''Íslendinga saga'' ''(

Saga is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...

of Icelanders)'' makes up a large part of '' Sturlunga saga'', a compilation of secular contemporary sagas written in thirteenth-century Iceland. The ''terminus ante quem'' of the compilation is disputed (between the options 1308 or 1353). ''Íslendinga saga'' has been a major source of material for historians concerning events in early 13th century

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 ...

. The author is commonly believed to have been Icelandic chieftain,

Sturla Þórðarson Sturla Þórðarson ( ; ; 29 July 1214–30 July 1284) was an Icelandic chieftain and writer of sagas and contemporary history during the 13th century. Biography The life of Sturla Þórðarson was chronicled in the Sturlunga saga. Sturla was th ...

. The style of ''Íslendinga saga'' has been called admirable, due to its frankness, openness and impartiality — historians largely seem to agree that it gives a fairly accurate picture of Iceland in the 13th century, if only because the author or authors would have been dealing with contemporary events. If the author was Sturla Þórðarson (which is generally agreed), he spoke of himself, like

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

, in the third person. He can be understood as a particularly well informed source, since he was related to or befriended with most of the participants in the politics of the era. Other sources confirm that by calling him a model of moderation.''Islendinga Saga: A History of the Old Icelandic Commonwealth'' (Jón Jóhannesson, author; Haraldur Bessason, translator. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. 1974)
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References

Other sources

* Vigfússon, Guðbrandur; Sturla Þórðarson (2010) ''Sturlunga Saga: Including the Islendinga Saga of Lawman Sturla Thordsson and Other Works, Volume 1'' (Nabu Press) *Þórðarson, Sturla (2008) ''Sturlunga Saga: Including the Islendinga Saga of Lawman Sturla Thordsson and Other Works, Volume II'' (BiblioBazaar) * Torearson, Sturla (2008) ''Sturlunga Saga: Including the Islendinga Saga of Lawman Sturla Thordsson and Other Works, Volume II'' (BiblioLife)

References

Other sources

See also