Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
minutes or so, because the original farmhouse is long gone and there's precious little to
see here today other than a small white church, the
borg
(or large rock), after which
Skallagrímur's original farm was named, and a sculpture by Ásmundur Sveinsson
entitled
Sonatorrek
, after Egill Skallagrímsson's moving poem (see box, p.151). Like so
many of Iceland's historical sites, archeological remains are thin on the ground, so
you'll have to arm yourself with the facts and let your imagination do the rest.
Reykholt
An hour's drive from Borgarnes, about 40km east off the Ringroad down Route 50 and
then Route 518, the tiny hamlet of
REYKHOLT
is the cultural highlight of any trip up
the west coast. Not only does it sit amongst the wide open spaces of the fertile
Reykholtsdalur valley, enjoying stunning views of dusky mountains and the sleepy
Reykjadalsá river, but it also contains tangible memorials to
Snorri Sturluson
. he
excellent museum here is by far and away the best place to get to grips with Iceland's
rich and, at times, downright confusing history of saga events, characters and writing.
3
Heimskringla museum
Snorrastofa • May-Aug daily 10am-6pm; Sept-April Mon-Fri 10am-5pm • 1000kr •
W
snorrastofa.is
The critically acclaimed
Heimskringla museum
, located below the village church, will leave
you in no doubt as to Reykholt's importance in Icelandic minds, packed as it is with
exhibits relating to Snorri Sturluson and his writings, along with accounts of Reykholt's
role as a centre of learning over the centuries. The large
prints
of the sagas hung on the
walls will give you an idea of what the documents actually looked like, if you failed to see
the originals in the Culture House in Reykjavík. The museum's curators are known
throughout Iceland for their outspoken views on all things Snorri, and have even done
battle with the Icelandic government over the taxation of the Snorri estate, quoting a
medieval document penned by the great man himself in their defence. Indeed, following
meticulous research, staff claim that the handwriting contained on one of the museum
SNORRI STURLUSON
Born at the farm of Hvammur (see p.161) near Búðardalur in 1179,
Snorri Sturluson
was
descended from some of the greatest figures in early Icelandic history; on his father's side were
influential chieftains, on his mother's, among others, the warrior poet Egill Skallagrímsson. At
the age of 2 he was fostered and taken to one of Iceland's leading cultural centres, Oddi (see
p.122), where, over the years, he became acquainted not only with historical writing but also
the court of Norway - a relationship that would eventually lead to his death. In 1206, following
his marriage to a wealthy heiress, he moved to Reykholt and consolidated his grip on power
by becoming a chieftain, legislator and respected historian and writer; he also developed a
distinct taste for promiscuity, fathering three children to women other than his long-suffering
first wife, Herdís.
Snorri Sturluson is the most celebrated figure in Icelandic literature, producing first his
Edda
(an account of Norse mythology) then
Egill's Saga
and
Heimskringla
(a history of the Norwegian
kings up to 1177), which from its geographical detail shows that Snorri spent several years
living in Norway. During this period he developed a close bond of allegiance to the Norwegian
earl who reigned alongside the teenage king, Hákon. However, following a civil war in Norway,
which resulted in the earl's death, the Norwegian king declared Snorri a traitor and ordered
one of his followers, Gissur Þorvaldsson, to bring the writer back to Norway - dead or alive. On
the dark night of September 23, 1241, seventy armed men led by Gissur burst into Snorri's
farmhouse in Reykholt sending him fleeing from his bed unarmed and defenceless, down into
the cellar. Five of the thugs pursued Snorri, and there they hacked Iceland's most distinguished
man of letters to death.
