-572: A great power , while it marked the start of decline for Denmark–Norway. The Dano-Swedish War (1657–1658), a part of the Second Northern War, was one of the most devastating wars for the Dano-Norwegian kingdom. After a huge loss in the war, Denmark–Norway was forced in the Treaty of Roskilde to give Sweden a quarter of its territory. This included Norwegian province of Trøndelag and Båhuslen , all remaining Danish provinces on

1353-538: A historical context; the historic German-Danish struggle regarding the status of the Duchy of Schleswig vis-à-vis a Danish nation-state . It describes people of Danish nationality , both in Denmark and elsewhere–most importantly, ethnic Danes in both Denmark proper and the former Danish Duchy of Schleswig . Excluded from this definition are people from the formerly Norway, Faroe Islands , and Greenland ; members of

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1476-594: A hostile action, and attacked Copenhagen in 1801 and again in 1807 . In the 1807 attack on Copenhagen the British captured the entire Dano-Norwegian navy, burning most of the fleet and incorporating the remaining ships into the Royal Navy . The Dano-Norwegian navy was caught unprepared for any military operation and the British found their ships still in dock after the winter season. The Dano-Norwegians were more concerned about preserving their continued neutrality and

1599-547: A judicial body and had been abolished in 1800. In 1874, a thousand years after the first acknowledged settlement, Denmark granted Iceland a constitution and limited home rule over domestic matters, which was expanded in 1904. The constitution was revised in 1903, and a minister for Icelandic affairs, residing in Reykjavík , was made responsible to the Althing, the first of whom was Hannes Hafstein . Iceland and Denmark signed

1722-556: A land inhabited almost entirely by farmers who could ill-afford to travel far from their farms, across the island to fight for their leaders. In 1220, Snorri Sturluson became a vassal of Haakon IV of Norway ; his nephew Sturla Sighvatsson also became a vassal in 1235. Sturla used the power and influence of the Sturlungar family clan to wage war against the other clans in Iceland. The Norwegian king's power of Iceland increased over

1845-417: A legal monopoly in Denmark while Denmark supplied Norway with agricultural products. 55°40′20″N 12°31′30″E  /  55.67222°N 12.52500°E  / 55.67222; 12.52500 Danish people Danes ( Danish : danskere , pronounced [ˈtænskɐɐ] ), or Danish people , are an ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with

1968-494: A long time, one of the world's last uninhabited larger islands (alongside New Zealand and Madagascar ). It has been suggested that the land called Thule by the Greek geographer Pytheas (fourth century BCE) was actually Iceland, although it seems highly unlikely considering Pytheas' description of it as an agricultural country with plenty of milk, honey, and fruit; the name is more likely to have referred to Norway , or possibly

2091-426: A need for peaceful settlement in other lands. It is also believed that the western fjords of Norway were simply overcrowded in this period. The settlement of Iceland is thoroughly recorded in the aforementioned Landnámabók , although the book was compiled in the early 12th century when at least 200 years had passed from the age of settlement. Ari Þorgilsson 's Íslendingabók is generally considered more reliable as

2214-486: A number of natural disasters. Iceland is a relatively young island in the geological sense, being formed about 20 million years ago by a series of volcanic eruptions in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , but it is still growing from fresh volcanic eruptions. The oldest stone specimens found in Iceland date back to c.  16 million years ago. In geological terms, Iceland is a young island. It started to form in

2337-481: A place he named Reykjavík "Smoke Cove", probably from the geothermal steam rising from the earth. This place eventually became the capital and the largest city of modern Iceland. It is recognized, however, that Ingólfur Arnarson may not have been the first one to settle permanently in Iceland—that may have been Náttfari , one of Garðar Svavarsson 's men who stayed behind when Garðar returned to Scandinavia. Much of

2460-499: A prominent part in the process. Two defining cultural criteria of being Danish were speaking the Danish language and identifying Denmark as a homeland. The ideology of Danishness has been politically important in the formulation of Danish political relations with the EU , which has been met with considerable resistance in the Danish population, and in recent reactions in the Danish public to

2583-625: A republic. Following the Second World War, Iceland was a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and joined the United Nations one year after its establishment. Its economy grew rapidly largely through fishing, although this was marred by disputes with other nations. Vigdis Finnbogadottir assumed Iceland's presidency on August 1, 1980, the first elected female head of state in

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2706-403: A share in government, and in an attempt to avert the sort of bloody revolution occurring elsewhere in Europe, Frederick VII gave in to the demands of the citizens. A new constitution emerged, separating the powers and granting the franchise to all adult males, as well as freedom of the press, religion, and association. The king became head of the executive branch . Danishness ( danskhed )

2829-515: A source and is probably somewhat older, but it is far less thorough. It does say that Iceland was fully settled within 60 years, which likely means that all arable land had been claimed by various settlers. In 2016, archaeologists uncovered a longhouse in Stöðvarfjörður that has been dated to as early as 800. Other, similar finds in Iceland have been dated to a similar time, preceding the traditional settlement date significantly. In 930,

2952-486: A war alliance. Attempts at diplomacy were made, but neither party was particularly interested in peace. When Frederick II included the traditionally Swedish insignia of three crowns into his own coat of arms, the Swedes interpreted this as a Danish claim over Sweden. In response, Erik XIV of Sweden (reigned 1560–1568) added the insignia of Norway and Denmark to his own coat of arms. Denmark–Norway then carried out some naval attacks on Sweden, which effectively started

3075-416: A year at a time. It became more difficult to raise barley , the primary cereal crop, and livestock required additional fodder to survive longer and colder winters. Icelanders began to trade for grain from continental Europe, which was an expensive proposition. Church fast days increased demand for dried codfish , which was easily caught and prepared for export, and the cod trade became an important part of

3198-532: Is now northern Germany . The political and economic defeat ironically sparked what is known as the Danish Golden Age during which a Danish national identity first came to be fully formed. The Danish liberal and national movements gained momentum in the 1830s, and after the European revolutions of 1848 Denmark became a constitutional monarchy on 5 June 1849. The growing bourgeoisie had demanded

3321-401: Is the concept on which contemporary Danish national and ethnic identity is based. It is a set of values formed through the historic trajectory of the formation of the Danish nation. The ideology of Danishness emphasizes the notion of historical connection between the population and the territory of Denmark and the relation between the thousand-year-old Danish monarchy and the modern Danish state,

3444-643: Is typically not based on ethnic heritage. Denmark has been inhabited by various Germanic peoples since ancient times, including the Angles , Cimbri , Jutes , Herules , Teutones and others. The first mention of Danes within Denmark is on the Jelling Rune Stone , which mentions the conversion of the Danes to Christianity by Harald Bluetooth in the 10th century. Between c.  960 and

3567-539: Is unknown whether they were brought there at that time or came later with Vikings after circulating for centuries. There is some literary evidence that monks from a Hiberno-Scottish mission may have settled in Iceland before the arrival of the Norsemen . The Landnámabók ("Book of Settlements"), written in the 1100s, mentions the presence of Irish monks, called the Papar , prior to Norse settlement and states that

3690-496: Is usually considered to have been a Norwegian chieftain named Ingólfur Arnarson and his wife, Hallveig Fróðadóttir . According to the Landnámabók , he threw two carved pillars ( Öndvegissúlur ) overboard as he neared land, vowing to settle wherever they landed. He then sailed along the coast until the pillars were found in the southwestern peninsula, now known as Reykjanesskagi . There he settled with his family around 874, in

3813-465: The staðamál , two major disputes over whether secular aristocrats should benefit from the tithes of proprietary churches they had founded. The latter, concluded in 1297, saw a significant shift of wealth and power from the aristocracy to the Church, which was increasingly independent of secular influence. Little changed in the decades following the treaty. Norway's consolidation of power in Iceland

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3936-528: The British Isles , in the late ninth century. Iceland was still uninhabited long after the rest of Western Europe had been settled. Recorded settlement has conventionally been dated back to 874, although archaeological evidence indicates Gaelic monks from Ireland, known as papar according to sagas , may have settled Iceland earlier. The land was settled quickly, mainly by Norsemen who may have been fleeing conflict or seeking new land to farm. By 930,

4059-499: The Caribbean and India . At its height the empire was about 2,655,564.76 km (1,025,319 sq mi), after the dissolution of the union, in 1814, all the overseas territories became a part of Denmark. Denmark–Norway maintained numerous colonies from the 17th to 19th centuries over various parts around India. Colonies included the town of Tranquebar and Serampore . The last settlements Denmark had control over were sold to

4182-620: The Danish–Icelandic Act of Union on 1 December 1918, recognizing the Kingdom of Iceland as a fully sovereign state joined with Denmark in a personal union with the Danish king. Iceland established its own flag. Denmark was to represent its foreign affairs and defense interests. Iceland had no military or naval forces, and Denmark was to give notice to other countries that it was permanently neutral. The act would be up for revision in 1940 and could be revoked three years later if agreement

4305-524: The Dannebrog became the only official merchant flag in the union. Denmark–Norway became an absolutist state and Denmark a hereditary monarchy , as Norway de jure had been since 1537. These changes were confirmed in the Leges regiae signed on 14 November 1665, stipulating that all power lay in the hands of the king, who was only responsible to God. In Denmark, the kings also began stripping rights from

4428-430: The Faroe Islands or Shetland . Many of the early settlers were Thelir , fleeing the recent union of Norway under Harald Fairhair and came from Telemark . A similar argument explains the name of Greenland from Grenland , neighbouring Telemark and also populated by Thelir . The exact date that humans first reached the island is uncertain. Roman currency dating to the third century has been found in Iceland, but it

4551-588: The German minority; and members of other ethnic minorities. Importantly, since its formulation, Danish identity has not been linked to a particular racial or biological heritage, as many other ethno-national identities have. N. F. S. Grundtvig , for example, emphasized the Danish language and the emotional relation to and identification with the nation of Denmark as the defining criteria of Danishness. This cultural definition of ethnicity has been suggested to be one of

4674-557: The Kalmar Union (1397–1523), but on its dissolution, Iceland fell under Danish rule. The subsequent strict Danish–Icelandic Trade Monopoly in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was detrimental to the economy. Iceland's resultant poverty was aggravated by severe natural disasters like the Móðuharðindin or "Mist Hardships". During this time, the population declined. Iceland remained part of Denmark, but in keeping with

