Age of the Sturlungs

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The Age of the Sturlungs or the Sturlung Era (

The Goði-chieftains protected the farmers in their territory and exacted compensation or vengeance if their followers' rights were violated. In exchange, the farmers pledged their support to the Goði, both by voting in his favor in the Alþingi parliament and (if needed) by taking up arms against his enemies. The powers of the Goði-chieftains, however, were neither permanent nor inherited. This status came about by a combination of respect, honour, influence and wealth. The chieftains had to demonstrate their qualities as leaders, either by giving gifts to their followers or by holding great feasts. If the chieftain was seen as failing in any respect, his followers could simply choose another, more qualified Goði to support.

The greatest chieftains of the 12th and 13th century started amassing great wealth and subsuming lesser dominions. Power in the country had consolidated within the grasp of a few family clans. They were:

• The
  Haukdælir
  , of Árnesþing
• The
  Oddaverjar, of Rangárvellir [is
  ]
• The
  Ásbirningar, of Skagafjörður
• The
  Vatnsfirðingar of Ísafjörður
• The
  Svínfellingar of the Eastern Region
• The
  Sturlungar
  , of Hvammur in Dalir

In 1236,

In 1252, the king sent Gissur to Iceland. The followers of Þórður kakali were displeased and tried to kill him by burning his residence in Skagafjörður. Despite his influence and power, Gissur was unable to find the leader of the arsonists and was forced to return to Norway in 1254 to bear the censure of the king, who was displeased with his failure in bringing Iceland under the Norwegian throne.

Minor conflicts continued throughout Iceland. Meanwhile, Gissur was given the title of

• Icelandic Commonwealth
• History of Iceland

References

• Björn Þorsteinsson: Íslensk miðaldasaga, 2. útg., Sögufélagið, Rvk. 1980.
• Byock, Jesse L.: Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power, University of California Press, USA 1990.
• Gunnar Karlsson: “Frá þjóðveldi til konungsríkis", Saga Íslands II, ed. Sigurður Líndal, Hið íslenzka bókmenntafélag, Sögufélagið, Reykjavík 1975.
• ”Goðar og bændur”, s. 5–57, Saga X, Sögufélagið, Reykjavík 1972.
• Sverrir Jakobsson: Auðnaróðal. Baráttan um Ísland 1096-1281, Reykjavík: Sögufélag, 1980.
• Vísindavefurinn: Hvað var Sturlungaöld? Archived 2012-02-07 at the Wayback Machine