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Bolli Bollason was a key historical character in the Medieval Icelandic Laxdœla saga, born around 1006 in Orlygsstadir, at Helgafell on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. He was held in the highest regard among the contemporary Scandinavian rulers, and also in the Byzantine Empire, where he became the first known West Norseman in the Varangian Guard. It is believed that he had reached the rank of "Manglabites" in the Byzantine army, and on his return to Iceland, his finery and recognition earned him the name "Bolli the Elegant".
His importance in the literary context of the saga is his prominence as the son of Bolli Þorleiksson and Guðrún Ósvífursdóttir, the two central characters of the work. In addition to this role, his own tale, the Bollaþáttur, was later appended to the end of the manuscripts in the early 14th century.
