Olafr Thordarson

Olafr Thordarson, known as Olafr hvitaskald (Olaf the white skald) to distinguish him from a contemporary called Olafr svartaskald, was an Icelandic skald and scholar born around 1205 to 1210 and died in 1259. He served as Lawspeaker of Iceland from 1252 to 1256. He was the paternal nephew of the saga writer Snorri Sturluson and received much of his education in his uncle's household; his most significant scholarly work is a Grammatical Treatise. He served King Haakon IV of Norway as a housecarl and fought at the Battle of Oslo in 1240, and is thought to have compiled material used in the Knytlinga saga.