Iceland repeals a law from 1615 permitting the “slaying of Basques
The so-called “Slaying of Spaniards” (in Icelandic, Spánverjavígin) was a mass murder that occurred in Iceland in the 17th century. Some Basque whalers went on a whaling expedition to Iceland in 1615 and were killed there after clashes with the local population from the Vestfiroir región.
27April2015 27 April 2015 |
Noticia
The local government of a region in Western Iceland has repealed the 17th-century law that permitted “the killing of any Basque". Thus, even though the news item still has a novelty aspect, numerous ceremonies are being held this year to mark the reconciliation which coincides with the 400th anniversary of the slaying of a group of Basque whalers in the 17th century.
The slaughter in Iceland is one of the darkest and most tragic episodes in the history of the country. It all began when a group of Basque whalers, who had sailed to Iceland to hunt whales, was forced to spend the winter there when a gale destroyed their boats.
The hostility towards the foreigners caused numerous disputes with the local population of the Vestfiroir region and ended with the mass murder of all the “Spaniards” who had not fled in time due to the hard winter. The crime which caused the brutal death of 32 men was instigated by the local authorities.
