Njarðvík () is an ancient farm in northeast Iceland. The descendants of its settlers are featured in several of the Sagas of Icelanders.
History
Viking Age 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.The Book of Settlements, Sturubók edition, ch. 78 His great-grandson Ketil Thrym lived at Njarðvík and became a chieftain after his father, Thidrandi the Old.The Saga of Droplaug's Sons, ch. 2; The Saga of the People of Fljotsdal, ch. 5 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.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
Sagas Njarðvík is referenced in the following medieval Icelandic texts: The Book of Settlements The Short Saga of Gunnar, Thidrandi's Killer The Saga of Droplaug's Sons The Saga of the People of Fljotsdal The Saga of the People of Laxardal
References