Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents -- Preface -- Conventions -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 Mediaeval Icelandic Sagas: Methodological Considerations -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Attribution of the Authorship of Heimskringla to Snorri Sturluson -- 3. Textual Criticism and Manuscript Culture -- 4. Sagas as Historical Sources -- Chapter 2 The Law of Óláfr inn helgi -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Grágás in Historical and Literary Studies -- 3. The Ólafslög within the Grágás (Konungsbók) -- 4. The Norwegian King's Power over Icelanders -- 5. Icelanders and Norwegians -- 6. Hauldr - hôldr -- 7. Conclusion -- Chapter 3 Documents of the Icelandic Submission -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The sagas and the Icelandic submission -- 3. The Icelandic annals and the Icelandic submission -- 4. The evidence of sagas and annals: conclusion -- 5. Gizurarsáttmáli and Gamli sáttmáli: Terminology -- 6. Documents from 1400 to 1500 -- 6.1. Invocatory clause and oath -- 6.2. Introductory clause -- 6.3. Skattr and þingfararkaup -- 6.4. Summons to go abroad -- 6.5. Lôgmenn and sýslumenn -- 6.6. Sea-going ships -- 6.6.1 Icelandic trade in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries -- 6.7. Other clauses -- 6.8. Documents from 1400 to 1500: conclusion -- 7. Documents from 1500 to 1600 -- 8. Conclusion -- Chapter 4 Relations between Icelanders and the early rulers of Norway as depicted in Möðruvallabók -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Möðruvallabók manuscript -- 3. Haraldr inn hárfagri and the settlement of Iceland in Egils saga -- 4. Haraldr inn hárfagri and the settlement of Iceland in the other texts of the Möðruvallabók manuscript -- 5. Finnboga saga and the settlement of Iceland -- 6. Icelanders and the Norwegian court -- 6.1. Chieftains in Iceland and Norway -- 6.2. Challenging royal power -- 6.3. The Icelandic free-men -- 6.4. The guardians of the law -- 7. Presentations of the settlement of Iceland: Haralds saga ins hárfagra (Fríssbók) and other sagas -- 8. Conclusion -- Conclusion -- Appendix 1. Ólafslög -- Appendix 2. Documents of the Submission -- Appendix 3. Haraldr inn hárfagri in the Íslendingasögur -- Bibliography -- Index.

The book uses sagas and legal texts to re-examine the relations between mediaeval Icelanders and the Norwegian kings. It demonstrates that the Icelanders - partly subjects of the king, and partly beyond his power - were ready to negotiate with him for their own benefit, and presents a methodological re-evaluation of authorial attributions of the sagas and their use as historical sources. Key to the book is a revisionary analysis of two laws made between the Icelanders and the kings of Norway: a law probably issued by King Óláfr inn helgi of Norway (1015-1028), and the purported submission agreements with King Hákon Hákonarson (1217-1263), known as Gizurarsáttmáli or Gamli sáttmáli. It also analyses the sagas of the fourteenth-century manuscript Möðruvallabók against the historical context extracted from this legal re-evaluation.

Description based on print version record.