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.
25-456: 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
50-682: A goði , although he was free to choose which one—a goðorð was not a geographical unit. The goði would help his þingmenn to bring cases before the court and to enforce their rights, and the þingmenn would in return provide the goði with armed manpower for his feuds and carry out legal sentences. By the 13th century, all the goðorð were controlled by five or six families and often united under office holders who in modern studies are known as storgoðar ("great goðar ") or storhöfðingjar ("great chieftains"). These goðar struggled for regional and sometimes national power, and occasionally sought to become retainers for
75-608: A pagan leader responsible for a religious structure and communal feasts, but the title is primarily known as a secular political title from medieval Iceland . The word derives from goð , meaning "god". It possibly appears in Ulfilas ' Gothic language translation of the Bible as gudja for "priest", although the corresponding form of this in Icelandic would have been an unattested * gyði . In Scandinavia , there
100-485: A word related to the Old Norse gandr . The inscription's Ek gudija ungandiz means "I, gudija " followed by "he who is immune to sorcery" or "he who does not engage in sorcery". The three Danish stones are all from Funen . The early Viking Age Helnæs and Flemløse 1 stones provide no details about the function of a guþi , but mention a guþi named Roulv whose name also appears on two other runestones,
125-441: Is "-i": ei mar, mar'i, ei post, posti, ei vogn, vogni, ei ovn, ovni, ei kat, katti (a man, the man, a post, the post, a wagon, the wagon, an oven, the oven, a cat, the cat). These articles and endings are usually unstressed . In 2018, on the hill Munkebo Bakke , located in north eastern Funen, have archaeologists found an exceedingly large Viking hall that dates back more than 1,000 years, to around 825 – 1,000 CE. According to
150-490: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This European history –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Go%C3%B0or%C3%B0 Gothi or goði (plural goðar , fem. gyðja ; Old Norse : guþi ) was a position of political and social prominence in the Icelandic Commonwealth . The term originally had a religious significance, referring to
175-402: Is often used as a priestly title by modern adherents of various denominations of Germanic neopaganism . Funen Funen ( Danish : Fyn , pronounced [ˈfyˀn] ), is the third-largest island of Denmark , after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy , with an area of 3,099.7 square kilometres (1,196.8 sq mi). It is the 165th -largest island in the world. It is located in
200-638: Is one surviving attestation in the Proto-Norse form gudija from the Norwegian Nordhuglo runestone ( Rundata N KJ65 U), and in the later Old Norse form guþi from three Danish runestones: DR 190 Helnæs, DR 192 Flemløse 1 and DR 209 Glavendrup . There are a few placenames, such as Gudby in Södermanland , Sweden, that probably retain the name. Otherwise, there are no further surviving attestations except from Iceland where
225-518: Is referred to as Insular Danish , where the dialects have retained three grammatical genders : masculine, feminine and neuter. This is in contrast to Zealand, where, like in Swedish, a reduction to two genders has taken place, and large parts of Jutland, where, like in English, no such distinction is made. For instance in masculine, the indefinite article is "ei" and the ending in the definite form
250-526: The goðar would be of historical significance. Ragnhildr placed this stone in memory of Alli the Pale, guþi of the sanctuary , honourable þegn of the retinue. Inscription from the Glavendrup stone From the pagan era in mainland Scandinavia, the only sources for the title are runestones. The Norwegian Nordhuglo stone from around AD 400 seems to place the title in opposition to magic, using
275-514: The goðorð of the descendants of Ingólfr Arnarson , the first Scandinavian to settle permanently in Iceland, had the ceremonial role of sanctifying the Althing each year, and was called the allsherjargoði ("all-people goði "). The followers of a goði were called þingmenn . Every free landowner in possession of a certain amount of property was required to be associated with
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#1732765725440300-529: The Althing around 930. In 964, the system was fixed under a constitution that recognized 39 goðorð . The role of the goðar as secular leaders is shown in how the word was used synonymously with höfðingi , meaning chieftain . Over time, and especially after 1000, when the Christian conversion occurred in Iceland , the term lost all religious connotations and came to mean liege-lord or chieftain of
325-664: The Norwegian king . The institution came to an end when the major goðar pledged fealty to king Haakon IV of Norway in 1262–1264, signing the Old Covenant , and the Norwegian crown abolished the goðorð system. In the early 1970s, the words goði , goðorð and allsherjargoði were adopted by the Icelandic neopagan organization Ásatrúarfélagið . Following this, goði , godi or gothi
