Gissur Þorvaldsson
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Gissur_Þorvaldsson".

Gissur Thorvaldsson (1208 – January 12, 1268) (Icelandic: Gissur Þorvaldsson) was a medieval Icelandic chieftain or goði of the Haukdælir family clan, and great-grandson of Jón Loftsson.

Gissur played a major role in the civil war which is now known as Sturlungaöld, or the Age of the Sturlungs: he fought alongside Kolbeinn the Young against the forces of Sturla Sighvatsson of the Sturlungar clan in the Battle of Örlygsstaðir in 1238 and led the force of men who murdered saga-writer Snorri Sturluson in 1241, at the behest of Haakon IV, King of Norway. In 1258, he was made Earl of Iceland (Icelandic: jarl) for his loyal service to the king. He held this title till his death.

Gissur worked actively to promote the Old Covenant (Icelandic: Gamli sáttmáli), an agreement which brought Iceland under the sovereignty of the Norwegian crown in 1264. The covenant is hence sometimes known as Gissur's Covenant, or Gissurarsáttmáli.

This Icelandic biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

v • d • e The Age of the Sturlungs Family clans Sturlungar | Ásbirningar | Oddaverjar | Haukdælir | Vatnsfirðingar | Svínfellingar An illustration of Hákon, King of Norway, and his son Magnús, from Flateyjarbók Goði chieftains Snorri Sturluson | Sighvatur Sturluson | Sturla Sighvatsson | Þórður kakali Sighvatsson | Sturla Þórðarson | Gissur Þorvaldsson | Kolbeinn ungi Arnórsson | Brandur Kolbeinsson | Árni beiskur | Eyjólfur ofsi Þorsteinsson Battles and conflicts Battle of Örlygsstaðir | Battle of the Gulf | Battle of Haugsnes | The Flugumýri Arson Politics Haakon IV of Norway | Hallvarður gullskór | Vassalage | Old Covenant | Icelandic Commonwealth | Jarldom | Althingi | Goðorð