Most of the settlers who came to Iceland were heathens of the Asa-faith also known as Heithni or Heiðni as it is written in Icelandic. The heathen gods

Odin (at left) wise-bearded and one-eyed. Thor (at right), the most important of the Norse gods, with his hammer Mjollnir.

were usually strong and mighty. The highest one was the one eyed Odin (Óðinn), to him the wisdom and magick are all-important. Odin sacrificed an eye to obtain wisdom, hanged himself in a tree for nine days to learn the magical use of runes and become the wisest of all. With Earth - yes, the Earth, he had the son Thor (Þór), the mightiest one amongst the gods. Thor, the Thunderer, controlled weather during the brief growing season, hence he was the most important of the Norse gods. He holds his hammer Mjollnir, which created lightening and thunder. Thor gave his name to Thursday.
When Christianity began to spread in Norway towards the close of the l0th century, several attempts were made at Christianizing Iceland, but for various reasons they met with little success, the fact was that the organization of the state was in form based on these heathen customs and practices and had in reality grown up round the pagan temples, under the influence of their priests or goðar (sing. goði). It was clear that this organization would break up, if a new religion was adopted by a part of the population who would then be divided into two camps, one heathen, the other Christian, fighting for the supremacy of the country. In the year 1000 this struggle ended in such a way, that the population agreed to follow the advice and decision of the lawspeaker Thorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, that Christianity should henceforward be the official religion in Iceland. Behind this unique arrangement when a whole nation changes its religious faith by a simple decree, looms the fear of the disruption of the state caused by conflicting systems of faith and of the Christian Kings of Norway's interferenee in Icelandic affairs, who always desired to get Iceland under their sway.
It would be rather far-fetched to trace our ancestry back to the heathen gods, although some may find it amusing to do so. In the year 1056 the first Icelandic bishop, Ísleifur Gissurarson was consecrated. After the cecemony which was accomplished in Bremen, Germany, Ísleifur Gissurarson went to Rome to have the Pope's blessing. After Ísleifur, his son Gissur became bishop in Skálholt. Among other things he played the cards well for the church by introducing a tithe; every landowner should pay 1% tax to the church. Thath was the beginning of the church's evergrowing wealth until the last catholic bishop Jón Arason, was beheaded in Skálholt in 1550 and the Reformation was forced by the Danish crown upon the Icelandic population. After that the church's wealth was more or less seized upon by the Danish kings.
These first Icelandic bishops are indeed our forefathers. For example, Ísleifur Gissurarson is my 29th grandfather :-)
As I know that many of you trace their ancestry to Jón Arason (1484-1550) I show you in this page's right column the connection between the first and the last catholic bishops in Iceland.

Judy in Lundar, Manitoba, sent the picture below, a frame with some Icelandic names from Otto Church Cemetery. Icelandic Pioneers interred in the cemetery 1890-1953. It's interesting to see if we recognize these names.

