Þorvaldur of Vatnsfjörður

Who he is

Name

Þorvaldur Snorrason

Title

Chieftain of the Vatnsfirðingar

Since

Not pinned

Born

Not pinned; burned to death at Gillastaðir in 1228

Family

Kinsman of Þorvaldur Gissurarson of the Haukdælir.

Confidence

medium

Íslendinga saga: "Þorvaldr of Vatnsfjörður" sheltered a killer, rode to the Althing and lodged in the booth of "his kinsman Þorvaldr Gizurarson"; after Sighvatur reconciled the slayer of his man Þórður Kollason, Þorvaldur "thought these settlements very unfair and remained at odds with Sighvatur for a long time".

What it holds

• Vatnsfjörður, a church farm on Ísafjarðardjúp
• The chieftaincy of the Djúp (its name is not given in the sources checked)

How it was acquired

Inherited (not pinned).

Allies and rivals

Ally: Þorvaldur Gissurarson. Rival: Sighvatur Sturluson.

How things stand that morning

At Vatnsfjörður; at odds with Sighvatur; no fighting this winter.

Wealth

Fishing, sealing, eggs and driftage of the Djúp.

Military

Thingmen of the Djúp.

Threats

• Sighvatur Sturluson

Places of note

• Vatnsfjörður: Þorvaldur's seat.

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: A few lines in Íslendinga saga for these years; Hrafns saga covers him from the later 1200s.

On the map: A chieftain's power was over thingmen, not ground, and a farmer could in principle change chieftain; the polygon draws the district where his thingmen and farms lay that winter, from the saga evidence, not a border. The extent is an inference from his seat; who held Skutulsfjörður, Önundarfjörður and the Strandir that winter is not pinned.

Primary sources for Vatnsfirðingar

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

• The saga of the Sturlungs: the compilation of contemporary Icelandic sagas, Sturla Þórðarson and other authors, compiled by Þórðr Narfason (the component sagas between about 1200 and 1280; compiled about 1300). The only contemporary narrative of Iceland. Read online
• The Grey Goose laws: the law of the Icelandic Commonwealth (law first written down in 1117 to 1118; the surviving manuscripts Konungsbók (about 1250) and Staðarhólsbók (about 1270)). The law under which Iceland was run in 1200: the goðar and their thingmen, the local and quarter things and the Althing, the Fifth Court, the lawspeaker, outlawry, compensation and the Christian law section with the tithe. Read online