Papar
Encyclopedia
The Papar were, according to early Iceland
ic historical sources
, a group of Irish or Scottish monks
resident in parts of Iceland at the time of the arrival of the Norsemen
. Their existence is yet to be confirmed by archaeology.
The Scandinavians
began settling in Iceland in the 9th Century (874 AD), but the oldest source which mentions the existence of the Papar was written in the Íslendingabók
("Book of the Icelanders"), between 1122 and 1133. Such figures are mentioned in the Landnámabók
(the Icelandic Book of Settlements) which relates that the Norse found Irish priests in Iceland when they arrived, together with bells and crosier
s.
An earlier source that could possibly refer to the Papar is the work of Dicuil
, an early 9th century (825 AD) Irish monk, which discussed the wandering of "holy men" to the lands of the north. However, it is not known whether Dicuil is speaking about Iceland, as Gaelic
hermits also settled in other islands of the north such as Orkney and Shetland.
Several Icelandic toponyms (see Toponymy
) have been linked to the Papar, including the island of Papey
, as well as the Vestmannaeyjar ("islands of the Vestmen") but no archeological evidence has yet confirmed the link.
Another theory is that the two sources were conflated and that Ari Thorgilsson, the author of Íslendingabók, based his history on the writings of Dicuil. The traditional accounts have stated that the papar left or were killed when the Norse arrived, but it has been theorised that their influence may have helped Christianity spread in these areas.
.
Amongst these are Paparøkur near Vestmanna
, and Papurshílsur near Saksun
. Vestmanna itself is short for Vestmannahøvn, meaning "harbour of the Westmen" or Irish.
In Skúvoy
, a certain churchyard also has tombstones which display a possible Gaelic
origin, or at least influence.
Some suggest that Grímur Kamban, may have been responsible for driving them out, despite being a probable Norse-Gael himself:
s and Papar that the invading Norse forces discovered when they invaded Orkney in the early ninth century.
Joseph Anderson noted that:
The Orcadian Papeay tertia might conceivably be Holm of Papa
, which lies off Papa Westray.
of Scotland
:
Pabay
, is in the Inner Hebrides
, near Skye
.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic historical sources
Sagàs
Sagàs is a small town and municipality located in Catalonia, in the comarca of Berguedà. It is located in the geographical area of the pre-Pyrenees.-Population:...
, a group of Irish or Scottish monks
Hiberno-Scottish mission
The Hiberno-Scottish mission was a mission led by Irish and Scottish monks which spread Christianity and established monasteries in Great Britain and continental Europe during the Middle Ages...
resident in parts of Iceland at the time of the arrival of the Norsemen
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
. Their existence is yet to be confirmed by archaeology.
The Scandinavians
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
began settling in Iceland in the 9th Century (874 AD), but the oldest source which mentions the existence of the Papar was written in the Íslendingabók
Íslendingabók
Íslendingabók, Libellus Islandorum or The Book of Icelanders is an historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. The author was an Icelandic priest, Ari Þorgilsson, working in the early 12th century. The work originally existed in two different versions but only the younger one has come...
("Book of the Icelanders"), between 1122 and 1133. Such figures are mentioned in the Landnámabók
Landnámabók
Landnámabók , often shortened to Landnáma, is a medieval Icelandic written work describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries AD.-Landnáma:...
(the Icelandic Book of Settlements) which relates that the Norse found Irish priests in Iceland when they arrived, together with bells and crosier
Crosier
A crosier is the stylized staff of office carried by high-ranking Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran and Pentecostal prelates...
s.
An earlier source that could possibly refer to the Papar is the work of Dicuil
Dicuil
Dicuil, Irish monk and geographer, born in the second half of the 8th century.-Background:The exact dates of Dicuil's birth and death unknown...
, an early 9th century (825 AD) Irish monk, which discussed the wandering of "holy men" to the lands of the north. However, it is not known whether Dicuil is speaking about Iceland, as Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
hermits also settled in other islands of the north such as Orkney and Shetland.
Several Icelandic toponyms (see Toponymy
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
) have been linked to the Papar, including the island of Papey
Papey
Papey is an island off the south east of Iceland. It mentioned in the Landnámabók and is said to be named after the Papar. It is about in extent, the highest point being about 58 meters above sea level....
, as well as the Vestmannaeyjar ("islands of the Vestmen") but no archeological evidence has yet confirmed the link.
Another theory is that the two sources were conflated and that Ari Thorgilsson, the author of Íslendingabók, based his history on the writings of Dicuil. The traditional accounts have stated that the papar left or were killed when the Norse arrived, but it has been theorised that their influence may have helped Christianity spread in these areas.
Papar in the Faroes
There are also several toponyms relating to the papar in the Faroe islandsFaroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
.
Amongst these are Paparøkur near Vestmanna
Vestmanna
Vestmanna is a town in the Faroe Islands on the west of the island of Streymoy. It was formerly a ferry port, until an undersea tunnel was built from Vágar to Kvívík and Stykkið. The cliffs west of Vestmanna, Vestmannabjørgini are very popular for excursions by boat.A 'Vestmann' was a "Westman",...
, and Papurshílsur near Saksun
Saksun
Saksun is a village near the north-west coast of the Faroese island of Streymoy.*Population: 34*Postal code : FO 436*Location: *Municipality: Saksunar...
. Vestmanna itself is short for Vestmannahøvn, meaning "harbour of the Westmen" or Irish.
In Skúvoy
Skúvoy
Skúvoy is an island in central Faroe Islands, located to the south of Sandoy. It is named after the large number of skua present on the island . There is only one settlement on the island: Skúvoy on the east coast...
, a certain churchyard also has tombstones which display a possible Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
origin, or at least influence.
