Ættbókar
Ættbókar, from Old Norse and Icelandic roots meaning “family books,” refer to a genre of genealogical records in medieval Norse and Icelandic manuscript culture. They are compilations meant to document the lineages of individuals, kin groups, and estates, often to support claims to land, titles, or political alliances. The name is used to describe a variety of handwritten registers that could range from concise pedigrees to extensive, interwoven genealogies.
Historically, ættbókar emerged in a society where kinship and inheritance were central to social order. They
Manuscripts containing ættbókar vary in scope and reliability. Many survive only in a single manuscript, copied
In contemporary scholarship, ættbókar are valued as sources for understanding kinship structures, property rights, and the