The Saga of the Confederates: Historical Truth in an Icelandic Saga.

• Main Author: Mulvey, James Patrick
• Other Authors: Dr. S. Thomas Parker, Committee Member, Dr. John Riddle, Committee Chair, Dr. James Banker, Committee Member
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2006
• Subjects: medieval icelandic history; medieval history; Iceland
• Online Access: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/2070

The Saga of the Confederates, written anonymously in the thirteenth century, tells a story that takes place in eleventh century Iceland. The saga presents an opportunity to examine Iceland's unique political and social systems during the Middle Ages, both during the time of the story and also during the author's lifetime. While elements of the story reflect society in the eleventh century, the attitudes and values of the anonymous author can also help us understand the thirteenth century. The purpose of this research is to examine the medieval Icelandic sagas as historical sources, with The Saga of the Confederates as a case study. While many characters and their situations within the Icelandic sagas may be completely fictional, the ways in which the saga authors relate their subjects to their readers provide insight into the true makeup of medieval Icelandic society at large from the Settlement to the submission to Norwegian rule in 1262 CE.