Ingólfur Arnarson Monument Plaque
Ingólfur Arnarson is one of the most famous and most revered people in Iceland. According to the Saga manuscripts, he was the first permanent settler, having landed in 874. Though he settled in the Reykjavik area, the town did not become the important center that is until modern times. Almost there quarters of Icelanders live in the capitol region. This statue stands on Arnarhóll, overlooking Old Town.
The informational plaque reads:
INGÓLFUR ARNARSON
This statue by sculptor Enar Jónsson (1874-1954) shows the settler Ingólfur Arnatson. According to the Book of Settlements he and his crew were the first permanent settlers in Iceland and named the place Reykjavík (Smoke Cove) on account of billowing steam rising from the area´s hot springs. Here, the settler is standing by his high-seat pillar, decorated with a dragon´s head. On the other side of the pillar is the god Odin with his two ravens Hugin and Munin. You can also see the mythological tree Yggdrasil, as well as the Worm of Midgard and Odin´s eight legged horse, Sleipnir.
“When Ingólfur saw Iceland, he threw his high-seat posts overboard for good luck. He declared that he would establish himself at the place where the beam came to land”
From the Book of Settlements.