CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



THE GOBI AND THE GODISHIP. 



Power and functions of the godi or temple-priest The leaders at sacrifices and 

 spiritual rulers in the earliest times The law only above the godi He is 

 the administrator of the law among the Thingmen The post hereditary 

 Ceremony attending the assumption of office The godi's office trans- 

 ferable Appearance of the godi Their attendance at the Althing 

 compulsory The weapon-thing Sanctity of the law-courts. 



THE power and functions of the godi, or temple-priest, whose 

 name has been mentioned in the chapter on Religion, were 

 probably the same in Norway as in Sweden or Denmark 

 before the time of Harald Fairhair of Norway, Gorm of Den- 

 mark, and Eirik of Sweden. In the earliest times the godis, 

 whose office was called godord (godiship), were the leaders at 

 sacrifices and spiritual rulers of the people, and their descen- 

 dants united both the spiritual and temporal power. 



The original number of holders of the godiship in Iceland 

 was thirty-nine, but in the year 1004 twelve new members 

 were added. 



The position of the godi among the Thingmen was of 

 a special nature, and was grounded on birth or privilege, such 

 as purchase ; the only thing above him was the law, which 

 was in the keeping of all the godis of the country. He had 

 to see that the law was carried out among the Thingmen, and 

 had to help his own Thingmen when they had a case against 

 a Thingman of another district. 1 



The temple-priest as such had certain revenues ; he had, 

 besides, a share of the pay given to the Thingmen by the 

 boendr who did not go to the Thing ; parts of certain fines and 

 forfeited property, and fees for certain legal formalities which 

 could only be performed by him. 2 He was named by the 



1 Twenty feet of vadmal were paid 

 yearly by each bondi who did not go to 

 the Thing to those who went to the 



Althing (Gragas, 77, 107). 

 2 Gragas, 23, 49, 51, 62, 67. 