4797-552: The Kingdom of Norway , which included the territories of Norway , Iceland and the Faroese Islands . Olaf's mother, Margrethe I , united Norway, Sweden and Denmark into the Kalmar Union . In 1523, Sweden won its independence, leading to the dismantling of the Kalmar Union and the establishment of Denmark–Norway . Denmark–Norway grew wealthy during the 16th century, largely because of the increased traffic through

4920-669: The Miocene era about 20 million years ago from a series of volcanic eruptions on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , where it lies between the North American Plate and Eurasian Plate . These plates spread at a rate of approximately 2.5 centimeters per year. This elevated portion of the ridge is known as the Reykjanes Ridge . The volcanic activity is attributed to a hotspot , the Iceland hotspot , which in turn lies over

5043-650: The New Testament into Danish ; it became an instant best-seller. Those who had traveled to Wittenberg in Saxony and come under the influence of the teachings of Luther and his associates included Hans Tausen , a Danish monk in the Order of St John Hospitallers . In the 17th century Denmark–Norway colonized Greenland . After a failed war with the Swedish Empire , the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 removed

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5166-533: The Sound Tolls , a tax enforced on ships passing through the Oresund. These tolls made up two thirds of Denmark's state income, and allowed Danish-Norwegian kings such as Christian IV to become extremely rich. Denmark–Norway also sought to expand into the eastern Baltic Sea as well. They controlled the island of Gotland , which was a major trading post, and using his wealth, King Frederick II purchased

5289-498: The Treaty of Kiel decreed that Norway (except for the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland) be ceded to Sweden. The treaty however was not recognised by Norway, which resisted the attempt in the 1814 Swedish–Norwegian War . Norway thereafter entered into a much looser personal union with Sweden until 1905, when that union was peacefully dissolved. The term "Kingdom of Denmark" is sometimes used to include both countries in

5412-474: The Treaty of Knäred was signed, in which Norway's land route from Sweden was regained by incorporating Lapland into Norway, and Swedish payment of the Älvsborg Ransom for two fortresses which Denmark–Norway had taken in the war. However, Sweden achieved an exemption from the Sound Toll. The great ransom paid by Sweden (called the Älvsborg Ransom) was used by Christian IV, among many other things, to found

5535-478: The Turkish Abductions . After the end of the Kalmar Union, the royal government asserted greater control of Iceland. In particular, it took stronger actions to stop the involvement of English traders with Iceland. English and German merchants became more prominent in Iceland at the start of the 15th century. Some historians refer to the 15th century as the "English Age" in Iceland's history, due to

5658-898: The United Kingdom in 1845. Rights in the Nicobar Islands were sold in 1869. Centred on the Virgin Islands , Denmark–Norway established the Danish West Indies. This colony was one of the longest-lived of Denmark, until it was sold to the United States in 1917. It became the U.S. Virgin Islands . In the Gold Coast region of West Africa, Denmark–Norway also over time had control over various colonies and forts. The last remaining forts were sold to

5781-569: The United Kingdom in 1850, from Denmark. The three kingdoms Denmark, Norway and Sweden united in the Kalmar Union in 1397. Sweden broke out of this union and re-entered it several times, until 1521, when Sweden finally left the Union, leaving Denmark–Norway (including overseas possessions in the North Atlantic and the island of Saaremaa in modern Estonia ). During the Count's Feud , where

5904-644: The United Kingdom invaded and peacefully occupied it in 1940 to forestall a Nazi occupation, after Denmark was overrun by the German Wehrmacht . Due to the island's strategic position in the North Atlantic, the Allies occupied the island until the end of the war, with the United States taking over occupation duties from the British in 1941. In 1944, Iceland severed its remaining ties with Denmark (then still under Nazi occupation) and declared itself

6027-683: The Western United States or the Midwestern United States . California has the largest population of people of Danish descent in the United States. Notable Danish communities in the United States are located in Solvang, California , and Racine, Wisconsin , but these populations are not considered to be Danes for official purposes by the Danish government , and heritage alone can not be used to claim Danish citizenship, as it can in some European nations. According to

6150-620: The Øresund . The Crown of Denmark could tax the traffic, because it controlled both sides of the Sound at the time. The Reformation , which originated in the German lands in the early 16th century from the ideas of Martin Luther (1483–1546), had a considerable impact on Denmark. The Danish Reformation started in the mid-1520s. Some Danes wanted access to the Bible in their own language. In 1524, Hans Mikkelsen and Christiern Pedersen translated

6273-492: The "German Age" by Icelandic historians due to the prominence of German traders. The Germans did not engage in much fishing themselves, but they owned fishing boats, rented them to Icelanders and then bought the fish from Icelandic fishermen to export to the European Continent. An illicit trade continued with foreigners after the Danes implemented a trade monopoly. Dutch and French traders became more prominent in

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6396-614: The 11th and 12th centuries, the centralization of power had worn down the institutions of the commonwealth, as the former, notable independence of local farmers and chieftains gave way to the growing power of a handful of families and their leaders. The period from around 1200 to 1262 is generally known as the Age of the Sturlungs . This refers to Sturla Þórðarson and his sons, Sighvatr Sturluson , and Snorri Sturluson , who were one of two main clans fighting for power over Iceland, causing havoc in

6519-416: The 19th-century national romantic idea of "the people" ( folk ), a view of Danish society as homogeneous and socially egalitarian as well as strong cultural ties to other Scandinavian nations. As a concept, det danske folk (the Danish people) played an important role in 19th-century ethnic nationalism and refers to self-identification rather than a legal status. Use of the term is most often restricted to

