Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002, Page 24
Miscellanea
In order to illustrate the separation that exists between the Ásatrú communities of Iceland
and Vinland, the following anecdotal information is offered. During the initial draft of this
paper, an attempt was made to gather information concerning the events surrounding the
second-hand reporting of an assassination of an Icelandic Ásatrúar of some renown.
Regarding the question of this high-profile assassination, the following inconclusive
information was gathered from Vinlandic Ásatrúar.
Mike Valgard Murray reported:
The Gothi ―Assassination‖ -A gothi of the Felag (Asatru Fellowship) was
killed in his home by a burglar last year. I regret I don‘t remember the name
of the guy, I never had any contact with him. (personal communication,
February 12, 2001)
Grauwolf of the Wolfgar Freehold expanded on this by writing
I don‘t recall the man‘s name, but I believe it happened shortly after he took
over for Svienbjorn Beinteinsson [1924-1993] so the ―last year‖ remark
doesn‘t seem to fit. (personal communication, February 12, 2001)
Finally, HeimdallR hinn gamli, a Vinlandic Ásatrúar Gothi who self-reports strong ties to the
Iceland Ásatrú associations through both heritage and social ties, wrote in response to a
query regarding the murder of any Icelandic Ásatrúar Gothi:
As far as I know, first hand from Jormundur Ingi, Allsherjargodhi of the
Asatru Fellowship of Iceland, Sveinbjorn died in his sleep at home...The
fellowship met and elected Jormundur to lead them, which he has proudly
done without disgrace ever since...The only assassination I have ever heard
about concerning ―Iceland‖ was the death of Snorri Sturleson in the 12th
century. (personal communication, February 7, 2001)
No positive results concerning the murder of a high profile Ásatrúar were gathered from
Vinlandic sources. Subsequent research through Icelandic sources though, revealed a far
greater amount of information concerning this significant act within the Ásatrú community.
On the evening of Tuesday, July 13, 1999, Thorhallur Olver Gunnlaugsson stabbed to death
Ásatrúar Agnar Wilhelm Agnarsson in the victim‘s flat in Leifsgata, Reykjavik.
Gunnlaugsson was arrested by Reykjavik Police that same evening for an unrelated case of
suspected drunk driving. Blood samples were taken from his clothing, sent to Norway for
DNA testing (where they were later confirmed to be Agnarsson‘s), and Gunnlaugsson was
released from custody. Shortly after, he fled Iceland from Keflavik International Airport to
Copenhagen, Denmark where, through the assistance of Interpol intelligence efforts, Danish
police arrested him at a train station on the morning of Sunday July 18, 1999 (Icelandic
News, August 20, 2001).
The importance of this event within the Ásatrú community is directly related to the inter-
community importance of Agnarsson himself. On the Internet website for the Asatru Folk
Assembly, the following is attributed to Ásatrúar Thorsteinn Gudjonsson
Icelandic Ásatrúar member Agnar Agnarsson 48, died on July 14th, as a result
of a murder-and-robbery attack into his own home, says the police. The
doer (in no way related to our movement) is under arrest. Agnar was one of
the first to declare himself into the Ásatrú in 1973, on the national registry of
Iceland -thus being one of the founders... Agnar Agnarsson was one of those
who did more for us than we did for him. The announcement in a newspaper
Miscellanea
In order to illustrate the separation that exists between the Ásatrú communities of Iceland
and Vinland, the following anecdotal information is offered. During the initial draft of this
paper, an attempt was made to gather information concerning the events surrounding the
second-hand reporting of an assassination of an Icelandic Ásatrúar of some renown.
Regarding the question of this high-profile assassination, the following inconclusive
information was gathered from Vinlandic Ásatrúar.
Mike Valgard Murray reported:
The Gothi ―Assassination‖ -A gothi of the Felag (Asatru Fellowship) was
killed in his home by a burglar last year. I regret I don‘t remember the name
of the guy, I never had any contact with him. (personal communication,
February 12, 2001)
Grauwolf of the Wolfgar Freehold expanded on this by writing
I don‘t recall the man‘s name, but I believe it happened shortly after he took
over for Svienbjorn Beinteinsson [1924-1993] so the ―last year‖ remark
doesn‘t seem to fit. (personal communication, February 12, 2001)
Finally, HeimdallR hinn gamli, a Vinlandic Ásatrúar Gothi who self-reports strong ties to the
Iceland Ásatrú associations through both heritage and social ties, wrote in response to a
query regarding the murder of any Icelandic Ásatrúar Gothi:
As far as I know, first hand from Jormundur Ingi, Allsherjargodhi of the
Asatru Fellowship of Iceland, Sveinbjorn died in his sleep at home...The
fellowship met and elected Jormundur to lead them, which he has proudly
done without disgrace ever since...The only assassination I have ever heard
about concerning ―Iceland‖ was the death of Snorri Sturleson in the 12th
century. (personal communication, February 7, 2001)
No positive results concerning the murder of a high profile Ásatrúar were gathered from
Vinlandic sources. Subsequent research through Icelandic sources though, revealed a far
greater amount of information concerning this significant act within the Ásatrú community.
On the evening of Tuesday, July 13, 1999, Thorhallur Olver Gunnlaugsson stabbed to death
Ásatrúar Agnar Wilhelm Agnarsson in the victim‘s flat in Leifsgata, Reykjavik.
Gunnlaugsson was arrested by Reykjavik Police that same evening for an unrelated case of
suspected drunk driving. Blood samples were taken from his clothing, sent to Norway for
DNA testing (where they were later confirmed to be Agnarsson‘s), and Gunnlaugsson was
released from custody. Shortly after, he fled Iceland from Keflavik International Airport to
Copenhagen, Denmark where, through the assistance of Interpol intelligence efforts, Danish
police arrested him at a train station on the morning of Sunday July 18, 1999 (Icelandic
News, August 20, 2001).
The importance of this event within the Ásatrú community is directly related to the inter-
community importance of Agnarsson himself. On the Internet website for the Asatru Folk
Assembly, the following is attributed to Ásatrúar Thorsteinn Gudjonsson
Icelandic Ásatrúar member Agnar Agnarsson 48, died on July 14th, as a result
of a murder-and-robbery attack into his own home, says the police. The
doer (in no way related to our movement) is under arrest. Agnar was one of
the first to declare himself into the Ásatrú in 1973, on the national registry of
Iceland -thus being one of the founders... Agnar Agnarsson was one of those
who did more for us than we did for him. The announcement in a newspaper
