Explore Iceland with the Icelandic sagas

28.12.2023 - 10:27 / lonelyplanet.com

“Eigi skal höggva!” (Do not strike!) were the last words of Snorri Sturluson, saga author and chieftain of the Sturlungar clan. 

In 1241, during the height of the Age of the Sturlungs – the bloodiest period of Icelandic history – the ruling clans fought for power. Snorri was assassinated in his home Reykholt in Borgarfjörður by the men of Gissur Þorvaldsson of the Haukdælir clan. Three years earlier Gissur had defeated the Sturlungar in the fateful battle Örlygsstaðabardagi. 

Þórður kakali, of the Sturlungar clan, sought vengeance resulting in Flóabardagi – Iceland’s only sea battle in 1244 – and later in 1246, Haugsnesbardagi (Battle of Haugsnes), when almost 100 men were killed. 

In 1253, Gissur’s enemies set fire to his farm Flugumýri but he managed to escape. Ten years later, Iceland lost its independence to Norway which marked the end of the Age of the Sturlungs – and the Icelandic Commonwealth. 

Wherever you’re headed on your travels in Iceland, pay attention to place names. You might recognize some from the sagas because this history is all around you. In Skagafjörður you’ll find Örlygsstaðir, where the largest battle in Iceland’s history took place in 1238. And in Sauðárkrókur nearby, you can participate in the battle through augmented reality.

Read on to learn about other Saga Age experiences in Iceland.

These bloody events are documented in Sturlunga saga. Most of them played out in Skagafjörður in North Iceland. 

In Sauðárkrókur, the region’s capital, the Icelandic civil war is re-enacted at 1238 – The Battle of Iceland. Here, you can learn more about 13th century Iceland and participate in Örlygsstaðabardagi – the largest battle in Iceland’s history – through augmented reality... see if you can change the outcome.

Closer to Varmahlíð in Skagafjörður, Kakalaskáli, has an exhibition dedicated to the Age of the Sturlungs. It focuses on the story of chieftain Þórður kakali of the Sturlungar clan. Outside, the bloody Battle of Haugsnes is commemorated through a large-scale outdoor installation.

In West Iceland, visit Snorrastofa in Reykholt for an exhibition about the life and work of Snorri Sturluson. You can also see the original pool where Snorri used to soak and relax after a busy day.

In 1241, Snorri may have been silenced but his words will live forever. He chronicled the stories of the Norse kings in Heimskringla and helped preserve Norse mythology and poetry in Snorra-Edda. He was likely the author of Egils saga which largely occurred in West Iceland.

West Iceland is the cradle of the country’s literary tradition. It is where most of the manuscripts were written and many of the sagas were set. Sturlunga saga is a contemporary story but the other sagas feature much earlier events. So, as we dive