A Winter in Iceland and Lapland (Volume 1)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1840 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III. INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY. A code of laws introduced--The form of government--adopted--The Hrepp--The Thing--Religious ceremonies--Human sacrifices--The courts--The Laugmadr--Althing--Laws--Ordeal--Exposition of Infants--Bersekir--Discovery of Greenland--Of America--Introduction of Christianity. About fifty-six years after Ingolf's arrival3 the population had so much increased that it was considered necessary to form a regular government. In 928, Ufliot, who had two years before brought over a book of Norwegian laws, proposed that a selection should be made of such statutes as were applicable to their infant colony. At a public meeting Thorlief, hin spake, or the wise, was requested to compile a code, with the assistance of some other chiefs; he complied with the demand, and gleaned from the Norwegian laws whatever he judged to be serviceable to Iceland. The new form of government given to the country was that of an aristocratic republic. The island was divided into four provinces, called after the cardinal points of the compass. These were again subdivided, each into three districts, with the exception of the northern province, which, on account of its superior size, was divided into four parts. These were again subdivided into portions called Hreppar, a term which in many respects is analogous to our hundred; ten of them were generally contained in one district, though the number varied. The Hrepp was inhabited by at least ten farmers, each in possession of a fixed value of property. In each of the districts was a court of justice called Thing, which was also consecrated to religious uses, and was built with considerable magnificence for the country it was in. Two of these edifices were 120 feet long, the one...