6642-421: The 2006 Census, there were 200,035 Canadians with Danish background , 17,650 of whom were born in Denmark. Canada became an important destination for the Danes during the post war period. At one point, a Canadian immigration office was to be set up in Copenhagen . In Greenland , a self-governing territory under Danish sovereignty , there are approximately 6,348 Danish Greenlanders making up roughly 11% of

6765-444: The Danish crown was contested by Protestant Oldenburg King Christian III and Catholic Noble Rebels, the relatively Catholic realm of Norway also wanted to leave the union in the 1530s, but was unable to do so due to Denmark's superior military might. In 1537, Denmark invaded Norway, and annexed it. In doing so, king Christian III removed Norway's equal status that was held during the Kalmar Union, and instead relegated Norway to

6888-413: The Danish government, which at this time pursued mercantilist policies. The Danish–Icelandic Trade Monopoly remained in effect until 1786. In the 18th century, climatic conditions in Iceland reached an all-time low since the original settlement. On top of this, Laki erupted in 1783, spitting out 12.5 cubic kilometres (3.0 cu mi) of lava. Floods, ash, and fumes killed 9,000 people and 80% of

7011-445: The Danish nobility. The Danish and Norwegian nobility saw a population decline during the 1500s, which allowed the Crown to seize more land for itself. The growing wealth of the Danish-Norwegian kings due to the Oresund allowed them fight wars without consent from the nobility and Danish Rigsraad, meaning that Danish-Norwegian kings slowly gained more and more absolute authority over time. Denmark had lost its provinces in Scania after

7134-433: The Kingdom of Norway, titled as Olaf IV, after the death of his father Haakon VI of Norway , who was married to Olaf's mother Margaret I . Margaret I was ruler of Norway from her son's death in 1387 until her own death in 1412. Denmark, Norway, and Sweden established and formed the Kalmar Union in 1397. Following Sweden's departure in 1523, the union was effectively dissolved. From 1536/1537, Denmark and Norway formed

7257-434: The Lapps in Nordland", and started collecting taxes in Norwegian territory. Denmark–Norway and King Christian IV protested against the Swedish actions, as they had no intentions of letting another independent trade route open; Christian IV also had an intent of forcing Sweden to rejoin its union with Denmark–Norway. In 1611 Denmark–Norway finally invaded Sweden with 6,000 men and took the city of Kalmar . On 20 January 1613,

7380-416: The Middle Ages. They may also have been hermits. An archaeological excavation has revealed the ruins of a cabin in Hafnir on the Reykjanes peninsula (close to Keflavík International Airport ). Carbon dating reveals that the cabin was abandoned somewhere between 770 and 880, suggesting that Iceland was populated well before 874. This archaeological find may also indicate that the monks left Iceland before

7503-405: The Norse arrived. According to the Landnámabók , Iceland was discovered by Naddodd , one of the first settlers in the Faroe Islands, who was sailing from Norway to the Faroes but lost his way and drifted to the east coast of Iceland. Naddodd called the country Snæland "Snowland". Swedish sailor Garðar Svavarsson also accidentally drifted to the coast of Iceland. He discovered that the country

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7626-425: The Norwegian economy thrived and that Norway was one of the world's wealthiest countries during the entire period of real union with Denmark. Historians have also pointed out that Norway was a separate state, with its own army, legal system and other institutions, with significant autonomy in its internal affairs, and that it was primarily governed by a local elite of civil servants who identified as Norwegian, albeit in

7749-426: The Norwegians objected to the terms of this treaty, and a constitutional assembly declared Norwegian independence on 17 May 1814 and elected the Crown Prince Christian Frederik as king of independent Norway. Following a Swedish invasion , Norway was forced to accept a personal union between Sweden and Norway , but retained its liberal constitution and separate institutions, except for the foreign service. The union

7872-421: The Protestants. With the money provided by the aforementioned states, along with his own personal fortune, Christian could hire a large army of mercenaries. Christian IV long sought to become the leader of the north German Lutheran states. He also had interests in gaining ecclesiastical posts in Northern Germany, such as the Prince-Bishopric of Verden . However, during the Battle of Lutter in 1626, Denmark faced

7995-455: The Swedish mainland, and the island of Bornholm . However, two years later, in 1660, there was a follow-up treaty, the Treaty of Copenhagen , which gave Trøndelag and Bornholm back to Denmark–Norway. In the aftermath of Sweden's final secession from the Kalmar Union in 1521, civil war and the Protestant Reformation followed in Denmark and in Norway. When things had settled down, the Rigsraad ( High Council ) of Denmark became weak, and it

8118-443: The Treaty of Roskilde and was always eager to retrieve them, but as Sweden had grown into a great power it would not be an easy task. However, Christian V saw an opportunity when Sweden got involved in the Franco-Dutch War , and after some hesitation Denmark–Norway invaded Sweden in 1675. Although the Danish-Norwegian assault began as a great success, the Swedes led by 19-year-old Charles XI counter-attacked and took back

8241-466: The areas of the Scandinavian peninsula from Danish control, thus establishing the boundaries between Norway, Denmark, and Sweden that exist to this day. In the centuries after this loss of territory, the populations of the Scanian lands , who had previously been considered Danish, came to be fully integrated as Swedes . In the early 19th century, Denmark suffered a defeat in the Napoleonic Wars ; Denmark lost control over Norway and territories in what