Some suggest that Grímur Kamban, may have been responsible for driving them out, despite being a probable Norse-Gael himself:
- "According to the Faereyinga Saga... the first settler in the Faroe IslandsFaroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
was a man named Grímur Kamban - Hann bygdi fyrstr Færeyar, it may have been the land taking of Grímur and his followers that cauysed the anchorites to leave... the nickname Kamban is probably Gaelic and one interpretation is that the word refers to some physical handicap, another that it may point to his prowess as a sportsman. Probably he came as a young man to the Faroe Islands by way of Viking Ireland, and local tradition has it that he settled at FunningurFunningurFunningur is a town on the Faroe Islands. It is located on the north-west coast of Eysturoy . It was the only village in the municipality called Funnings kommuna, which on 1 January 2009 became part of Runavíkar kommuna....
in EysturoyEysturoyEysturoy means East island and is the second-largest of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, both in size and population. It is separated by a narrow sound from the main island of Streymoy. Eysturoy is extremely rugged, with some 66 separate mountain peaks, including Slættaratindur, the...
."
Papar in the Northern Isles
The 16th century Historia Norwegiæ speculatively identifies the native PictPICT
PICT is a graphics file format introduced on the original Apple Macintosh computer as its standard metafile format. It allows the interchange of graphics , and some limited text support, between Mac applications, and was the native graphics format of QuickDraw.The original version, PICT 1, was...
s and Papar that the invading Norse forces discovered when they invaded Orkney in the early ninth century.
Originally those islands were inhabited by Pents and Papes. Of these races, the Pents, only a little taller than pygmies, accomplished miraculous achievements by building towns morning and evenings, but at midday every ounce of strength deserted them and they hid for fear in underground chambers. [...]The Papes were so called on account of the vestments in which they clothed themselves like priests, and for this reason all priests are known as papen in the German tongue. However, as the appearance and letterforms of the books that they left behind them testify, they were from Africa and clove to the Jewish faith.
Joseph Anderson noted that:
The two Papeys [of Orkney], the great and the little (anciently Papey Meiri and Papey Minni), [are] now Papa WestrayPapa WestrayPapa Westray, also known as Papay, is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, with a population of 65 at the time of the 2001 Census, now increased to 70 people...
and Papa StronsayPapa StronsayPapa Stronsay is a small island in Orkney, Scotland, lying north east of Stronsay. It is in size, and at its highest point.According to folklore, some of the natives were descended from a female selkie. This was because they had horny skin on their feet and hands, and permanently smelt of...
... FordunJohn of FordunJohn of Fordun was a Scottish chronicler. It is generally stated that he was born at Fordoun, Mearns. It is certain that he was a secular priest, and that he composed his history in the latter part of the 14th century; and it is probable that he was a chaplain in the St Machar's Cathedral of...
in his enumeration of the islands, has a 'Papeay tertia' [third Papey], which is not now known. There are three islands in Shetland called Papey, and both in Orkney and in Shetland, there are several districts named Paplay or Papplay, doubtless the same as Papyli of IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
The Orcadian Papeay tertia might conceivably be Holm of Papa
Holm of Papa
The Holm of Papa is a very small uninhabited island in the Orkney islands. It is around 15 ha in size...
, which lies off Papa Westray.
Papar in the Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides have many examples of the papar, but with the crucial difference that the Norse language died out early in this area, and it is arguable whether Scottish Gaelic ever died out at all. There are at least three islands originally named Papey, now spelt "Pabbay" (Gaelic: Pabaigh) in the Outer HebridesOuter Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
:
- Pabbay near BarraPabbay, Barra, ScotlandPabbay is one of the Barra Isles at the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The name comes from Papey, which is Norse for "Island of the papar " At only , it never had a large population, and, after all the able-bodied men were killed in a fierce storm while out on a fishing trip on 1...
lying in the Bishop's Isles - Pabbay near HarrisPabbay, Harris, ScotlandPabbay is an uninhabited island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland which lies in the Sound of Harris between Harris and North Uist. The name comes from Papey, which is Norse for "Island of the papar "...
- Pabbay, South UistSouth UistSouth Uist is an island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,818. There is a nature reserve and a number of sites of archaeological interest, including the only location in Great Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found. The...
Pabay
Pabay
Pabay is a Scottish island just off the coast of the Skye.-Geography:Pabay is an island in the Inner Sound of Skye, north of Broadford. It lies south of Longay and east of the larger Scalpay....
, is in the Inner Hebrides
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
, near Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
.
See also
- Culdees
- Celtic ChristianityCeltic ChristianityCeltic Christianity or Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of Christianity that were common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages...
- Great IrelandGreat IrelandGreat Ireland , also known as White Men's Land , and in Latin similarly as Hibernia Major and Albania, was a land said by various Norsemen to be located near Vinland...
- Hiberno-Scottish missionHiberno-Scottish missionThe Hiberno-Scottish mission was a mission led by Irish and Scottish monks which spread Christianity and established monasteries in Great Britain and continental Europe during the Middle Ages...
- Norse-GaelsNorse-GaelsThe Norse–Gaels were a people who dominated much of the Irish Sea region, including the Isle of Man, and western Scotland for a part of the Middle Ages; they were of Gaelic and Scandinavian origin and as a whole exhibited a great deal of Gaelic and Norse cultural syncretism...
- Christianization of ScandinaviaChristianization of ScandinaviaThe Christianization of Scandinavia took place between the 8th and the 12th century. The realms of Scandinavia proper, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, established their own Archdioceses, responsible directly to the Pope, in 1104, 1154 and 1164, respectively...
- Papa, ScotlandPapa, ScotlandThis is a list of places in Scotland called Papa or similar, which are so named after the Papar, monks from the Early Historic Period or from their connection to other, later priests.-Orkney:* Papa Stronsay* Papa Westray...