Þorsteins saga stangarhǫggs is among the shortest of the sagas of Icelanders. Often referred to as Þorsteins þáttr, it is in fact atypical of the þættir since these are mostly narratives from the kings’ sagas published in the twentieth century as independent narratives, whereas Þorsteins saga always stood alone, although it is closely linked to other sagas from Eastfjords of Iceland and preserved along with them in manuscripts.
Þorsteins saga stangarhöggs exists in only a single vellum manuscript, AM 162 C fol. dating from the fifteenth century. Only one page of the episode is extant there, but this preserves over half the episode. The episode’s main manuscripts are two paper manuscripts from the seventeenth century, AM 156 fol. and AM 496 4to. Þorsteins saga can be dated to the thirteenth century even though the manuscripts...
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Citation: Jakobsson, Ármann. "Þorsteins saga stangarhöggs". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 April 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40995, accessed 07 December 2025.]
