Sighvatr Sturluson (c. 1170-1238) was a skaldic poet, goði and member of the Icelandic Sturlungar clan. His parents were Sturla Þórðarson

Sturla Þórðarson

Sturla Þórðarson was an Icelandic politician/chieftain and writer of sagas and contemporary history during the 13th century.Sturla was the son of Þórður Sturluson and his mistress Þóra. He was a nephew and pupil of the famous saga-writer Snorri Sturluson...

 of Hvammr and Guðný Böðvarsdóttir. His younger brother, the famous poet and historian Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...

, grew up away from home, in Oddi, while Sighvatr and his elder brother Þórð(u)r were brought up in Hvammr. Nothing is known of his education. He married Kolbeinn Tumason

Kolbeinn Tumason

Kolbeinn Tumason was a member of the Ásbirningar family clan, and was one of the most powerful chieftains in Iceland around the turn of the 12th century. His power was probably at its height around 1200 AD. Kolbeinn used his influence to ensure that men in his favour received positions of power...

’s sister Holldóra Tumadóttir, with whom he had a son, Sturla Sighvatsson

Sturla Sighvatsson

Sturla Sighvatsson was an Icelandic chieftain or goði of the Sturlungar family clan who played an active role in the armed conflicts in Iceland during the Age of the Sturlungs ....

.

He figures in the Sturlunga saga

Sturlunga saga

Sturlunga saga is a collection of Icelandic sagas by various authors from the 12th and 13th centuries; it was assembled ca. 1300...

, one of the sources to cite his poetry. Only two stanzas of Sighvatr’s work now remain: the first refers to the killing of Hallr Kleppjárnsson by Kálfr Guttormsson in 1212, the other to a dream before his death in the Battle of Örlygsstaðir

Battle of Örlygsstaðir

The Battle of Örlygsstaðir was a historic battle fought by the Sturlungar against Ásbirningar and the Haukdælir clans in northern Iceland. The battle was part of the civil war that was taking place in Iceland at the time between various powerful clans , and was the largest battle in the history of...

 in 1238.

External links

• Lausavísur, Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages.