Jarðlagnir

Jarðlagnir, also known as the Landnámabók, is an Icelandic legal code compiled in the 13th century. It is one of the most important historical documents in Icelandic history, as it outlines the laws and customs that governed the settlement and governance of Iceland during the Middle Ages. The Landnámabók is a collection of sagas and legal texts that detail the settlement of Iceland by Norwegian Vikings, known as the settlers or landnámmenn, who arrived in the 9th and 10th centuries.

The Landnámabók is divided into two main sections: the Landnámabók itself, which contains the sagas of the settlers, and the Grágás, which is a legal code that outlines the rights and responsibilities of the settlers. The Grágás is particularly significant, as it provides a detailed account of the legal system that governed Iceland during the Middle Ages. It covers topics such as property rights, inheritance, and the resolution of disputes.

The Landnámabók is an important source of information for historians and scholars studying the settlement and governance of Iceland. It provides valuable insights into the social, economic, and political structures of medieval Iceland. The Landnámabók is also an important cultural artifact, as it reflects the values and beliefs of the settlers who shaped the history of Iceland. Today, the Landnámabók is housed in the National and University Library of Iceland in Reykjavik, where it is carefully preserved and studied by researchers.