The Oddaverjar (

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: ) were a powerful family clan in the medieval

Icelandic Commonwealth The Icelandic Commonwealth, also known as the Icelandic Free State, was the political unit existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in 930 and the pledge of fealty to the Norwegian king with the Old Covenant in 1262. With ...

. They were based in

Oddi Oddi ( Icelandic: ) is a small village and church at Rangárvellir in Rangárvallasýsla, Iceland. Oddi at Rangárvellir was a cultural and learning center in South Iceland during the Middle Ages. There has been a church at Oddi since the introdu ...

at in South Iceland. Their ascendancy was during the second half of the 12th century, but their power subsequently waned. They play only a minor role in the Icelandic civil war during the

Age of the Sturlungs The Age of the Sturlungs or the Sturlung Era ( is, Sturlungaöld ) was a 42–44 year period of violent internal strife in mid-13th century Iceland. It is documented in the Sturlunga saga. This period is marked by the conflicts of local chieftai ...

. Only after the signing of the '' Gamli sáttmáli'' ("Old Covenant") did they oppose the influence of

Gissur Þorvaldsson Gissur Thorvaldsson (1208 – 12 January 1268; Modern Icelandic: ; Old Norse: ) was a medieval Icelandic chieftain or ''goði'' of the Haukdælir family clan, and great-grandson of Jón Loftsson. Gissur played a major role in the period ...

, Earl of Iceland. The Oddverjar traced their roots to the first Icelandic settlers. The first known Oddaverji was '' Sæmundur Sigfússon fróði'' ("Sæmundur The Knowledgeable"), an early 12th century scholar.

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