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Íslendinga saga makes up a large part of Sturlunga, a compilation of medieval Icelandic skin manuscripts dating back to around AD 1300. It has been a major source of material for historians concerning events in early 13th century Iceland. The author is commonly believed to have been Sturla Þórðarson. The style of Íslendinga saga has been called admirable, due to its frankness, openness and impartiality — historians largely seem to agree that it gives a fairly accurate picture of Iceland in the 13th century, if only because the author or authors would have been dealing with contemporary events. If the author was Sturla Þórðarson, he followed the example of Julius Caesar and spoke of himself in the third person. If he was, and that may be considered certain, the reputation for openness and frankness is doubly deserved, since he was related to or befriended with most of the participants in the politics of the era. Other sources confirm that by calling him a model of moderation.
