Ari Þorgilsson (1067–1148 AD;
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...
: ;
Modern Icelandic: ; also anglicized Ari Thorgilsson) was
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
's most prominent medieval chronicler. He was the author of ''
Íslendingabók
''Íslendingabók'' (, Old Norse pronunciation: , ''Book of Icelanders''; ) is a historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. The author was an Icelandic priest, Ari Þorgilsson, working in the early 12th century. The work originally ex ...
'', which details the histories of the various families who settled Iceland. He is typically referred to as Ari the Wise (''Ari hinn fróði''), and according to
Snorri Sturluson was the first to write history in
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...
.
Ari was a part of the
Haukdælir family clan and studied in the school in
Haukadalur
Haukadalur ( Icelandic: , from non, Haukadalr , "hawk dale" or "valley of hawks") is a valley in Iceland. It lies to the north of Laugarvatn lake in the south of Iceland.
Geysers
Haukadalur is home to some of the best known sights in Iceland: t ...
as a student of
Teitur Ísleifsson (the son of
Ísleifur Gissurarson, first bishop of Iceland). There he became acquainted with
Classical education Classical education may refer to:
*''Modern'', educational practices and educational movements:
**An education in the Classics, especially in Ancient Greek and Latin
**Classical education movement, based on the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric) an ...
. His writings clearly indicate that he was familiar with
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
chronicler traditions, but at the same time he is widely regarded as excelling in the Icelandic oral storytelling tradition.
It is believed that Ari later became a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
priest in Staður by Ölduhryggur, now known as
Staðastaður, but otherwise little is known about his life, despite the fact that he is one of the very few medieval writers who wrote down his family history.
[Mark F. Williams -The Making of Christian Communities: In Late Antiquity and Middle Ages - 2005 Page 95 "Several sources contain information about the process of Christianity in Iceland, the oldest being the Book of the Icelanders (Íslendingabók) by Ari þorgilsson, from 1125-30."]
''Íslendingabók'' is the only work that is absolutely proven to have been written by him, but he is accredited with numerous articles of knowledge and is believed to have had a major part in the writing of ''
Landnámabók
(, "Book of Settlements"), often shortened to , is a medieval Icelandic written work which describes in considerable detail the settlement () of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries CE.
is divided into five parts and over ...
'', which chronicles the settlement of Iceland.
Ari was early on regarded as an important author. In Iceland's
First Grammatical Treatise
The First Grammatical Treatise ( is, Fyrsta málfræðiritgerðin ) is a 12th-century work on the phonology of the Old Norse or Old Icelandic language. It was given this name because it is the first of four grammatical works bound in the Icelandic ...
, written around 1160 AD, he is referred to with respect as an exceptional man, since the tradition of writing was not firmly established at the time.
See also
*
List of Icelandic writers
Iceland has a rich literary history, which has carried on into the modern period.
Some of the best known examples of Icelandic literature are the Sagas of Icelanders. These are prose narratives based on historical events that took place in Icel ...
*
Culture of Iceland
The culture of Iceland is rich and varied as well as being known for its literary heritage which began in the 12th century. Icelandic traditional arts include weaving, silversmithing, and wood carving. The Reykjavík area has several professional t ...
References
*
1067 births
1148 deaths
Icelandic historians
12th-century historians
11th-century Icelandic people
12th-century Icelandic people
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