Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson

Who was Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson?

Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson was an Icelandic scholar and folklorist. He was a prolific author and is well known for his works on Old Norse religion.

In his 2000 book on Hrafnkels saga, he emphasised its heathen religious elements. While acknowledging that a large part of the story line probably represents 13th-century fiction, Jón Hnefill found evidence of an oral tradition in such aspects of the story as Hrafnkel's sacrifices and the behaviour of Freyfaxi.