Eyrbyggja saga (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈeirpɪcːa ˈsaːɣa] ( listen)) is one of the Icelanders' sagas. The name means the saga of the inhabitants of Eyrr, which is a farm on Snæfellsnes on Iceland. The name is slightly misleading as it deals also with the clans of Þórsnes and Alptafjörðr. The most central character is Snorri Þorgrímsson or Snorri goði. Snorri was the nephew of the hero of Gísla saga, and also figures prominently in Njáls saga and Laxdœla saga. However, the main interest of the saga is to trace a few key families as they settled Iceland, rather than to focus on a single hero.
The saga was likely written in the mid-13th century. The narrative begins at the time of Iceland's settlement, but most of the events, such as the adventures of Styrbjörn the Strong, take place towards the end of the 10th century and the early 11th century. There is internal evidence that the author of the saga knew of Laxdœla saga and Egils saga.
Eyrbyggja saga is usually not regarded as artistically equal to Egils saga, Njál's saga and Laxdæla saga. Nevertheless, it is valued for many reasons, including its historical and folkloric elements. The saga is characterized by a distinct interest in old lore, rituals, pagan practices and superstitions. The saga describes a number of supernatural events, such as the hauntings at Fróðá. The hauntings occur after the death of a völva, and they mainly consist of visions of animals rising up through the floor and dead men coming into the house to warm themselves by the fire.
The saga includes several references to the colonization of Greenland and one to Vinland. It also mentions a journey by Guðleifr Guðlaugsson and his crew to Great Ireland, which was said to exist beyond Vinland and whose inhabitants, who spoke Irish, had previously fled from the advancing Norse. These Irishmen wanted to kill or enslave the Norsemen, but they were saved by the intervention of an Icelander who lived among them. They took this man to be Björn Ásbrandsson, who had been exiled from Iceland some thirty years earlier.
Eyrbyggja saga has survived in a number of manuscripts from the 14th century and in a fragment from the late 13th century.
This article contains content from the Owl Edition of Nordisk familjebok, a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904 and 1926, now in the public domain.