CHAPTER XXXVII. 



THE THING. 



The people in assembly Different assemblies The general assembly Local 

 assemblies Analogy of the United States Eetinues of Thingmen 

 Attendance at the Thing The summons Place of assembly Its 

 sanctity Breach of the peace at a Thing a sacrilege Laws regulating 

 judgments of the Thing Appeals Common law of the towns Con- 

 firmation of resolutions passed at the Thing Amusements between the 

 sessions Accommodation of members Assemblies in Iceland - 

 Jurymen. 



FROM the most ancient times we find that the people in 

 assembly, called Thing, exercised their judicial and legislative 

 power. There they deliberated, not only on the questions con- 

 cerning their small communities, but also on the internal or 

 external affairs of the whole country. There were smaller and 

 larger Things, classified under the different names of Thing, 

 Mot, and Hus-thing, the latter being a private meeting to which 

 the chief summoned his own men. 



In order to preserve freedom of deliberation and the indi- 

 vidual liberty of each person who came, the most stringent 

 laws and regulations were laid down. 



" With laws shall our land be built, and not be laid waste 

 by lawlessness. But he who will not allow others the laws 

 shall not enjoy them himself " (Frostath., i. 6). 



The Herad-things were apparently held very often, and were 

 only attended by the people belonging to the Herad ; every 

 one who wished a question to be settled, and required a Thing, 

 had the right to summon one. 1 



There were general Things, or Fyllds-things, in which several 

 herads were represented, under the leadership of the hersir or 

 king. 



Every Herad was independent of the Fylki in its local 



1 Earlier Gulathing's Law, 131. 



2 L 2 



