Austmaðr

Austmaðr is a Viking Age Icelandic sagaman and legal expert. He lived in the 10th century and was a chieftain at Oddi in southern Iceland. Austmaðr is known for his significance in the oral tradition of Icelandic storytelling and his role as a mediator in the development of the Icelandic common law.

Austmaðr's activities and personage are primarily documented in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of medieval manuscripts that preserve the stories, legends, and laws of the Viking Age Scandinavians. As a sagaman, Austmaðr contributed to the written record of his time, recording the genealogical relationships, historical events, and mythological narratives of his people.

In the Grimmismál poem, Austmaðr is mentioned as a son of Gyrðr, who was the grandson of Odin, the principal deity in Norse mythology. However, the historicity and mythological context of this information are subjects of ongoing scholarly debate. Austmaðr's son, Þorbjörn, is mentioned in the Landnámabók, which provides unique insights into the early history of Icelandic settlements.

Austmaðr's connection to the Icelandic church was significant, as his family intermarried with the sons of King Harald Fairhair of Norway. The sagas suggest that Austmaðr served as a guarantor of church custom and that his descendants held influence over church matters. The records of Austmaðr's activities, particularly in regards to his involvement in developing the first comprehensive Icelandic laws, shed light on the evolution of the country's governance system. Overall, Austmaðr's place in Icelandic history and his role in the literary and legal traditions of the period are undeniable.