Snorri Sturluson was born in 1179, son of Sturla Thordarson, a minor, ruthless, yet sly chieftain in West Iceland. Sturla managed to raise his stand and power and connect with the mightiest clan of the times, the people of Oddi, by having his son Snorri fostered in Oddi by the leader of the family, Jon Loftsson. Oddi was a main center of learning in Iceland, and thus Snorri received good education. He married a very wealthy women and gradualy acquired great wealth and political power, living in Reykholt from c. 1206 until his death. He became involved in the fierce power struggles of the 13^th century, which often can be called civil war, and this period has taken its name from Snorri's clan, the Age of Sturlungs, as his brothers and nephews were also deeply involved. He had very complicated relations with the Norwegian kings. The Sturlungs were also very much involved in the secular history writing, and Snorri is generally regarded as the author of the Prose Edda, containing the Old Norse mythology, The Saga of Egill Skallagrímsson which belongs to the genre of Family Sagas, and Heimskringla, which is a compilation of sagas of Norwegian kings. It must, however, be kept in mind that the modern concept of authorship didn't exist in the Middle Ages and Snorri's role in the the compilation of these works is not completely clear.

Snorri was slain by his enemies September 23, 1241.