The Age of the Sturlungs: Icelandic Civilisation in the Thirteenth Century

Translated by Jóhann S. Hannesson. Original title: "Sturlungaöld". This book deals with the last two generations of the old Icelandic Commonwealth together with the periods of change immediately preceding and following: the end of the twelfth century, when much of what is most characteristic of the life of this age comes into being, and the end of the thirteenth century, which saw the collapse of the old civilization. Here and there I have had to reach farther back or farther ahead when the development of some strand in the civilization of the age could not be otherwise made clear. No attempt is made here to trace the history of external events, of which there are innumerable accounts, although it is nowhere better told than in "Sturlunga Saga" itself. The wealth of material, moreover, is such that a detailed account of all that happened would require no small space. Many events are therefore but briefly touched upon, on the assumption that the reader is already familiar with them, or else can easily find the information he lacks. The present work is concerned with the inner life of the Icelanders of this time, the temper of their minds, their outlook and habits of thought, and the manner in which these take visible shape in the various spheres of the cultural life. Single details in the life and events of the times, in religion and law, learning and literature, are like runic symbols which reveal the spirit of the age if one knows how to read them rightly. An attempt is made here to interpret these runes in a manner that will lead to a coherent understanding, a single, unified view of the whole culture