Saga - 2002, Qupperneq 181

BRAUDEL í BREIÐAFIRÐI?
179
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Þórólfsson og Jakob Benediktsson (Kaupmannahöfn, 1913-1943).
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Summary
The purpose of this article is to test two basic aspects of the methodology
of Ferdinand Braudel in his well-known work on the Mediterranean in
the sixteenth century: firstly, the three-tiered approach, with its emphasis
on long-term environmental factors, middle-term social developments
and short-term political changes and, secondly, the tenet that history can
and ought to be studied outside of and exempt from national boundaries.
The object of consideration is the Breiðafjörður area of West Iceland dur-
ing the Sturlung period, which the author maintains lasted longer in that
region than in the rest of Iceland, or from 1148 to 1284.
The author finds that the Braudelian approach is partly applicable to
this region, granted the obvious fact that no argument can be made for
there being great clashes between civilizations in this area. However, the
author contends that the long-term economic and social factors behind
the supremacy of the Sturlungs have been neglected, and higfilights the
geographic nature of the Sturlung dominion.
The significant topographical feature of the Breiðafjörður region in the
Sturlung era is that it is comprised of a large number of coastal inlets
which could be traversed by ships, giving the area a geographical coher-
ence. Economically, the area was rich in amenities of importance to chief-
tains. Politically, the Sturlungs concentrated on gaining control of domi-
nant farms in the area, where their kinsmen or in-laws resided. Marriage
alliances were a common method of forming connections with farmers
who lived in strategic locations.
With the advent of kingship in Iceland, and the victory of the Church in
its struggle for control over its property, these methods of political
manoeuvring lost in importance, but the region continued to be of impor-
tance to powerful magnates.