8364-450: The chieftains had established a form of governance, the Althing , making it one of the world's oldest parliaments. Towards the end of the tenth century, Christianity came to Iceland through the influence of the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason . During this time, Iceland remained independent, a period known as the Old Commonwealth, and Icelandic historians began to document the nation's history in books referred to as sagas of Icelanders . In

8487-452: The cities of Glückstadt , Christiania (refounded after a fire), Christianshavn , Christianstad and Christianssand . He also founded the Danish East India Company which led to the establishment of numerous Danish colonies in India . The remainder of the money was added to Christian's already massive personal treasury. Not long after the Kalmar war, Denmark–Norway became involved in another greater war, in which they fought together with

8610-425: The coastal and island areas of Ireland and/or Scotland and to Norway. The traditional explanation for the exodus from Norway is that people were fleeing the harsh rule of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair , whom medieval literary sources credit with the unification of some parts of modern Norway during this period. Viking incursions into Britain were also expelled thoroughly during this time, potentially leading to

8733-421: The country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. Danes generally regard themselves as a nationality and reserve the word "ethnic" for the description of recent immigrants , sometimes referred to as "new Danes". The contemporary Danish national identity is based on the idea of "Danishness", which is founded on principles formed through historical cultural connections and

8856-656: The course of the 13th century. After decades of internal conflict, the Icelandic chieftains agreed to accept the sovereignty of Norway and signed the Old Covenant ( Gamli sáttmáli ) establishing a union with the Norwegian monarchy. The end of the Icelandic Commonwealth is typically dated to the signing of the Old Covenant (1262–1264) or to the adoption of Jónsbók in 1281. The period also saw

8979-498: The death of Canute the Great in 1035, England broke away from Danish control. Canute's nephew Sweyn Estridson (1020–74) re-established strong royal Danish authority and built a good relationship with the archbishop of Bremen , at that time the archbishop of all Scandinavia . Over the next centuries, the Danish empire expanded throughout the southern Baltic coast. Under the 14th century king Olaf II , Denmark acquired control of

9102-566: The early 980s, Bluetooth established a kingdom in the lands of the Danes, stretching from Jutland to Scania. Around the same time, he received a visit from a German missionary who, by surviving an ordeal by fire according to legend, convinced Harold to convert to Christianity . The following years saw the Danish Viking expansion , which incorporated Norway and England into the Danish North Sea Empire . After

9225-480: The early thirteenth century, the internal conflict known as the age of the Sturlungs weakened Iceland, which eventually became subjugated to Norway over the 13th century. The Old Covenant (1262–1264), and the adoption of Jónsbók (1281) effectively ended the Icelandic Commonwealth. Norway, in turn, was united with Sweden (1319) and then Denmark (1376). Eventually all of the Nordic states were united in one alliance,

9348-454: The economy. Iceland remained under Norwegian kingship until 1380, when the death of Olaf II of Denmark extinguished the Norwegian male royal line. Norway (and thus Iceland) then became part of the Kalmar Union , along with Sweden and Denmark , with Denmark as the dominant power. Unlike Norway, Denmark did not need Iceland's fish and homespun wool. This created a dramatic deficit in Iceland's trade. The small Greenland colony , established in

9471-639: The entire Dano-Norwegian army was therefore gathered at Danevirke in the event of a French attack, leaving much of the combined state undefended. The British attack of 1807 effectively forced the Dano-Norwegians into an alliance with the French, although without a fleet they could do little. Denmark–Norway was defeated and had to cede the Kingdom of Norway to the King of Sweden at the Treaty of Kiel . Norway's overseas possessions were kept by Denmark. But

9594-536: The future through closer ties with the capital Copenhagen. Throughout the time of Denmark–Norway, it continuously had possession over various overseas territories. At the earliest times this meant areas in Northern Europe and North America , for instance Estonia and the Norwegian possessions of Greenland , the Faroe Islands and Iceland . From the 17th century, the kingdoms acquired colonies in Africa ,

9717-668: The historical and legal roots of the union. It is adopted from the Oldenburg dynasty's official title. The kings always used the style "King of Denmark and Norway, the Wends and the Goths " ( Konge til Danmark og Norge, de Venders og Gothers ). Denmark and Norway, sometimes referred to as the "Twin Realms" ( Tvillingerigerne ) of Denmark–Norway, had separate legal codes and currencies, and mostly separate governing institutions. Following

9840-417: The increasing influence of immigration . The Danish diaspora consists of emigrants and their descendants, especially those who maintain some of the customs of their Danish culture. A minority of approximately fifty thousand Danish-identifying German citizens live in the former Danish territory of Southern Schleswig ( Sydslesvig) , now located within the borders of Germany, forming around ten percent of

9963-575: The information on Ingólfur comes from the Landnámabók , written some three centuries after the settlement. Archeological findings in Reykjavík are consistent with the date given there: there was a settlement in Reykjavík around 870. According to Landnámabók, Ingólfur was followed by many more Norse chieftains, their families and slaves who settled all the habitable areas of the island in the next decades. Archeological evidence strongly suggests that

