Reykholt
Reykholt is a small village in the Borgarfjördur valley of West Iceland and one of the most historically significant sites in the country. It was the home of Snorri Sturluson, the 13th-century scholar, poet, and chieftain who wrote the Prose Edda, Heimskringla, and Egil's Saga, works that remain foundational texts of Norse mythology and medieval Scandinavian history. Snorri lived and worked here from 1206 until his assassination on the farm in 1241.
Where Snorri Sturluson Wrote the Prose Edda and Met His End in 1241
Snorri Sturluson is considered one of the most important writers of medieval Europe. His Prose Edda is the primary source for Norse mythology, providing the stories of Odin, Thor, and the Norse pantheon that have influenced literature and art from Wagner to Tolkien and Rowling. His Heimskringla is a history of the Norwegian kings that remains a central text of medieval Scandinavian scholarship. He wrote all of these works at Reykholt, where he also served as one of the most powerful chieftains in Iceland, controlling 11 chieftainships and holding revenue from 100 farms. His political entanglement with the Norwegian crown eventually proved fatal: after defying King Hákon's order to remain in Norway, he returned to Iceland and was assassinated in the cellar of his home at Reykholt in 1241. His alleged last words, recorded in the Sturlunga Saga, were: Do not strike.
The principal surviving physical remnant of Snorri's time at Reykholt is Snorralaug, the circular geothermal pool that was likely already in use in the 10th century and is considered Iceland's oldest man-made structure. It was formally listed as an archaeological site in 1817 and reconstructed in 1959. Snorri had a tunnel built from the farmhouse to the pool; the door to the tunnel entrance is still visible. Snorri's probable burial site is in the churchyard. The Snorrastofa Cultural and Research Centre, founded in 1995 and housed in the same building as Reykholt church, runs exhibitions on Snorri's life and works, guided tours, a research library, and an annual chamber music festival each July. The older 1886 church building, now maintained by the National Museum of Iceland, is also on site.
Reykholt is located in Borgarfjördur, about 100 kilometres northeast of Reykjavik on Route 50, roughly a 90-minute drive. It pairs naturally with Deildartunguhver hot spring, Europe's most powerful hot spring, about 20 minutes away, and the Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls a short drive further east. The Snorrastofa centre is open daily May through September, 10am to 6pm, and weekdays only the rest of the year.
