Archaeological excavations on the island of Sandoy prove that people lived in the Faroe Islands in the year 300. However, these excavations do not reveal anything about who these people were.

The first settlers of the Faroe Islands are identified through Dicuil, an Irish scholar who reported in 825 on a priest's claim that Irish monks lived there for about 100 years before Norse invaders arrived. Another story involves St. Brendan, who, in the sixth century, possibly visited the "Islands of the Sheep and the Paradise of Birds" on his quest for a sacred land. By the ninth century, Norwegian emigrants, fleeing King Harald I, settled in the islands, followed by settlers from Scotland and Ireland. These original settlers eventually left due to Viking raids.

FAROESE ALTHING

Around 900, the Faroese Althing (parliamentary council or assembly) was formed, making it the oldest existing parliament in the world today. The main historical source for early Faroese history is the 13th-century Icelandic work Færeyinga Saga (Saga of the Faroese).

In the late tenth century, Faroe Islander Sigmundur Brestisson and his family fled to Norway after being nearly exterminated by invaders from the northern islands. Sometime after, Olaf Tryggvason, king of Norway, asked Sigmundur to return to the Faroe Islands to take control of the country and place them under Norwegian rule.

Another request by King Olaf Tryggvason is to introduce Christianity to the Faroese. Initially, Sigmundur seeks to convert the islanders by reading King Olaf’s decree to the Althing (parliament), but the resulting angry mob nearly kills him. Realizing this is not going to work, he instead raids Viking chieftain Tróndur í Gøtu’s house by night, offering him the choice between accepting Christianity and facing beheading. Tróndur chooses the former. The Faroese Althing adopts Christianity in the year 999.

In 1005, Tróndur í Gøtu has his revenge. He attacks Sigmundur at night at his farm in Skúvoy. Sigmund manages to flee by swimming to Sandvík on the southernmost island of Suðuroy. He reaches land in Sigmundargjógv in Sandvík, where a farmer kills the exhausted Sigmundur, stealing his precious golden arm ring.

The Faroe Islands became a Norwegian province in 1035, the same year as the death of Tróndur í Gøtu, the last Viking chieftain of the Faroe Islands.

KING SVERRE

In 1151, Sverre Sigurdsson was born in Norway to Gunnhild and Unås. At age five, he moved to the Faroe Islands, raised by his uncle, Bishop Roe, where he studied priesthood. In 1175, he learned that his true father was Sigurd Munn, king of Norway, and he became king in 1184.

In 1349, the Black Death struck the Faroe Islands, killing about a third of the population. By the late 14th century, Norway and Denmark had formed a double monarchy. In 1524, Christian II offered the Faroe Islands and Iceland to Henry VIII as loan collateral, but he declined, preserving their languages. His successor, Christian III, brought Lutheranism, replacing Catholicism.

When Norway ceded to Sweden in 1814, the Faroe Islands remained under Danish rule, maintaining their own jurisdiction and distinct culture. The Løgting was abolished in 1816 and replaced by a Danish judiciary. In 1846, Venceslaus Ulricus Hammersheimb created a spelling system for the Faroese. A new Danish constitution in 1849 gave the Faroese representation in the Rigsdag, with the Løgting re-established in 1852 as an advisory council.

The Royal Danish Trade Monopoly, which had existed since the 1500s, was abolished in 1856, allowing for a growth in trade and economy. By the late 1800s, large-scale fishing improved living standards, and the population increased, despite mixed support for the national movement.

FIRST POLITICAL PARTIES

The first political parties in the Faroe Islands, Sambandsflokkurin (The Union Party) and Sjálvstýrisflokkurin (The Self-Government Party) were founded in 1906. 

In 1919, Faroese students in Copenhagen created the first Faroese flag, which was later raised in the village of Fámjin in the Faroe Islands that same year. 

Until 1938, schools and churches were generally only allowed to use the Danish language. If anyone wished to use Faroese in church services, they had to seek permission. Schools primarily used Danish, although Faroese was permitted in some educational contexts, particularly for younger children. In 1938, the Faroese and Danish languages were made equal in schools and churches, and in 1948, Faroese became the main language of instruction. 

Following the invasion and occupation of Denmark in 1940, British forces launched “Operation Valentine” to occupy the Faroe Islands in an effort to prevent a German invasion. This occupation lasted until the end of World War II, with the last British troops leaving in 1945. In 1940, the British government officially recognized the Faroese flag as the flag of the Faroe Islands to help authorities distinguish Faroese fishing boats from hostile vessels. 

During World War II, the Løgting (the Faroese parliament) and the Danish "amtmaður" (chief administrative officer) held legislative power over Faroese matters. In practice, the Faroese governed themselves during this period. Although shipping fish to England resulted in many deaths, the overall economic situation was favourable during these years.

INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM

In 1946, a referendum on independence was held in the Faroe Islands. A slim majority voted in favour of independence from Denmark, while a minority chose to remain under Danish rule. However, the parliamentary elections that same year resulted in a majority of members opting to stay under Danish control. In response to increasing demands for autonomy, the Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands was passed in 1948, establishing the islands as a self-governing territory within the Danish Realm. This act allowed the Faroese government to manage most domestic affairs, although certain areas—including military defence, policing, justice, currency, and foreign affairs—remained under Danish control.

In 2005, the Takeover Act, which extended the Self-Governing Act of 1948, granted the Faroe Islands further self-rule.

In the early 1990s, the fishing industry in the Faroe Islands collapsed. The situation worsened when Sjóvinnubankin, the local bank, declared bankruptcy in 1992, leading to the worst economic depression in Faroese history. Unemployment rates surged to between 10% and 15%, prompting significant emigration from the islands by the mid-1990s.

In 2007, the government of the Faroe Islands took complete control of Vágar Airport, which had previously been managed by Danish authorities, and the Faroese State Church, Fólkakirkjan, which was also overseen by Denmark.

In 2013, the European Union imposed sanctions on the Faroe Islands due to a dispute over herring and mackerel fishing quotas. This boycott prohibited Faroese vessels carrying herring or mackerel from entering any EU ports, including those in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. The boycott was ultimately lifted in 2014 following successful negotiations.