10086-477: The introduction of absolutism in 1660, the centralisation of government meant a concentration of institutions in Copenhagen. Centralisation was supported in many parts of Norway, where the two-year attempt by Sweden to control Trøndelag had met strong local resistance and resulted in a complete failure for the Swedes and a devastation of the province. This allowed Norway to further secure itself militarily for

10209-661: The island of Osel in 1560. Denmark–Norway fiercely guarded her hegemony, destroying any new competitors in the Baltic. When Poland-Lithuania attempted to build a navy in 1571, the Danish-Norwegian fleet destroyed or captured much of the Polish fleet in the Battle of Hel . Christian III, who had relied on Swedish aid in the Count's Feud, kept peaceful relations with Sweden throughout his reign. However, Frederick II

10332-536: The land that was being occupied. The war was concluded with the French dictating peace, with no permanent gains or losses to either of the countries. During the French Revolutionary Wars Denmark–Norway at first tried to stay neutral, so it could continue its trade with both France and the United Kingdom , but when it entered the League of Armed Neutrality , the British considered this to be

10455-588: The late 10th century, died out completely before 1500. With the introduction of absolute monarchy in Denmark–Norway in 1660 under Frederick III of Denmark , the Icelanders relinquished their autonomy to the crown, including the right to initiate and consent to legislation. Denmark, however, did not provide much protection to Iceland, which was raided in 1627 by a Barbary pirate fleet that abducted almost 300 Icelanders into slavery , in an episode known as

10578-415: The livestock. The ensuing starvation killed a quarter of Iceland's population. This period is known as the Móðuharðindin or " Mist Hardships ". In 1809 Danish adventurer Jørgen Jørgensen arrived in Iceland, declared the country independent from Denmark–Norway and pronounced himself its ruler. However, with the arrival of HMS Talbot two months later, Danish rule in Iceland was restored and Jørgensen

10701-575: The local population. In Denmark, the latter group is often referred to as "Danes south of the border" ( De danske syd for grænsen ), the "Danish-minded" ( de dansksindede ), or simply "South Schleswigers". Due to immigration there are considerable populations with Danish roots outside Denmark in countries such as the United States, Brazil , Canada , Greenland and Argentina . Danish Americans ( Dansk-amerikanere ) are Americans of Danish descent. There are approximately 1,500,000 Americans of Danish origin or descent. Most Danish-Americans live in

10824-887: The mainly north German and other Protestant states against the Catholic states led by German Catholic League . The recent defeat of the Protestant League in both the Palatinate and Bohemian Campaigns, the Protestant nations of the Dutch Republic , England , and the Lower Saxon Circle , along with France, the latter of which aiming to weaken the Habsburgs , promised to fund Denmark's operations if Christian IV decided to intervene on behalf of

10947-481: The mid-17th century. By the middle of the 16th century, Christian III of Denmark began to impose Lutheranism on his subjects. Jón Arason and Ögmundur Pálsson , the Catholic bishops of Skálholt and Hólar respectively, opposed Christian's efforts at promoting the Protestant Reformation in Iceland. Ögmundur was deported by Danish officials in 1541, but Jón Arason put up a fight. Opposition to

11070-655: The monks left behind Irish books, bells, and crosiers, among other things. According to the same account, the Irish monks abandoned the country when the Norse arrived or had left prior to their arrival. The twelfth-century scholar Ari Þorgilsson 's Íslendingabók reasserts that items including bells corresponding to those used by Irish monks were found by the settlers. No such artifacts have been discovered by archaeologists, however. Some Icelanders claimed descent from Cerball mac Dúnlainge , King of Osraige in southeastern Ireland, at

11193-460: The name of the "Danish" King. Norwegians were also well represented in the military, civil service and business elites of Denmark–Norway, and in the administration of the colonies in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Norway benefited militarily from the combined strength of Denmark–Norway in the wars with Sweden and economically from its trade relationship with Denmark in which Norwegian industry enjoyed

11316-536: The next 200 years. In the end, Pietism was never firmly established as a lasting religious grouping, but policies enacted by the "pietist king" affects citizens of Denmark, Norway and Iceland to this day, like the Holiday Peace Act. Although the Dano–Norwegian union was generally viewed favourably in Norway at the time of its dissolution in 1814, some 19th-century Norwegian writers disparaged the union as

11439-555: The period, since the political and economic power emanated from the Danish capital, Copenhagen. These terms cover the "royal territories" of the Oldenburgs as it was in 1460, excluding the "ducal territories" of Schleswig and Holstein . The administration used two official languages , Danish and German , and for several centuries both a Danish Chancellery (Danish: Danske Kancelli ) and German Chancellery (Danish: Tyske Kancelli ) existed. The term "Denmark–Norway" reflects

11562-470: The possibility to leave Denmark proper, such as merchants and civil servants, Norway was seen as an attractive country of opportunities. The same was the case for the Norwegians, and many Norwegians migrated to Denmark, like the famous author Ludvig Holberg . Protestantism had been a religious movement in Denmark ever since the reign of Christian II . Though the country remained Catholic during

11685-483: The prominence of English traders and fishing fleets. What drew foreigners to Iceland was primarily fishing in the fruitful waters off the coast of Iceland. The Icelandic trade was important to some British ports; for example, in Hull, the Icelandic trade accounted for more than ten percent of Hull's total trade. The trade has been credited with raising Icelandic living standards. The 16th century has been referred to as

