Norway
As with the other Scandinavian countries in the Medieval Age, Norway was governed by a system of þings at which the numerous kings would convene to settle legal disputes. A jury typically consisted of twelve members, twenty-four members, or thirty-six members according to the importance of the matter in question. One of the most common practices in Norway of determining innocence was a holmgang, which was a duel between the accuser and the accused. The winner was considered to be in the favor of the gods and thus the innocent party. Although not as common, outlawing men was practiced as well. Bjorn, son of Ketil Flat-Nose, was declared an outlaw by a thing assembled by King Harald in the very beginning of the Eyrbyggja Saga. The thing was, and still is called Gulaþing. It is a kind of social contract that classifies citizens into classes and set the amount for fines according to the crimes committed.
Udal law is a modern remnant of the ancient Norwegian laws. Udal law was codified by the kings Magnus I of Norway "the good" and Magnus VI of Norway "lawmender". The Treaty of Perth transferred the Outer Hebrides and Isle of Man to Scots law while Norse law and rule still applied for Shetland and Orkney.
Read more about this topic: Norse Law
Famous quotes containing the word norway:
“A long time you have been making the trip
From Havre to Hartford, Master Soleil,
Bringing the lights of Norway and all that.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
“Such was the very armor he had on
When he the ambitious Norway combated.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Write about winter in the summer. Describe Norway as Ibsen did, from a desk in Italy; describe Dublin as James Joyce did, from a desk in Paris. Willa Cather wrote her prairie novels in New York City; Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in Hartford, Connecticut. Recently, scholars learned that Walt Whitman rarely left his room.”
—Annie Dillard (b. 1945)