Age of the Sturlungs

A period of civil conflict in Iceland, roughly 1220–1264, when rival chieftains fought for power and Iceland came under Norwegian rule.

Goðar: Local chieftains who held political authority and represented followers at Iceland’s assemblies. Their overlapping authority made alliances and rivalries central to the era’s conflicts.
Snorri Sturluson: An Icelandic chieftain, poet, and historian who lived from 1179 to 1241. His political maneuvering and shifting alliances exemplify the era’s unstable chieftain politics.
Battle of Örlygsstaðir: A 1238 battle in northern Iceland in which Kolbeinn ungi defeated Sturla Sighvatsson. The largest battle of the era ended Sturla’s bid for dominance and weakened the Sturlungar.
Icelandic Free State: The decentralized Icelandic polity that governed the island from 930 until submission to Norway in 1262–1264. Its end under the Norwegian king marks the era’s defining political consequence.
Commonwealth of Iceland: The Icelandic political order that operated without a king from the establishment of the Alþingi in 930 until 1262–1264. Its lack of a central ruler left no institution able to contain chieftain warfare.
Sturla Sighvatsson: An Icelandic chieftain and grandson of Sturla Þórðarson, killed at the Battle of Örlygsstaðir in 1238. His defeat at Örlygsstaðir marked a major reversal for the Sturlungar.
Battle of Haugsnes: A 1246 battle in northern Iceland in which Brandur Kolbeinsson defeated Þórður kakali. Its heavy losses weakened the leading factions without ending their conflict.
Iceland under Norwegian rule: The period when Iceland was governed under the Norwegian crown, beginning with Icelandic submissions in 1262–1264. The new royal order replaced the independent chieftain system after decades of conflict.
Alþingi: Iceland’s national assembly, founded in 930, where laws were declared and disputes could be brought before courts. Its legal forums offered a peaceful alternative, but could not reliably enforce judgments.
Gissur Þorvaldsson: An Icelandic chieftain who supported Norwegian royal authority and became Iceland’s first earl under Norway. His submission to the Norwegian king helped secure Iceland’s transition from conflict to royal rule.

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