fylkingar

Fylkingar is the Icelandic plural of fylking, a term with roots in Old Norse used to denote a military formation or group of fighters. In historic and literary contexts, a fylking describes how warriors were arranged for battle—often as organized lines, shield walls, or other tactical formations within an army. The concept emphasizes order, discipline, and coordination among a host of combatants, with units arranged to protect flanks and to deliver coordinated assaults.

Etymologically, fylking stems from the same family of words linked to forming or grouping people, and it is sometimes compared to terms such as phalanx in later European warfare. In saga literature and chronicles, fylkingar appear as practical descriptions of troop deployment, as well as symbolic representations of collective strength.

In modern Icelandic usage, fylkingar can also refer to organized groups or factions within organizations, communities, or politics. Here, the sense is figurative: a fylking denotes a coalition or camp formed around a common goal, rather than a literal battlefield formation. The interpretation depends on context, and both senses may appear in scholarly or journalistic writing.

Fylkingar, as a linguistic term, thus covers both historical military formations and contemporary organizational groupings. The singular form is fylking.