Sturla Þórðarson

Born on July 29, 1214, and dying on July 30, 1284, he was an Icelandic chieftain, poet, and historian closely tied to the famous Sturlung family. Sources describe him as a nephew of Snorri Sturluson and a major writer of sagas and contemporary history in 13th-century Iceland.

He is best known for Íslendinga saga, the most important part of Sturlunga saga, a vivid account of the violent political feuds that marked the last years of the Icelandic Commonwealth. He also wrote Hákonar saga about King Haakon IV of Norway, and Magnús saga about Magnus VI, though only fragments of that work survive.

His writing stands out because it sits so close to the events it describes. Part statesman and part storyteller, he remains one of the key medieval voices for anyone wanting to understand Iceland’s turbulent 1200s and its changing relationship with Norway.