Gjábakki is a historic location in Iceland mentioned in "Harðar saga og Hólmverja, Njáls saga", one of the ancient Íslendingasögur (Sagas of Icelanders). These medieval narratives preserve the history of Iceland's Viking Age settlement.
Gjábakki is a location that appears in Harðar saga og Hólmverja, Njáls saga, one of the Íslendingasögur — the Sagas of Icelanders. These remarkable medieval texts were written in Iceland during the 13th and 14th centuries, preserving oral histories and stories from the Viking Age settlement of Iceland (9th–11th centuries).
The sagas describe real people, places, and events, making locations like Gjábakki living connections to Iceland's deep past. Many of these saga sites can still be visited today, standing as silent witnesses to the dramatic events recorded in the ancient texts.
From the saga:
"Harðar saga og Hólmverja (10) Þeir riðu um Gjábakka, svo til Klufta og um Ok, svo hina neðri leið ofan hjá Augastöðum og svo á Breiðabólstað.Njáls saga (104) En þá er þeir komu í Vellandkötlu ofan frá Gjábakka þá kom Hjalti þar eftir þeim og kveðst ekki vilja sýna það heiðnum mönnum að hann hræddist þá."