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Whaling in Iceland began with spear-drift whaling which was practiced from as early as the 12th century and continued in a relic form until the late 19th century. The relationship with whales is reflected in the Icelandic language: ''hvalreki'' is the word for "beached whale", while also meaning something good that is unexpectedly yours or at your disposal.〔 〕 Modern commercial whaling was introduced to Iceland by companies from other nations in the late 19th century. Today, Iceland is involved in commercial whaling under objection to an ongoing moratorium established by the International Whaling Commission in 1986.〔 〕〔 〕 ==History== Ancient literature, such as the Norse sagas, does not reveal a history of whale fisheries in Iceland but occasionally describes conflicts between various families over whale carcasses and early links between Scandinavian people and whales. For example, Vikings from Norway introduced the whaling techniques of driving small cetaceans, such as pilot whales, into fjords. Additionally, the 13th century document Konungs skuggsjá describes a number of marine mammals including several types of whales and dolphins. A 17th-century work by Jón Guðmundsson specifically lists whales recognized today as the sperm whale, narwhal, right whale, fin whale and the blue whale. Narwhals were hunted for the spiral shaped ivory tooth, sometimes presented as a mythical unicorn's horn.〔 〕 Spear-drift whaling had been practiced in the North Atlantic as early as the 12th century. In open boats, hunters would strike a whale with a marked spear with the intent of later locating the beached carcass and claiming a rightful share.〔 〕 In the 17th and 18th centuries Spanish whalers hunted in Icelandic waters. Despite any mutually beneficial results, in 1615, a crew of 32 shipwrecked and stranded Spanish were executed by Icelanders. Jón Guðmundsson condemned the local sheriff for this decision in his account of the event.〔 Since 2005, historian Magnús Rafnsson and archaeologist Dr. Ragnar Edvardsson have been excavating the remains of a 17th-century Spanish whaling station in the northwest of Iceland. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Whaling in Iceland」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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