Greetings,
Next month we are holding an event that has a Norse style "Thing" as the main event/activity. The heads of households, Baron/ess, other important people (of course any royalty in attendance) can participate in offering up a proposed law that will be voted on by the attendants of the Thing. The law should be Norse in style, but relevant to todays SCA game that we all play.
I am looking for references to actual Norse laws, or ideas for laws, or examples of laws that have been brought forth in recent Things that people might be aware of.
Anybody?
Next month we are holding an event that has a Norse style "Thing" as the main event/activity. The heads of households, Baron/ess, other important people (of course any royalty in attendance) can participate in offering up a proposed law that will be voted on by the attendants of the Thing. The law should be Norse in style, but relevant to todays SCA game that we all play.
I am looking for references to actual Norse laws, or ideas for laws, or examples of laws that have been brought forth in recent Things that people might be aware of.
Anybody?
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Re: A Law for a Thing
Mon, April 14, 2008 - 8:20 AMWasn't the "Thing" about resolving disputes between parties as opposed to "legislating" in the modern sence. As far as I know there was no written law in Viking society, but if I thought that Sven took my property I could go to the Thing and they would make a decision on what to do. -
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Re: A Law for a Thing
Mon, April 14, 2008 - 8:25 PMIceland had written laws beginning in the 10th century, and the Icelandic Althing, which continues to this day, is the oldest continuously operating parliamentary body in the world.
According to the "Landnámabók," the first Althing was held in 930 under the first Lawspeaker, Rafn, son of Ketil the Salmon. It was begun based upon a system of law brought from Norway ca. 927 by a man named Ulfjotr.
But yes, Things, including the Althing, were as much court as legislature, and the resolution of disputes does indeed seem to have been the chief purpose of smaller local and regional Things. -
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Re: A Law for a Thing
Fri, May 16, 2008 - 10:08 AMFrom what I've read studying this it was not uncommon for those presiding over a Thing to use previous outcomes as a prescedent for current cases. This would create a very loose kind of legislation, but not the kind of which seems to be planned for this event.
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