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Today’s Tabbloid
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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:
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.
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
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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 many examples given on how a person must speak. For example one
parts of this section was the discussion on drift rights, and the ownership major section deals with how a truce must be spoken, including a sample
of drift on a persons land. For example, a land owner had claim to speech that a person must give when a truce is reached. This is
anything that drifted ashore on his land. If the drift had no identifying fascinating reading and a clear example of what the speech patterns of
mark of ownership, then the landowner had all legal claim to it. In the the time were like.
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 There are a few appendices included in the book. One example is the
whale himself and needed help, by law everyone who helped was entitled “Guide to Technical Vocabulary” which is an annotated glossary that
to some claim of the whale. If the whale has a harpoon, part of the whale helps define the terms found in Grágás II. The entries are meaty
belonged to the person who harpooned it, and then shares are given to including references to sections in the laws where the terms are used.
the land owner and anyone else helping in the transport of the whale. Another nice feature is a translation guide that gives translations from
English to Icelandic and Icelandic to English. This is not a
“On Hire of Property” deals with interest rates and debts. What comprehensive section, but it contains enough to be useful.
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 Laws of Early Iceland: Grágás II is a good book and worth the price for
debts. The section spells out ownership marks and the laws surrounding anyone interested in the laws and social structures of early Iceland. The
them. Everyone had a mark, and the penalty for someone knowingly book stands on its own well, but there are some areas that were unclear,
disregarding a ownership mark faced severe penalties. Another area but it is only because I do not have volume 1. The crimes of Outlawry and
covered by this section, was the handling of stray animals. For example, the penalties that proscribe to law breakers are included in volume one,
if another person’s cow wandered on to your land, by law you had to and without it understanding these laws is difficult. The book is a
contact the owner. If the owner failed to reclaim the cow, or ignored you, valuable resource showing the economy of the period and the
you would be able to claim ownership of it after one season. Since you importance of family. All in all I would recommend this book to anyone
had to care for the cow while you had possession of it the owner then had interested in this time period.
to pay you for the care. If they refused you could take the person to court
and argue your claim. Posted in books, thoughts Tagged: review — books, thoughts
“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.
“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