Gutasaga
The National Library of Sweden in Stockholm holds a single manuscript known as Codex Holm B 64. This document dates to the 13th century and contains the text of Gutasaga alongside the Gutalag legal code. The text was written in Old Gutnish, a specific variety of Old Norse spoken on the island. No other copies of this saga exist anywhere else in the world today. Scholars have preserved it together with the island's laws for centuries. The survival of this single volume is what allows modern readers to access these ancient stories at all.
A man named Þieluar discovered an island that remained submerged under water during daylight hours. The land only emerged from the sea when night fell, creating a magical cycle that trapped the territory beneath waves. Þieluar broke this spell by lighting a fire upon the shore. His son Hafþi married a woman called Hwitastierna who dreamed of three snakes entwined within her bosom after their first night together. Hafþi interpreted the vision as a prophecy that she would bear three sons. He assigned names to them while they were still inside her womb before they were born.
Three brothers divided Gotland into distinct sections according to the saga's prose narrative. Graipr held the northern third known as þriþiungr or treding in Swedish. Gute claimed the middle section of the island while Gunnfjaun took control of the southern third. This legal division persisted until the year 1747 when it finally ended. The church retains this three-part structure today through its Deaneries system. An old alliterative verse describes how everything was bound by armlets and how the land would be owned by these three sons.
The people descended from the three brothers multiplied over time until the land could no longer support everyone. They drew lots so that every third person had to leave with their possessions except for the land itself. These emigrants journeyed to Þorsburg but were chased away from that location. They moved on to Faroy where they also failed to remain permanently. A group settled on an island called Dagaiþi close to Estonia and built a fortress there. They traveled up-river through Russia along the waterway known as the Dyna before arriving in Greece. Historical records show the Goths devastated Macedonia, Greece, the Pontus, and Asia in 263.
A man named Awair Strabain arranged a mutually beneficial agreement between Gotland and the king of Sweden. This event occurred before the end of the 9th century when Wulfstan of Hedeby reported the island was subject to Swedish rule. The text asserts duties and obligations for both the Swedish king and bishop regarding Gotland. It functions as an effort to assert Gotland's independence from Swedish kingship rather than just recording history. The saga contains several references to this relationship throughout its narrative structure.
Names from the saga appear on modern places like Tjelvar's Grave stone ship located in Boge. The bay nearby is called Tjäldersvik while the adjacent island bears the name Tjäldersholm. A cairn in Garde known as Digerrojr is also referred to as Graips rojr. In 2011 the Swedish Astronomical Society hosted a competition to name a newly discovered Apollo asteroid found in Visby. That celestial body received the designation 137052 Tjelvar after the mythological first man who brought fire to the island. These names continue to mark the landscape and cultural identity of Gotland today.
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Common questions
What is the only surviving manuscript of Gutasaga?
The National Library of Sweden in Stockholm holds a single manuscript known as Codex Holm B 64. This document dates to the 13th century and contains the text of Gutasaga alongside the Gutalag legal code.
Who discovered the island that emerged from water at night in the Gutasaga story?
A man named Þieluar discovered an island that remained submerged under water during daylight hours. He broke this spell by lighting a fire upon the shore to free the land.
How did the three sons divide Gotland according to the Gutasaga narrative?
Three brothers divided Gotland into distinct sections where Graipr held the northern third, Gute claimed the middle section, and Gunnfjaun took control of the southern third. This legal division persisted until the year 1747 when it finally ended.
Where did the emigrants from Gotland travel after leaving their home island?
These emigrants journeyed to Þorsburg but were chased away from that location before moving on to Faroy. A group settled on an island called Dagaiþi close to Estonia and traveled up-river through Russia along the waterway known as the Dyna before arriving in Greece.
When did Awair Strabain arrange the agreement between Gotland and the king of Sweden?
This event occurred before the end of the 9th century when Wulfstan of Hedeby reported the island was subject to Swedish rule. The text asserts duties and obligations for both the Swedish king and bishop regarding Gotland.
What modern places and objects bear names derived from characters in the Gutasaga saga?
Names from the saga appear on modern places like Tjelvar's Grave stone ship located in Boge and a cairn in Garde known as Digerrojr. In 2011 the Swedish Astronomical Society hosted a competition to name a newly discovered Apollo asteroid found in Visby which received the designation 137052 Tjelvar.