Papar
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2008-04-24T04:12:47Z
Good Olfactory
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Removed category "Irish monks"; Quick-adding category "Irish Christian monks" (using [[WP:HOTCAT|HotCat]])
{{dablink|For the Malaysian town, see [[Papar, Sabah]]. For the South Indian wafer, please see [[Papadum]]}}
The '''Papar''' (from [[Irish language|Irish]] ''pap'', ''father'' or ''[[pope]]'') were, according to early [[Iceland]]ic [[sagas|historical sources]], a group of [[Irish monks]] that inhabited Iceland at the time of the arrival of the [[Norsemen]]. However, no archeological proof of their existence has ever been found.
The [[Scandinavians]] began settling in Iceland in the [[9th Century]] (874 AD), but the oldest source which mentions the existence of the Papar was only about 250 years later, in the ''[[Íslendingabók]]'' ("Book of the Icelanders"), written between 1122 and 1133. They are also referred to in the ''[[Landnámabók]]'' (the Icelandic Book of Settlements) which mentions that the [[Norsemen|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 Celtic hermits also settled in other islands of the north such as [[Orkney]] (565 AD) and [[Shetland]].
Several Icelandic toponyms (see [[Toponymy]]) have been linked to the Papar, including the island of [[Papey]], but no archeological evidence was found that would link the two names.
Another theory is that the two sources were conflated and that [[Ari Thorgilsson]], the author of ''Íslendingabók ''also based his history on the writings of Dicuil. The traditional accounts have stated that the ''papar'' left 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 islands]].
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 Celtic origin, or at least influence.<ref>Schei, Liv Kjørsvik & Moberg, Gunnie (2003) ''The Faroe Islands''. Birlinn.</ref>
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 Islands]] 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 [[Funningur]] in [[Eysturoy]].''"<ref>Schei, Liv Kjørsvik & Moberg, Gunnie (2003) ''The Faroe Islands''. Birlinn.</ref>
== ''Papar'' in the [[Northern Isles]] ==
Joseph Anderson noted that:
:"''The two Papeys [of Orkney], the great and the little (anciently Papey Meiri and Papey Minni), [are] now [[Papa Westray]] and [[Papa Stronsay]]... [[John of Fordun|Fordun]] 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 severeal districts named Paplay or Papplay, doubtless the same as Papyli of [[Iceland]]''"<ref>Anderson, Joseph (Ed.) (1893) "Introduction to ''Orkneyinga Saga''". Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. James Thin and Mercat Press (1990 reprint). ISBN 0-901824-25-9</ref>
=== ''Papar'' in the Shetland Islands ===
The [[Shetland Islands]] have many commemorations of the ''papar'' including the islands of [[Papa, Shetland|Papa]] (one of the [[Scalloway Islands]], lying north west of [[Burra]] and east of [[Oxna]], connected to [[West Head of Papa]]), [[Papa Little]] and [[Papa Stour]] (Great Papa).
* Papil, [[West Burra]]
=== ''Papar'' in the Orkney Islands ===
The [[Orkneys]] also have many such commemorations:
* [[Papa Stronsay]]
* [[Papa Westray]]
* [[Holm of Papay]]
== ''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" ([[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]]: '''Pabaigh''') in the [[Outer Hebrides]] of [[Scotland]]:
*[[Pabbay, Barra, Scotland|Pabbay near Barra]] lying in the [[Bishop's Isles]]
*[[Pabbay, Harris, Scotland|Pabbay near Harris]]
*Pabbay, [[South Uist]] {{gbmapping|NF775195}}
[[Pabay]], is in the [[Inner Hebrides|''Inner'' Hebrides]], near [[Skye]].
== See also ==
*[[Culdee#Culdees in the North Atlantic|Culdees]]
*[[Celtic Christianity]]
*[[Iro-Scottish monks]]
*[[Norse-Gaels]]
*[[Christianization of Scandinavia]]
== References ==
<references/>
* Axel Kristinsson, [http://visindavefur.hi.is/svar.asp?id=4802 Is there any tangible proof that there were Irish monks in Iceland before the time of the Viking settlements?]
[[Category:Celtic Christianity]]
[[Category:History of Iceland]]
[[Category:Irish Christian monks]]
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