Sturlungs

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The Sturlungs (Icelandic: Sturlungar) were a powerful family clan in medieval mid-13th century Iceland, in the time of the Icelandic Commonwealth. Their story is partly told in Sturlunga saga.

The Sturlungs were extremely wealthy and influential. So influential, in fact, that a whole period of Icelandic history, Sturlungaöld ("The Age of the Sturlungs") bears their name. They controlled Western Iceland, the Westfjords and North Eastern Iceland.

The patriarch of the Sturlungs was Sturla Þórðarson, whom scholars believe was born around 1115 A.D. He inherited his Goðorð (domain, realm or area of influence) from his father Þórður Gilsson. Sturla quarrelled extensively with Einar Þorgilsson of Staðarhóll and many other chieftains. Jón Loftsson, a well-respected man, mediated in one of these disputes. Consequently, he was entrusted with the upbringing of Sturla's son Snorri Sturluson, who was to become the most influential of the Sturlungs, and certainly the most famous due to his literary endeavours. Snorri had two brothers, Þórður Sturluson and Sighvatur Sturluson.

The descendants of Sturla played an important role in the Sturlungaöld civil war that brought the Icelandic Commonwealth under the control of Haakon IV of Norway, most notably his sons Snorri and Sighvatur, and Sighvatur's son Þórður "kakali" Sighvatsson. Another notable Sturlung was Sturla Þórðarson, son of Þórður Sturluson, who fought with Þórður "kakali". He wrote Íslendinga saga, the longest part of Sturlunga saga, and Hákonar saga gamla, the story of Haakon IV of Norway. Some scholars also attribute to him the authorship of Kristni saga and a transcript of Landnáma.

The writing of the Icelandic sagas began with the Sturlungs, and many (if not most) of those written before 1280 were their work, or written at their behest.

[edit] References

• Árni Daníel Júlíusson, Jón Ólafur Ísberg, Helgi Skúli Kjartansson Íslenskur sögu atlas: 1. bindi: Frá öndverðu til 18. aldar Almenna bókafélagið, Reykjavík 1989