11808-410: The reasons that Denmark was able to integrate their earliest ethnic minorities of Jewish and Polish origins into the Danish ethnic group with much more success than neighboring Germany. Jewishness was not seen as being incompatible with a Danish ethnic identity, as long as the most important cultural practices and values were shared. This inclusive ethnicity has in turn been described as the background for

11931-467: The reformation ended in 1550 when Jón Arason was captured after being defeated in the Battle of Sauðafell by loyalist forces under the leadership of Daði Guðmundsson . Jón Arason and his two sons were subsequently beheaded in Skálholt. Following this, the Icelanders became Lutherans and remain largely so to this day. In 1602, Iceland was forbidden to trade with countries other than Denmark, by order of

12054-613: The reign of Frederick I , and in Norway it was not a big movement at that time. But the victory in the Count's Feud secured Denmark under the Protestant King Christian ;III, and in 1537 he also secured Norway, creating the union between the two kingdoms. In the following years, Denmark–Norway was among the countries to follow Martin Luther after the Protestant Reformation , and thus established Lutheran Protestantism as official religion in place of Roman Catholicism. Lutheran Protestantism prevailed through

12177-540: The relative lack of virulent antisemitism in Denmark and the rescue of the Danish Jews , saving 99% of Denmark's Jewish population from the Holocaust . Modern Danish cultural identity is rooted in the birth of the Danish national state during the 19th century. In this regard, Danish national identity was built on a basis of peasant culture and Lutheran theology , with Grundtvig and his popular movement playing

12300-463: The rise of nationalism around Europe in the nineteenth century, an independence movement emerged. The Althing, which had been suspended in 1799, was restored in 1844, and Iceland gained sovereignty after World War I , becoming the Kingdom of Iceland on 1 December 1918. However, Iceland shared the Danish Monarchy until World War II . Although Iceland was neutral in the Second World War,

12423-488: The ruling chiefs established an assembly called the Alþingi ( Althing ). The parliament convened each summer at Þingvellir , where chieftains ( Goðorðsmenn or Goðar) amended laws, settled disputes and appointed juries to judge lawsuits. Laws were not written down but were instead memorized by an elected Lawspeaker ( lǫgsǫgumaðr ). The Alþingi is sometimes said to be the world's oldest existing parliament. Importantly, there

12546-751: The settlers' exploits. The settlers of Iceland were predominantly pagans and worshiped the Norse gods , among them Odin , Thor , Freyr , and Freyja . By the tenth century, political pressure from Europe to convert to Christianity mounted. As the end of the first millennium grew near, many prominent Icelanders had accepted the new faith. Around 961, Eldgjá , a volcano in Southern Iceland, erupted 7.7 square miles of lava and lifted up huge clouds of sulfuric gas that affected all of Northern Europe and spanned out as far as Northern China. It also created rare hazes and multiple food crises in different parts of

12669-489: The southwest of Iceland and the central highlands are only about 700,000 years old. The Geological history of the Earth is divided into ice ages , based on temperature and climate. The last glacial period , commonly referred to as The Ice Age is thought to have begun about 110,000 years ago and ended about 10,000 years ago. While covered in ice, Iceland's icefalls , fjords and valleys were formed. Iceland remained, for

12792-400: The territory's population. The most common Y-DNA haplogroups among Danes are R1b (37.3 %) and I1 (32.8 %). [REDACTED] Media related to Danes at Wikimedia Commons Danish Iceland The recorded history of Iceland began with the settlement by Viking explorers and the people they enslaved from Western Europe , particularly in modern-day Norway and

12915-491: The time of the Landnámabók ' s creation. Another source mentioning the Papar is Íslendingabók , dating from between 1122 and 1133. According to this account, the previous inhabitants, a few Irish monks known as the Papar, left the island since they did not want to live with pagan Norsemen. One theory suggests that those monks were members of a Hiberno-Scottish mission , Irish and Scottish monks who spread Christianity during

13038-533: The timing is roughly accurate; "that the whole country was occupied within a couple of decades towards the end of the 9th century." These people were primarily of Norwegian, Irish, and Scottish origin. Some of the Irish and Scots were slaves and servants of the Norse chiefs, according to the sagas of Icelanders , the Landnámabók , and other documents. Some settlers coming from the British Isles were " Hiberno-Norse ," with cultural and family connections both to

13161-574: The union's life span. The Church of Denmark and the Church of Norway was founded during this time as well. The introduction of Lutheranism in Denmark-Norway was also a political move. Due to the creation of state churches, the king had the authority to seize church properties, levy his own church tithes, and stop paying taxes to the Papacy . This helped in Denmark-Norway's absolutism and increased

13284-511: The war, and Norway was reluctant to attack Sweden, which left the Swedes in a good position. The war ended as foreseen with a Swedish victory, and with the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645, Denmark–Norway had to cede some of their territories, including Norwegian territories Jemtland , Herjedalen and Idre & Serna , and the Danish Baltic Sea islands of Gotland and Ösel . Thus the Thirty Years' War facilitated rise of Sweden as

13407-574: The war. After seven years of fighting, the conflict concluded in 1570 with a status quo ante bellum . Because of Denmark–Norway's dominion over the Baltic Sea ( dominium maris baltici ) and the North Sea , Sweden had the intention of avoiding paying Denmark's Sound Toll . Swedish king Charles IX 's way of accomplishing this was to try to set up a new trade route through Lapland and northern Norway. In 1607 Charles IX declared himself "King of

