Snorri Sturluson - Legacy

Legacy

In a way, Snorri made a comeback into politics long after his death. His writings could be used in support of the claims of later kings concerning the venerability and extent of their rule. Later, “Heimskringla” became important for Norwegian national independence and identity. The Icelanders’ perception of Snorri in the 20th century and to date has been coloured by the historical views adopted when they wanted to sever their ties with Denmark, any revision of which still has strong nationalistic sentiments to contend with. To serve such views, Snorri and other leading Icelanders of his time are sometimes judged with some presentism, on the basis of concepts that only came into vogue centuries later, such as state, independence, sovereignty, and nation. Snorri’s enduring importance lies in the fact that without his writings, our possibilities for perceiving the views and thoughts of pagan North Europeans, and even of Germanic and other peoples in general, would be considerably more limited than they admittedly are. His writings also provide information and indications concerning persons and events influencing the peoples inhabiting Scandinavia, England, Scotland, Ireland, and other regions, in obscure periods on which information is scarce.

Snorri is referenced in Jules Verne's novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth, in which a German professor discovers a slip of paper from a fictitious scientist, hidden inside a manuscript written by Sturluson, that eventually leads him to embark on an expedition into the Earth's interior.

In 1941, the 700th anniversary of his death was celebrated by the issue of a set of six commemorative postage stamps showing events in the life of Snorri.