Anonymous, Hákonar saga

Sverrir Jakobsson (University of Iceland)

Ed. by Ármann Jakobsson, University of Iceland
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.3.4: Icelandic Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Ármann Jakobsson (University of Iceland), Sven Hakon Rossel (Universitat Wien), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen (University College London)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 1300

Places

Iceland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Prose Fiction Narrative

Resources

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Hákonar saga

is the biography of Hákon Hákonarson (1204-1263) who was king of Norway from 1217 to his death. It was composed at the behest of King Magnús Hákonarson (1238-1280), the son of King Hákon and co-ruler of Norway from 1261. The author of

Hákonar saga

is the noted Icelandic historian Sturla Þórðarson (1214-1284) and, according to the testimony of

Sturlu þáttr

, a short biography of Sturla composed in the early fourteenth century preserved in the

Sturlunga

compilation, the saga was composed in 1264-1265. Sturla went on to revise the Icelandic laws, resulting in a new law code called

Járnsíða

[Ironside], accepted in 1271-1273, following which Sturla became lawman [lögmaðr] over Iceland. Sturla also composed several other historical narratives such as an annal…

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1435 words

Citation: Jakobsson, Sverrir. "Hákonar saga". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 November 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40966, accessed 13 December 2024.]

Anonymous, Hákonar saga

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