About Sighvatr Sturluson
Lived 1170 – 1238 (aged 67–68). Sighvatr Sturluson was an Icelandic skald and poet.
Sighvatr Sturluson (; given name also Sigvatr, ; , ; – 1238) was a skaldic poet, goði and member of the Icelandic Sturlungar clan. His parents were Sturla Þórðarson of Hvammur and Guðný Böðvarsdóttir. His younger brother, the famous poet and historian Snorri Sturluson, grew up away from home, in Oddi, while Sighvatr and his elder brother Þórð(u)r were brought up in Hvammur. Nothing is known about his education. He married Kolbeinn Tumason’s sister Halldóra Tumadóttir, with whom he had a son, Sturla Sighvatsson.
He figures in the Sturlunga saga, one of the sources which cites his poetry. Only two stanzas of Sighvatr's work now remain: the first refers to the killing of Hallr Kleppjárnsson by Kálfr Guttormsson in 1212, the other to a dream before his death in the Battle of Örlygsstaðir in 1238.
According to philologist Roberta Frank, a half-stanza by Sighvatr was misinterpreted, and thus becoming the belief in the Blood eagle ritual.
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Important facts
People in Sighvatr Sturluson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sighvatr Sturluson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sighvatr Sturluson?
poet
When was Sighvatr Sturluson born?
Sighvatr Sturluson was born in 1170.
When did Sighvatr Sturluson die?
Sighvatr Sturluson died in 1238.
What was Sighvatr Sturluson's occupation?
Sighvatr Sturluson was a skald and poet.
What nationality was Sighvatr Sturluson?
Sighvatr Sturluson was Icelandic.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Sighvatr Sturluson
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sighvatr Sturluson. https://biography.guide/sighvatr-sturluson/
MLA: "Sighvatr Sturluson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sighvatr-sturluson/.
Chicago: "Sighvatr Sturluson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sighvatr-sturluson/.
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