Norse Law - Christianity and Norse Law

Christianity and Norse Law

Christianity is thought to have come to the Scandinavian peoples initially in the reign of Charlemagne, but did not take hold until the 11th or 12th centuries, when it was made the official religion of Norway by Olaf Tryggvason. He is also credited with expanding the religion (forcefully) to the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland, among other areas in Scandinavia.

With the Christians came new laws and ideas, such as the Járnburdr, which was a "test by fire". It consisted of picking an iron out of boiling water and carrying it 9 paces. A week later, if the carrier's wounds had not become infected they were declared innocent. Later, the Christians also abolished this law. It also abolished slavery in Scandinavia and the gathering of "cults". Perhaps the largest contribution of Christianity to Viking culture, however, was the power that it presented. As the Viking Age moved into a more monarchical era, it came crashing down. Kings such as the Olaf Tryggvason, Sweyn Forkbeard, and Sweyn's son- Cnut the Great were extremely powerful and were Christian.

The yearly þing ritual continued after the Christianization of Scandinavia, especially in Iceland where it was a social gathering, not merely a court.