Ari Þorgilsson

Ari Þorgilsson inn Fróði ( Old Norse ari, eagle; fróðr, rich in knowledge, taught; Ari German scholar; * 1067/1068; † November 9, 1148 ) was the first historian to Iceland. He was also the first who does not, as is customary in the Middle Ages, wrote his texts in Latin but in the vernacular.

Ari is the author of Íslendingabók and was probably also involved in the constitution of a primal Landnámabók.

Life

Ari was born in a family of aristocratic origin on Helgafell in West Iceland. The Landnámabók traces its lineage back eight generations, to Óláfr Hvíti ( the whites ) and on AUDR or Unnr inn djúpúðga (the way), the daughter of Ketill flatnefr. Five of his ancestors were born in Iceland, two of them still in pre-Christian times. Father's side he was the grandson of Guðrún Ósvífsdóttir, the heroine of the Laxdœla saga. Mother's side he was descended from Hallr. His own father died Thorgils early so that Ari paternal on the farm of his grandfather, at Gellir, grew up. Later, he was brought up by his uncle Þorkell. At the age of seven years he came to Haukadalur to Hallr Þórarinsson, an Icelandic skald and co-author of Háttalykill. There he received from Teitr Ísleifsson, a son of Isleifur Gissurarson, the first bishop of Iceland, his spiritual training. In Staður, on the south side of the peninsula of Snæfellsnes, about 60 km from Helgafell, located on the north side of the peninsula, Ari was ordained a priest. Ari was probably married and had a son and a daughter. He died at the age of 81 years.

Importance

The importance of Ari for the Icelandic history is that he was the first who helped from a historical consciousness out of the Icelandic culture of an ethnic identity, and, very advanced for its time, prose in the Icelandic language, ie the vernacular and not the language of the learned Latin, wrote. Much of what today is known about the early history of Iceland is thanks to the researches Aris. In this respect he is no doubt a coequal Herodotus the father of Icelandic history. The novelty of his critical historical method in the Icelandic Snorri Sturluson historiography raises in his Heimskringla, the history of the Norwegian kings forth. In the preface Snorri also mentions some of the informants Aris, one of which is said to have collected the data for its historical texts: Hallr Þórarinsson, Teitr Ísleifsson and Þuriðr Snorradóttir: " ... it is therefore not surprising that Ari knew many old tales, from our country and from abroad, because he learned from old and wise men, and he himself was also a man of zealous witness and fruitful memory. "

Not only Snorri (died 1241 ), also Oddr Snorrason (late 12th century) and Gunnlaugr Leifsson (died 1218 or 1219 ) are in the tradition of Aris understanding of history.

Works

Go to Ari different works back, of which the larger the term -bok in the title carry (Icelandic book, then, for the purposes of measurement book, history book, like the Bible ). This may also be interpreted as a sign for Aris understanding of history, which he wanted to distinguish his own historical works of his time still orally transmitted genre of the saga:

• Íslendingabók, the Book of Icelanders, around 1120, is the oldest written source of narrative prose in the whole of Scandinavia;
• Not received the original version of Landnámabók, the book of the settlement of Iceland in the Ari, along with Kolskeggr Ásbjarnarson Fróði inn, said to have been co-author;
• Three smaller texts: a genealogy of his family, handed down along with the Íslendingabók (but regardless of this arose ); a biography, aevi Snorra Goda, the life of the Goden Snorri, the hero of Eyrbyggja saga, which is also mentioned in other sagas, and a list of noble priest from the year 1143.

Last edition and in German language

• Íslendingabók, HID Íslenzka Fornritafélag, Reykjavík 1968.
• Íslendingabók, 2nd revised edition. M. Niemeyer, Halle 1923.