Snorri Sturluson

Snorri Sturluson (1179 – 1241) was an Icelandic politician, poet, and historian. Among his works is the Heimskringla, a history of the Norwegian kings.

Biography

Prose Edda

Inspired by the sagas and legends of Norse myth passed on through word of mouth. Snorri decided to document the best chronological account of every story he had heard. This idea would later materialize as his Prose Edda, published around the year 1220, in what was already a post-Christian Scandinavia. Notable stories within are of Borr, son of Búri, and of the Nine Realms. The story of Baldr, was also conflated with and combined with the story of Jesus of Nazareth, taking in the Christian influences of Snorri's time.

Heimskringla

Nearly a decade later, Snorri wrote and had published, the Heimskringla, which was a detailed history and chronology of Norwegian kings, from their mythical beginnings until the reign of Magnus V of Norway.

Legacy

During the early 16th century, the Italian Assassins' Mentor Ezio Auditore bought a copy of this book from a book shop in Constantinople.

By the modern era, Snorri's works had become the foremost used source when referring to Norwegian history. Although deemed not the most scholarly or accurate, they were by far the most detailed.

Behind the scenes

In Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Forgotten Myths, a tie-in comic for the 2020 game Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, an unnamed Christian scholar recording Norse myths appears in short snippets of issues #2 and #3. It is possible that this scholar is meant to be Snorri Sturluson, although it is also possible it is meant to represent Sæmundr fróði instead, but neither identity has been officially confirmed.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Revelations (first mentioned)
• Echoes of History – Ragnarök (mentioned only)