Papar
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The Papar (from Irish pap, father or pope) were, according to early Icelandic 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, 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 Norse found Irish priests in Iceland when they arrived, together with bells and crosiers.
An earlier source that could possibly refer to the Papar is the work of Dicuil, an early 9th century 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 and Shetland.
Several Icelandic toponyms (see Toponymy) have been linked to the Papar, including the island of Papey, but no archeological proofs were 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.
[edit] Papar in the Faroes
There are also several toponyms relating to the papar in the Faroe islands.
