In the medieval landscape of Iceland, the figure known as the allsherjargoði held a unique and revered position. Serving as a symbol of unity during the Icelandic Commonwealth, this role was closely tied to both the land’s earliest settlers and its most important social assembly.
The roots of the allsherjargoði office
The office of allsherjargoði emerged in a society built on chieftaincies rather than kingdoms. The first to hold this title was Þorsteinn Ingólfsson, whose father, Ingólfr Arnarson, is remembered as Iceland’s first permanent settler. When the Althing, the island’s national assembly, was established in 930, it was under Þorsteinn’s sanctifying presence as the initial allsherjargoði that it was inaugurated.
In its essence, the role embodied both secular authority and a spiritual mandate. The allsherjargoði was charged annually with formally sanctifying the Althing as it commenced, underscoring the importance of ritual in Iceland’s legal and political life. This act of blessing did not belong to kings or royal priests, but to a chieftain whose lineage traced directly to the island’s original settler.
Shifting lines of succession
After Þorsteinn, the position stayed within his family, moving to his son Þorkell máni Þorsteinsson around 945. During his tenure, Þorkell simultaneously served as the lawspeaker, adding another layer of responsibility. Successively, his descendants, Þormóðr Þorkelsson, then Hamall Þormóðsson, held the office well into the 11th century. However, after Hamall, records grow less clear. He had three sons, but which of them, if any, became allsherjargoði remains uncertain. The following century left few clues as to who carried the mantle.
Toward the end of the 12th century, Guðmundr gríss Ámundason, believed to be a descendant of Hamall, held the position. He managed these responsibilities until his death in the late 12th or early 13th century, with his son, Magnús góði Guðmundarson, inheriting the role. Magnús’s tenure ended in 1234, and because he died without sons, the fate of the allsherjargoði after him is debated. Some accounts suggest Árni óreiða Magnússon, a relative connected by blood and marriage to other powerful families of the era, may have been the final officeholder.
The office of the allsherjargoði faded when Iceland came under Norwegian control in 1262. The goðar, chieftains who once stood as local leaders, pledged allegiance to Norway’s monarchy, marking the end of the Commonwealth’s distinctive system.
Revival in modern practice
Centuries after its original era, the title of allsherjargoði has surfaced again in a new form. The Ásatrúarfélagið, an Icelandic organisation focused on Norse tradition, has revived the term for its high priest. While stripped of its political power, the name links present-day religious activity to a deep historical tradition.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
