Bathhouses and Beyond: A comparative study of the Snorralaug and Roman pool culture

Abstract

The water pool, Snorralaug, sits at the edge of the Snorrastofa in Reykholt, the water pooling there naturally long before the Medieval farm was constructed. The poet, lawmaker and chieftain, Snorri Sturluson was known by scholars to have aided in its construction. Though pool architecture, history and authorship have been significantly discussed by scholarship in the past, the pool’s cultural meaning within its medieval context has not. This thesis presents an exploration of the Snorralaug through a comparative study of Roman pool culture. By examining classical Roman pool architecture, its vibrant public bathing culture and history alongside literary and material Icelandic sources, this thesis understands medieval Iceland as a participant in the European cultural landscape, in opposition to its perception as wholly isolated. Keywords: Snorri Sturluson, Rome, Roman Bathhouses, Snorralaug, pool history, heritage studies, hygiene history, Iceland, hot springs, social history, pool architecture, medieval archaeology, culture.