13530-473: The wealth of its kings. There was one other religious "reformation" in the kingdom during the rule of Christian VI , a follower of Pietism . The period from 1735 until his death in 1746 has been nicknamed "the State Pietism", as new laws and regulations were established in favor of Pietism. Though Pietism did not last for a substantial time, numerous new small pietistic resurrections occurred over

13653-465: The world, including that year and many years that followed. Early Norse settlers in Iceland followed Paganism, however, after the Eldgjá volcano eruption, many thought of it as an act from God and started to convert to Christianity instead with the help of Alþingi. It is also believed they converted to Christianity to maintain peace with their European neighbors and the Catholic church. In the year 1000, as

13776-527: The world. Following rapid financial growth, the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis occurred. Iceland continues to remain outside the European Union . Iceland is very remote, and so has been spared the ravages of European wars but has been affected by other external events, such as the Black Death and the Protestant Reformation imposed by Denmark. Iceland's history has also been marked by

13899-646: Was abolished in 1660 ; the Norwegian Riksråd had already been abolished de facto (the Norwegian Riksråd was assembled for the last time in 1537). In 1537, during the Count's Feud, king Christian III of Denmark–Norway staged a coup d'état in Norway, and made it a hereditary kingdom in a real union with Denmark. Norway kept its separate laws and some institutions, such as a royal Chancellor , and separate coinage and army. Norway also had its own royal standard flag until 1748, after that

14022-450: Was also the more egalitarian part of the twin kingdoms; in Norway the King (i.e. the state) owned much of the land, while Denmark was dominated by large noble landowners. Denmark had a serfdom -like institution known as Stavnsbånd which restricted men to the estates they were born on; all farmers in Norway on the other hand were free, could settle anywhere and were on average more affluent than Danish farmers. For many Danish people who had

14145-580: Was an island and called it Garðarshólmi "Garðar's Islet" and stayed for the winter at Húsavík . The first Norseman who deliberately sailed to Iceland was Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson . Flóki settled for one winter at Barðaströnd . After the cold winter passed, the summer came and the whole island became green, which stunned Flóki. Realizing that this place was in fact habitable, despite the horribly cold winter, and full of useful resources, Flóki restocked his boat. He then returned east to Norway with resources and knowledge. The first permanent settler in Iceland

14268-587: Was arrested. When the two kingdoms of Denmark and Norway were separated by the Treaty of Kiel in 1814 following the Napoleonic Wars , Denmark kept Iceland, as well as Faroe and Greenland , as dependencies. Throughout the 19th century, the country's climate continued to grow worse, resulting in mass emigration to the New World , particularly Manitoba in Canada. However, a new national consciousness

14391-477: Was dissolved in 1905 . After 1660, Denmark–Norway consisted of five formally separate parts (the Kingdom of Denmark , the Kingdom of Norway , the Duchy of Holstein , the Duchy of Schleswig and the County of Oldenburg ). Norway had its separate laws and some institutions, and separate coinage and army. Culturally and politically Denmark became dominant. While Denmark remained a largely agricultural society, Norway

14514-427: Was industrialized from the 16th century and had a highly export-driven economy; Norway's shipping, timber and mining industries made Norway "the developed and industrialized part of Denmark-Norway" and an economic equal of Denmark. Denmark and Norway complemented each other and had a significant internal trade , with Norway relying on Danish agricultural products and Denmark relying on Norway's timber and metals. Norway

14637-593: Was kicked out by the Russian army. The Estonians, who were fearful of the Russians, contacted King Eric XIV of Sweden for protection. Sweden then annexed Estonia, securing the region under their rule. After Eric introduced blockades in an attempt to hinder trade with Russia (Sweden and Russia were disputing over Estonia), Lübeck and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth joined Denmark–Norway in

14760-472: Was no central executive power, and therefore laws were enforced by the chieftains. This gave rise to feuds , which provided the writers of the sagas with plenty of material. Iceland enjoyed a mostly uninterrupted period of growth in its commonwealth years. Settlements from that era have been found in southwest Greenland and eastern Canada, and sagas such as Saga of Erik the Red and Greenland saga speak of

14883-490: Was quite hostile towards the Swedes. Another major factor in the war were Sweden's goals in Livonia . Both Denmark and Sweden, along with Russia , sought to control the previously Hanseatic region, as it was extremely important in controlling the Baltic Sea. When Denmark purchased Osel, Duke Magnus , brother of King Frederick II was granted control of the island. Magnus attempted to claim himself King of Estonia , but he

15006-518: Was revived in Iceland, inspired by romantic nationalist ideas from continental Europe . This revival was spearheaded by the Fjölnismenn , a group of Danish-educated Icelandic intellectuals. An independence movement developed under the leadership of a lawyer named Jón Sigurðsson . In 1843, a new Althing was founded as a consultative assembly. It claimed continuity with the Althing of the Icelandic Commonwealth, which had remained for centuries as

15129-512: Was slow, and the Althing intended to hold onto its legislative and judicial power. Nonetheless, the Christian clergy had unique opportunities to accumulate wealth via the tithe , and power gradually shifted to ecclesiastical authorities as Iceland's two bishops in Skálholt and Hólar acquired land at the expense of the old chieftains. Around the time Iceland became a vassal state of Norway,

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