350-534: The sagas as concerned with money and expected to be paid for their services. During the Icelandic Commonwealth, the responsibilities of a goði or goðorðsmaður (" goðorð man") included the annual organization of the local assemblies várþing in the spring and leið in the autumn. At the national Althing, they were voting members of the Lögrétta , the legislative section of
375-422: The settlement of Iceland , a hofgoði was usually a wealthy and respected man in his district, for he had to maintain the communal hall or hof in which community religious observances and feasts were held. The office over which a goði had leadership was termed a goðorð , a word that only appears in Icelandic sources. Initially many independent goðorð were established, until they united under
400-640: The Funen dialects, refers to the variations of Danish spoken on Funen and adjacent islands. Locally, there can be significant variations, even within short distances, for example between neighboring towns. On the island of Funen, at least four main dialects are typically distinguished: East, North, South, and West Funen dialects, as well as sub-dialects such as the Tåsinge, Ærø, and Langeland dialects. West Funen dialects may further be divided into Northwest and Southwest Funen dialects. The Funen dialects belong to what
425-475: The Icelandic Commonwealth. A goðorð could be bought, shared, traded or inherited. If a woman inherited a goðorð she had to leave the leadership to a man. The office was in many respects treated as private property but was not counted as taxable, and is defined in the Gray Goose Laws as "power and not wealth" ( veldi er þat en æigi fe ); nevertheless the goðar are frequently portrayed in
450-569: The assembly. When quarter courts were introduced in the 960s, the goðar became responsible for nominating judges for the Althing courts. When a court of appeals was established in the early 11th century, they also nominated judges for this court. Further, they had a few formal and informal executive roles, such as confiscating the property of outlaws. They also had a central role in the redistribution of wealth , by holding feasts, giving gifts, making loans, extending hospitality, as well as pricing and helping to distribute imported goods. The holder of
475-465: The central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as of 2020. Funen's main city is Odense , which is connected to the sea by a seldom-used canal . The city's shipyard, Odense Steel Shipyard , has been relocated outside Odense proper. Funen belongs administratively to the Region of Southern Denmark . From 1970 to 2006 the island formed the biggest part of Funen County , which also included
500-529: The islands of Langeland , Ærø , Tåsinge , and a number of smaller islands. Funen is linked to Zealand, Denmark's largest island, by the Great Belt Bridge , which carries both trains and cars. The bridge is in reality three bridges; low road and rail bridges connect Funen to the small island of Sprogø in the middle of the Great Belt , and a long road suspension bridge (the second longest in
525-659: The lost Avnslev stone and the Flemløse 2 stone. The early 10th-century Glavendrup stone uses the term for a local dignitary who was associated with a vé , which is a religious structure. It thus attaches the title to a simultaneously secular and religious upper strata . The most reliable sources about the goðar in Iceland are the Gray Goose Laws , the Landnámabók and the Sturlunga saga . After
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#1732765725440550-447: The major cities and towns on the island are, as of 1 January 2018: Funen was the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen , the composer Carl Nielsen , American War of Independence combatant Christian Febiger , pop singer MØ and international footballer Christian Eriksen . The highest natural point on Funen is Frøbjerg Bavnehøj . Fynsk, coloquially known as Funish by local English speakers, but in English most commonly known as
575-491: 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 descendants of Sturla played an important role in the Age of the Sturlungs civil war, most notably his sons Snorri and Sighvatur, and Sighvatur's son Þórður kakali Sighvatsson . Another notable Sturlung
600-467: The world at the time of opening) connects Funen the rest of the way to Zealand, paralleled by a rail tunnel. Two bridges connect Funen to the Danish mainland, Jutland . The Old Little Belt Bridge was constructed in the 1930s, shortly before World War II, for both cars and trains. The New Little Belt Bridge , a suspension bridge, was constructed in the 1970s and is used for cars only. The populations of
625-507: Was Sturla Þórðarson , son of Þórður Sturluson, who fought with Þórður kakali. He wrote Íslendinga saga , the longest part of Sturlunga saga , and Hákonar saga gamla , the story of Haakon IV of Norway . Some scholars also attribute to him the authorship of Kristni saga and a transcript of Landnámabók . The writing of the Icelandic sagas began with the Sturlungs, and many of those written before 1280 were their work, or were written at their behest. This Iceland -related article
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