What do we know about these people?
Well, you have to help me, but it seems to me that they are in many cases related to each others.
In the left column we find these names:
1) Jörundur Guðbrandsson, born 1820, from Hólmlátur on Skógarströnd, Snæfellsnessýsla, West Iceland. Died in Otto, Manitoba 1894. His wife was Herdís Guðbrandsdóttir (1822-1887). They had many children. Their daughter was Kristjana Jörundsdóttir, she married Daníel Sigurdsson (1845-1940) and had many children. One of their sons was Þórður (Thord) Kristján Daníelsson, farmer and carpenter in the Shoal Lake district.
2) Víglundur T. Daníelsson (1903-??), son to Þórður (Thord) Kristján Daníelsson and Kristjana Sigrídur Jörundson.
3) Jón Hannesson (1841-1913) emigrated from Skagafjörður in 1883 and was in Seaforth, Ontario, until 1886 and in Winnipeg 1886-1891 when he homesteaded in Shoal Lake settlement in Manitoba. He was amongst the first Icelandic settlers there.
4) Ósk Hannesson is Jón Hannesson´s wife Ósk Þorleifsdóttir (1844-1897), their children were Thorleifur, Málfridur, married Finnbogi Thorgilsson, Bjarnrún and Sigridur.
5) Ragnhildur Snidal, or Ragnhildur Einarsdóttir was born 1862. Her parents were Einar Jónsson and Sigurbjörg Ólafsdóttir, they farmed at Pétursborg in Seydisfjordur, East Iceland. Ragnhildur was wife to Nikulás Thorarinsson who 23 yrs old emigrated from the east of Iceland in 1883 with his mother Jóhanna Nikulásdóttir. He took the name Snædal which altered to Snidal. Ragnhildur was Thorarin's first wife and together they had six children: Daughter who died young, Johann, married Nybjorg Jonasdottir Halldorsson at Oak Point, Man., Thordur Wilfred, Valdimar Stanley, Fridthjofur Edward, married Kristjana Fjeldsted at Steep Rock, and Ragnhildur, married Elmer Nelson in Duluth, Minn. Nikulás' second wife was Kristín Erlendsdóttir (1865-1942).
6) Jóhanna Snidal, or Jóhanna Nikulásdóttir was born 1832. She died 1897.
7) Þórarinn Snidal is most likely Þórarinn Sigbjörnsson, born 1881. His parents were Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir, Nikulás Snidal's sister and Sigbjörn Eyjólfsson. They emigrated in 1882. Sigbjörn must have died soon after because in 1883 Steinunn married Andres Jónsson Skagfeld (1855-1938) who in 1883 had lost his first wife, Kristín Ingveldur Jónsdóttir (1854-1883), just months after their emigration.
8) Þorlákur Eiríksson.
9) Katrín Eiríksson.
10) Einar Eiríksson.
11) Kristín Guðmundsson.
12) Jón Guðmundsson.

In the right column we find these names:
1) Jón Jónatansson (1835-1897) emigrated in 1886 from Thingeyjasysla, North Iceland with his wife and two children.
2) Guðrún Sveinungadóttir (1833-1927), Jón Jónatansson's wife. Their children were: Guðleif, married Ísleifur Johnson, Sigridur, married Ögmundur Bildfell in Winnipeg, Björg Thorkelson, the first Icelandic teacher in Canada.
3) Jónatan Jónsson, emigrated from Iceland in 1886 with his parents Jón Jónatansson and Guðrún Sveinungadóttir.
4) Björg J. Thorkelsson, daughter to Jón Jónatansson and Guðrún Sveinungadóttir.
5) Ísleifur Johnson (Ísleifur Guðjónsson, 1857-1941), emigrated 1883 from Sandfellshagi in North Iceland.
6) Guðleif Johnson (Guðleif Jónsdóttir), born 1864, emigrated in 1883, daughter to Jón Jónatansson and Guðrún Sveinungadóttir. Ísleifur Johnson's wife. Their children: Hermann, married Valgerdur Skagfeld, Kristrún, married Steini Skagfeld in Oak Point, Sigurbjörg, a school teacher, Jónatan, married Aurora Hordal in Salsona, B.C., Unnur Sigurlaug, married Hjortur Josephson in Winnipeg.
7) Kristín Bjarnadóttir, Ísleifur Johnson's mother. Emigrated with Ísleifur.
8) Sigurbjörg Ísleifsdóttir, daughter to Ísleifur and Guðleif Johnson.
9) Thorsteinn Hördal (Þorsteinn Jónsson 1840-1911) emigrated in 1876 from Hóll in Hördudalur, Dalasysla county. Took the name Hördal.
10) Ragnhildur Hördal (Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir 1836-??), Thorsteinn Hördal's wife. Their children: Björn, married Sigridur Halldorson, Lundar, Ingibjorg, married Bjorn Magnusson, Keewatin, Ont., Thora, married Mr. Kellogg, Nelson, B.C.
11) Kristín Einarsson ??
12) Anna Kristmannsson, (1893-1910). Emigrated in 1903 with her parents Fridrik Ágúst Kristmannsson (1871-1950) and Elín Jónasdóttir (1872-??). Her siblings were: Jóhanna Sesselja, did not emigrate, Hjörtur Rósmann in Prince Rupert, B.C., Snæbjörn Skarphédinn in Prince Rupert, B.C., Valdimar Daníel, in Prince Rupert, B.C., Jónas Júlíus in Vancouver.

If you recognize these names, please let me know.
Hálfdan

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Take a look at
Arlan Steinolfson's pages:
The Icelanders of Dakota and Thingvalla Township - an Icelandic Settlement