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Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
The life of Snorri Sturluson was as eventful as the lives of the Norse heroes about whom he wrote. The son of a chieftain in the western fjords, he was brought up by the powerful chief Jon Lofstsson, who awakened in him an interest in poetry and history. Two successful marriages gave prestige and wealth. Ambitious and a shrewd politician, he twice became president of the Legislative Assembly and as such was the supreme magistrate in Iceland. At times he could be passionate, mean, and untrustworthy if judged by modern standards rather than Viking standards. He was not so bloodthirsty and cruel as his opponents, and his political victories were not marked by maimings and killings. Snorri traveled twice to Norway: once to avert a Norwegian military expedition to Iceland, and a second time to escape capture and perhaps death at the hands of his brother Sighvatr and his nephew Sturla. With the defeat of his enemies, he returned to Iceland hoping to regain political power but was killed at his estate at Reykholt by his sonin-law Gissur Thorvaldson, who was acting as the agent of the Norwegian king Haakon IV (the Old). He died on Sept. 22, 1241, an Icelandic patriot. By 1262 Iceland had become a tributary to the Norwegian crown. His writings rather than Viking deeds and intrigue make Snorri one of the most important figures in Scandinavian history. More than any other person, he preserved the knowledge of the skalds and their poetry. He used them extensively in his histories, and the second part of his Prose Edda is a catalog of kennings, whose use in poetry is illustrated by examples. The Heimskringla (Sagas of the Norwegian Kings) shows him as both poet and historian. A highly creative literary genius, he brings the work to a climax in the Saga of St. Olaf. In addition he was probably the author of Egil's Saga, which is the story of a renowned 10th-century Icelandic Viking poet who fought as a mercenary in Norway. Snorri was a key figure culminating the Icelandic renaissance. The Heimskringla, a work of unique literary achievement, is the single most important source for events that transpired in Norway from the 6th to the late 12th century. Further ReadingMost of the editions of the writings of Snorri contain extensive introductions dealing with his life. The Prose Edda, translated by Jean I. Young (1966), and the Heimskringla, translated by Samuel Laing (rev. ed., 3 vols., 1906), are excellent. Peter Hallberg, The Icelandic Sagas (trans. 1962), adds much information on Snorri's life and times. □ |
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"Snorri Sturluson." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Snorri Sturluson." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404706031.html "Snorri Sturluson." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404706031.html |
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Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson , 1178–1241, Icelandic chieftain, historian, critic, and saga teller, the leading figure in medieval Norse literature. He was the author of the invaluable Prose Edda (see Edda ), a treatise on the art of poetry and a compendium of Norse mythology. His great saga the Heimskringla recounts the history of Norway to 1177; it combines traditional legend with substantial historical information and is of great literary merit. Snorri's sense of drama was outstanding, his mastery of form and method superb. Of an aristocratic family, Snorri acquired great wealth and became one of the most influential men in Iceland. Active in the politics of his day, he agreed to support the plan of Haakon IV for the annexation of Iceland to Norway, and thereafter he became increasingly entangled in intrigues and hostilities. In the struggle for control of Iceland he was killed by henchmen of his son-in-law, for political reasons as well as for reasons of inheritance.
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"Snorri Sturluson." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Snorri Sturluson." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-SnorriSt.html "Snorri Sturluson." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-SnorriSt.html |
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Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson (1178–1241), an Icelandic historian and literary antiquary, the author of Heimskringla, and the Prose Edda. Snorri is the most important figure in Old Icelandic literature; our knowledge of Norse myth and understanding of Old Norse poetry is due largely to him.
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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Snorri Sturluson." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Snorri Sturluson." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-SnorriSturluson.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Snorri Sturluson." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-SnorriSturluson.html |
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Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson (1178–1241), Icelandic historian and poet. A leading figure of medieval Icelandic literature, he wrote the Younger Edda or Prose Edda and the Heimskringla, a history of the kings of Norway from mythical times to the year 1177.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Snorri Sturluson." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Snorri Sturluson." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-SnorriSturluson.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Snorri Sturluson." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-SnorriSturluson.html |
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Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson (1179–1241) Icelandic poet and historian. Prose Edda is a collection of Norse mythology and a discussion of the art of poetry. Heimskringla, saga of the Norwegian kings to 1184, mingles Norse literature, history and legend.
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Cite this article
"Snorri Sturluson." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Snorri Sturluson." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-SnorriSturluson.html "Snorri Sturluson." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-SnorriSturluson.html |
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Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson see Snorri Sturluson . |
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Cite this article
"Snorri Sturluson." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Snorri Sturluson." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Sturluso.html "Snorri Sturluson." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-Sturluso.html |
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