For a significant part of Iceland’s early modern history, the punishment for crimes ranging from theft to sorcery could be death. This was not always the case. In the age of the Icelandic Commonwealth, from 930 to 1262, the island had no central authority to enforce executions. The national assembly, Alþingi, could instead declare someone “réttdræpur,” meaning any person could lawfully kill them, but the act was not administered by state officials.
The real shift came in the 16th century, as Iceland fell deeper under Danish control. When King Christian III imposed Lutheranism in 1551, Danish law, including the death penalty, was introduced. Icelanders were now judged under foreign codes that prescribed execution for offences like murder, infanticide, theft, and witchcraft. The first official execution was recorded in 1582.
Death and its rituals
Between 1551 and 1830, historians estimate 238 to 240 Icelanders were executed. The majority were lower class: vagrants, labourers, or women often accused of moral violations. Around a third were put to death for theft and another third for infanticide or incest. Methods of execution depended on the crime and gender. Men were most often beheaded or hanged, while women convicted of infanticide faced drowning, sometimes in the river by the Alþingi’s Law Rock. Sorcery led to burning at the stake, especially during the period named the “brennuöld” (burning age) in the 17th century, when 20 men and one woman were executed for witchcraft.
Infanticide stands out both for its frequency and gendered nature. Many women, facing harsh social and economic realities, were convicted. However, after a royal decree in 1758, the Danish king began to routinely commute these death sentences, often to life-long servitude in workhouses overseas.
From law to lore
Occasionally, the justice system justified killings after the fact by declaring the victims “réttdræpur,” further blurring the line between murder and execution. Folk tales and literary works, such as “Öxin og jörðin” and songs by Megas, keep the memory of several notorious executions alive in Icelandic culture.
The last people to be executed in Iceland were Agnes Magnúsdóttir and Friðrik Sigurdsson, beheaded for murder in 1830. Their story has inspired films and novels, notably the book “Burial Rites.” Shortly after, the trend changed: although courts continued to hand down death sentences, every one was commuted by royal intervention. By 1869, the death penalty for lesser crimes was legally removed, and its final abolition came in 1928. When Iceland’s constitution was revised in 1995, reinstating capital punishment was made impossible under law.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
