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Njarðvík (farm)

Coordinates: 65°34′52″N 13°53′16″W / 65.58111°N 13.88778°W / 65.58111; -13.88778
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Njarðvík
Farm
Njarðvík is located in Iceland
Njarðvík
Njarðvík
Location in Iceland
Coordinates: 65°34′52″N 13°53′16″W / 65.58111°N 13.88778°W / 65.58111; -13.88778
Country Iceland

Njarðvík (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈnjarðˌviːk]) is an ancient farm in northeast Iceland. The descendants of its settlers are featured in several of the Sagas of Icelanders.

History

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Viking Age

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The history of Njarðvík can be traced back to the settlement of Iceland, when Thorkel the Wise claimed all the land around the bay of Njarðvík.[1] His great-grandson Ketil Thrym lived at Njarðvík[1] and became a chieftain after his father, Thidrandi the Old.[2] Several other notable 10th- and 11th-century Icelanders were related to this family, who are known as the "House of Njarðvík" (Old Norse Njarðvíkingar). The Saga of the People of Laxardal cites a lost "Saga of the House of Njarðvík," which may refer to a medieval text that no longer exists or else was renamed, or to an oral tradition.[3]

Sagas

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Njarðvík is referenced in the following medieval Icelandic texts:

References

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  1. ^ a b The Book of Settlements, Sturubók edition, ch. 78
  2. ^ The Saga of Droplaug's Sons, ch. 2; The Saga of the People of Fljotsdal, ch. 5
  3. ^ Gísli Sigurðsson, The Medieval Icelandic Saga and Oral Tradition: A Discourse on Method, trans. Nicholas Jones, Publications of the Milman Parry Collection of Oral Lieterature, 2. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004