14 July 2009

Today’s Tabbloid
PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net

ROGUE FEED that is covered is how inheritance is dealt with when the inheritor is
abroad, or the deceased is abroad. This section is small, but the
Laws of Early Iceland: Grágás II information contained in it is a very good examination of the family
JUL 13, 2009 10:50A.M. structure at that time.

“The Dependents Section” deals with the obligations a man has to his
family. According to the laws:

It is so prescribed that every man here in the country has to

maintain his own dependents. A man must first maintain is
mother. And if he can manage more, then he is to maintain
his children. If he can do better, that he is to maintain his
brothers and sisters. If he can do better, then he is to
maintain those people from who he has the right to inherit
and those he has taken on by inheritance-trade(29).

This section is one of the most important, and the laws show the respect
that was given to family structure. All these laws drive home the point
that a man must take responsibility and support his family and relations
as best he can.

Laws of Early Iceland: Grágás II

“The Betrothals Section” is a fascinating look at the institution of
Translated and Edited by Andrew Dennis, Peter Foote and Richard
marriage in early Iceland. According to the laws the age of majority for a
Perkins
freeborn man was sixteen winters. At that age he was seen as the rightful
The University of Manitoba Press
heir, able to take charge of his inheritance and able to give his mother in
$74.95
betrothal. Also covered in this section is how separations were handled if
allowed. There were many reasons that were considered valid for a
Grágás II is the second volume of the translation of medieval Icelandic
separation, but only a bishop could approve one. If the separation was
legal code. For close to two centuries this code was the responsibility of
allowed, the section spells out what responsibilities the man has toward
the Lawspeaker to memorize, and then proclaim it publicly. It was not
his former wife, and her family. This section switches tone very suddenly.
until Christian missionaries in the early 11th century began writing down
Immediately following the section of payments to the Law Council for
the code that written records of the laws were kept. The two most
leave to marry, comes a discussion about mounting and riding a horse
important manuscripts of Icelandic law are collectively known as
without leave. There is no explanation for this sudden transition and
Grágás.
even the translators are baffled by the switch.

Grágás II is not only a translation of the laws of early Iceland, but also a
Topics covered are not only treating horses, but treatments of the
very detailed look into the social history and structure of Iceland during
property of others. Another topic covered is how to deal with foreign
the Middle Ages. Reading through these laws, you get a clear picture of
traders. The laws here show the importance placed on people’s
what society was like during this time. Grágás II is the companion
possessions, and the penalties were very high for people who did not
volume to Grágás I, which deals with Christian duties of laymen and the
respect what was not theirs.
clergy, regulations for Christian observance, procedural rules and
penalties. This volume, Grágás II, deals with family law, as well as
“Land-Claims Section” is an in-depth look into the property rights and
property and contract laws.
land claims of the period. The section covers the procedures one must go
through to sell land, and how to mark boundaries. Also dealt with, in
“The Inheritance Section” describes laws dealing with inheritance. It sets
length, are disagreements over land use and property lines. Besides
out the procedures of who inherits what, and the order of heirs. The
property rights, land improvements, and new constructions are also
depth of the Icelandic law is impressive. This section covers bigamy and
covered. This is illustrated by lengthy discussions of what is considered a
gives the heirs no legal claim to any property. Another important area
legal wall, and where this wall could or could not be built. Hunting and

1
Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR riorio2@rogue-games.net 14 July 2009

fishing rights on land are covered as well. Perhaps the most interesting
parts of this section was the discussion on drift rights, and the ownership
of drift on a persons land. For example, a land owner had claim to
anything that drifted ashore on his land. If the drift had no identifying
mark of ownership, then the landowner had all legal claim to it. In the
case of a whale, if the whale had no harpoon, the claim of ownership was
with the landowner. However, if the landowner could not transport the
whale himself and needed help, by law everyone who helped was entitled
to some claim of the whale. If the whale has a harpoon, part of the whale
belonged to the person who harpooned it, and then shares are given to
the land owner and anyone else helping in the transport of the whale.
“On Hire of Property” deals with interest rates and debts. What
interested me in this section was the fact that there was a debt court,
whose sole responsibility was to prosecute people who failed to pay their
debts. The section spells out ownership marks and the laws surrounding
them. Everyone had a mark, and the penalty for someone knowingly
disregarding a ownership mark faced severe penalties. Another area
covered by this section, was the handling of stray animals. For example,
if another person’s cow wandered on to your land, by law you had to
contact the owner. If the owner failed to reclaim the cow, or ignored you,
you would be able to claim ownership of it after one season. Since you
had to care for the cow while you had possession of it the owner then had
to pay you for the care. If they refused you could take the person to court
and argue your claim.
many examples given on how a person must speak. For example one
major section deals with how a truce must be spoken, including a sample
speech that a person must give when a truce is reached. This is
fascinating reading and a clear example of what the speech patterns of
the time were like.
There are a few appendices included in the book. One example is the
“Guide to Technical Vocabulary” which is an annotated glossary that
helps define the terms found in Grágás II. The entries are meaty
including references to sections in the laws where the terms are used.
Another nice feature is a translation guide that gives translations from
English to Icelandic and Icelandic to English. This is not a
comprehensive section, but it contains enough to be useful.
Laws of Early Iceland: Grágás II is a good book and worth the price for
anyone interested in the laws and social structures of early Iceland. The
book stands on its own well, but there are some areas that were unclear,
but it is only because I do not have volume 1. The crimes of Outlawry and
the penalties that proscribe to law breakers are included in volume one,
and without it understanding these laws is difficult. The book is a
valuable resource showing the economy of the period and the
importance of family. All in all I would recommend this book to anyone
interested in this time period.
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“The Searches Section” is a small section that deals with the procedures
of searching someone’s property in the case of theft. Besides searches,
the section covers such crimes as false weights and measures, and
unlawful gambling. The major thing of note in this section is the
procedure you must go through when searching another’s house for your
stolen property. No more than twenty men were allowed to accompany
you, and no weapons could be carried. A neutral third party must be
present to ensure nothing funny went on.

Another small section, “On Commune Obligations,” is important in that

it spells out the local laws and procedures of communes. The laws are
clear in the rights that communes have, and in the responsibilities of the
members. Another small section is “On Tithe Payments,” which spells
out the laws of taxation. Taxation is simple and “…all men here in
Iceland shall pay a legal tithe on their property”(221). The section also
deals with supporting the needy as well as the church.

“The Miscellaneous Articles” covers a wide range of topics. One of the

most interesting is the laws and penalties section that deals with poetry.
It was a major crime to compose a poem about anyone, no matter if the
person was praised or defamed. In addition, if someone composed a
poem about someone who was dead, it was considered a major crime.
There are a few other interesting passages that deal with using silver as
currency and the standard values. These passages offer a wealth of
information and can be exploited in a gaming context.

“The Additions Section” deals with laws from other sources, and helps to
clarify some of the finer points of early Icelandic law. This section is
important in that it contains examples of their verbal speech. There are