Þingvellir, Iceland by Fenna Duin-Huizing

Almost everything that happened in Iceland until 1271 had something to do with the Alding and the history of the country always has to do with things that were arranged here. It was the people's representation, the forerunner of the parliament of Iceland. In 1262 it was decided that Iceland would surrender to Norway. In 1798 the last open air meeting took place here and in 1800 the parliament was transferred to Reykjavik. From 1843 Iceland was busy making itself independent, but the power that once lay with Þingvellir was at an end.

Þingvellir is now an important meeting place at a time of important historical events. On 17 June 1944, Iceland's independence was proclaimed, in 1974 the 1100th anniversary of Iceland's colonisation was celebrated en masse, and in 2000, the 1000-year-old Christianity on the island was commemorated on a grand scale.

Arnarson's offspring did not choose Þingvellir by chance. The site was chosen because of the presence of a large fissure channel in the earth, the Almannagjá (All-human gorge) over a large plain, which could accommodate many tens of thousands of people, a waterfall in the Öxará (Axe River), and the presence of the lake Þingvallavatn which provided fresh water and plenty of fish. The Almannagjá functioned as an ultrasound wall, providing optimal acoustics for the audience in the open field.