Halldóra Tumadóttir (

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

: ;

Modern Icelandic Icelandic ( ; , ) is a North Germanic language from the Indo-European language family spoken by about 314,000 people, the vast majority of whom live in Iceland, where it is the national language. Since it is a West Scandinavian language, it ...

: ; 1180–1247) was a politically active Icelandic woman, wife of

Sighvatr Sturluson Sighvatr Sturluson (Old Norse: ; given name also ''Sigvatr'' ; Modern Icelandic: ''Sighvatur Sturluson'' ; c. 1170 – 1238) was a skaldic poet, ''goði'' and member of the Icelandic Sturlungar clan. His parents were Sturla Þórðarson of H ...

and sister of

Kolbeinn Tumason Kolbeinn Tumason (Old Norse: ; Modern Icelandic: ; 1173–1208) was a member of the Ásbirningar family clan, and was one of the most powerful chieftains in Iceland around the turn of the 13th century. His power was probably at its height around 12 ...

; she became the mother of

Sturla Sighvatsson Sturla Sighvatsson (Old Norse: ; Modern Icelandic: ; 1199 – 21 August 1238) was an Icelandic chieftain or '' goði'' of the Sturlungar family clan who played an active role in the armed conflicts in Iceland during the Age of the Sturlungs ...

. She is portrayed as a minor figure, but an important one, in the political wars and feuds on Iceland during the

Age of the Sturlungs The Age of the Sturlungs or the Sturlung Era ( ) 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 chieftains, '' goðar'' ...

. Her marriage in 1215 was a political match which brought peace between her two families. Tumadóttir's husband and four of her sons were killed in 1238 in the

Battle of Örlygsstaðir The Battle of Örlygsstaðir was a historic battle fought by members of the Sturlungar family against the Ásbirningar and the Haukdælir clans in northern Iceland. The battle was part of the civil war that was taking place in Iceland at the t ...

. She and her surviving young son, Tumi, were compelled to move from the family's home, Grund, in

Eyjafjörður Eyjafjörður (, ''Island Fjord'') is one of the longest fjords in Iceland. It is located in the central north of the country. Situated by the fjord is the country's fourth most populous municipality, Akureyri. Physical geography The fjord is ...

to one where Kolbeinn ungi Arnórsson, Tumadóttir's nephew and her husband's killer, could monitor them. Halldóra's daughter, Steinvör Sighvatsdóttir (c. 1205-1271) married Hálfdan, son of Sæmundr Jónsson, and was an active participant in politics during the Icelandic Commonwealth period. She was the legally designed heir of her brother,

Þórður kakali Sighvatsson Þórður is an Icelandic given name. Notable people with the name include: * Þórður Friðjónsson (Thordur Fridjonsson), (1952–2011), Vice President of Iceland Stock Exchange and President of NASDAQ OMX Iceland * Þórður Guðjónsson, (Th ...

, who had no legitimate children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holldora Tumadottir 13th-century Icelandic people 1247 deaths 1180 births Sturlungar family clan 12th-century Icelandic people 12th-century Icelandic women 13th-century Icelandic women