Age of the Sturlungs in the context of "Sturlunga saga"

Iceland is a Nordic island country between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Europe and North America. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the region's westernmost and most sparsely populated country. Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 36% of the country's roughly 390,000 residents (excluding nearby towns/suburbs, which are separate municipalities). The official language of the country is Icelandic. Iceland is on a rift between tectonic plates, and its geologic activity includes geysers and frequent volcanic eruptions. The interior consists of a volcanic plateau with sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, and many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate, despite being at a latitude just south of the Arctic Circle. Its latitude and marine influence keep summers chilly, and most of its islands have a polar climate.

According to the Landnámabók, an ancient manuscript, the settlement of Iceland began in 874 AD, when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfr Arnarson became the island's first permanent settler. In following centuries, Norwegians and to a lesser extent other Scandinavians, immigrated to Iceland, bringing with them thralls (i.e., slaves or serfs) of Gaelic origin. The island was governed as an independent commonwealth under the native parliament, the Althing, one of the world's oldest functioning legislative assemblies. After a period of civil strife, Iceland acceded to Norwegian rule in the 13th century. In 1397, Iceland followed Norway's integration into the Kalmar Union along with the kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden, coming under de facto Danish rule upon its dissolution in 1523. The Danish kingdom introduced Lutheranism by force in 1550, and the Treaty of Kiel formally ceded Iceland to Denmark in 1814.

The Sturlungs (Icelandic: Sturlungar [ˈstʏ(r)tluŋkar̥]) were a powerful family clan in 13th century Iceland, in the time of the Icelandic Commonwealth. Their story is partly told in Sturlunga saga, and members of the clan were significant participants in the civil war of the Age of the Sturlungs. The Sturlungs were a wealthy and influential clan. They controlled western Iceland, the Westfjords and north eastern Iceland.

The patriarch of the Sturlungs was Sturla Þórðarson, whom scholars believe was born around 1115. He inherited his goðorð (domain, realm or area of influence) from his father Þórður Gilsson. Sturla quarrelled extensively with Einar Þorgilsson of Staðarhóll and many other chieftains. Jón Loftsson, a well-respected man, mediated in one of these disputes. Following this, he was entrusted with the upbringing of Sturla's son Snorri Sturluson, who later became the most influential of the Sturlungs and the most famous because of his literary endeavours. Snorri had two brothers, Þórður Sturluson and Sighvatur Sturluson.

The recorded history of Iceland began with the settlement by Viking explorers, mostly Norwegian, and the people they enslaved from Western Europe, particularly the British Isles, in the late ninth century. Iceland was still uninhabited long after the rest of Western Europe had been settled. Recorded settlement has conventionally been dated back to 874, although place names and storytellings indicate Gaelic monks from Ireland, known as papar from sagas, may have settled Iceland earlier.

The land was settled quickly, mainly by Norwegians who may have been fleeing conflict (the unification of Norway) or seeking new land to farm. By 930, the chieftains had established a form of governance, the Althing, making it one of the world's oldest parliaments. Towards the end of the tenth century, Christianity came to Iceland through the influence of the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason. During this time, Iceland remained independent, a period known as the Old Commonwealth, and Icelandic historians began to document the nation's history in books referred to as sagas of Icelanders. In the early thirteenth century, the internal conflict known as the age of the Sturlungs weakened Iceland, which eventually became subjugated to Norway over the 13th century. The Old Covenant (1262–1264), and the adoption of Jónsbók (1281) effectively ended the Icelandic Commonwealth. Norway, in turn, was united with Sweden (1319) and then Denmark (1376). Eventually all of the Nordic states were united in one alliance, the Kalmar Union (1397–1523), but on its dissolution, Iceland fell under Danish rule. The subsequent strict Danish–Icelandic Trade Monopoly in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was detrimental to the economy. Iceland's resultant poverty was aggravated by severe natural disasters like the Móðuharðindin or "Mist Hardships". During this time, the population declined.

The Haukdælir (Old Norse: [ˈhɔukˌdɛːlez̠]; Modern Icelandic: [ˈhœykˌtaiːlɪr̥]) were one of the family clans who controlled medieval Iceland during the period of the Icelandic Commonwealth. Their name is derived from Haukadalur (literally, Valley of the Hawks). The Haukdælir traced their lineage to Ketilbjörn Ketilsson, who settled on land in Grímsnes and received a Goðorð in Árnesþing. Their influence was prominent during the 10th to 13th centuries, first as progressives concerning Christianity, and later as chieftains and participants in the Age of the Sturlungs civil war. In the 13th century, Gissur Þorvaldsson, leader of the Haukdælir, was made Jarl of Iceland by the King of Norway.

Gissur Þorvaldsson ([ˈcɪsːˌʏːr ˈθɔrˌval(t)sˌsɔːn]; Old Norse: Gizurr Þorvaldsson [ˈɡit͡sˌurː ˈθorˌwɑldsˌson]; 1208 – 12 January 1268) was a medieval Icelandic chieftain or goði of the Haukdælir family clan, and great-grandson of Jón Loftsson.

Gissur played a major role in the period of civil war which is now known as Age of the Sturlungs: he fought alongside Kolbeinn the Young against the forces of Sturla Sighvatsson of the Sturlungar clan in the Battle of Örlygsstaðir in 1238 and led the force of men who murdered saga-writer Snorri Sturluson in 1241, by the order of Haakon IV, King of Norway, who demanded Snorri's murder considering him a traitor after fleeing to Iceland following his support for Jarl Skúli's failed coup and his relatives deaths in the Battle of Örlygsstaðir. In 1253, Gissur's son was wedded to Sturla Þórðarson's daughter Ingibjörg, as a part of an attempt at ending the conflict between the Haukdælir and Sturlungar. Shortly after the wedding, Eyjólfr ofsi, another member of the extended Sturlungar, attacked Gissur's household at Flugumýri, in what is termed the Flugumýrarbrenna (Flugumýri Arson), a devastating attack that destroyed his paternal family line (Gissur survived the attack by hiding in a barrel of skyr.) The event was clearly traumatic for Gissur, and caused him to campaign against the burners, and compose poetry. In 1258, he was made Earl of Iceland (Icelandic: jarl) for his loyal service to the king. He held this title until his death.