526 



THE GODI AND TEE GODISHIP. 



district or by the family, and the bcendr l under a certain godi 

 were called the Thingmen of the godi. 



The godord was looked upon as property ; it was inherited, 

 and could be given away, sold, or forfeited. If the godi 

 forfeited the godiship, then the men of the Thridjung-district 2 

 to which the godiship belonged had to elect another; and 

 also, when the heir was not of age, they could elect a pro- 

 visional godi. The heir to a godiship would become godi, 

 if the boendr allowed him, at the age of twelve. If the heir 

 was a woman, she could give the godiship to whichever man 

 of the district she preferred. 



When a man became a godi he killed a ram and dipped his 

 hands in its blood. 



" Hoskuld said : ' Let us redden ourselves in the blood of 

 the godi according to ancient custom.' He killed a ram, 

 reddened his hands in its blood, and declared Arnstein's 

 godiship to be his. ..." (Ljosvetninga Saga, c. 4). 



If the godi broke the law he was prosecuted like another 

 man, consequently there was a check upon his powers, and he 

 had to take great care that law and justice were properly 

 executed. 



" The men of the Thridjung-district always have power over 

 the godiship when the godi is outlawed and loses it. They 

 shall draw lots among themselves. If a man has bought 

 a godiship, or it has been given to him, then it shall be 

 inherited (by his heirs). ... If the godi becomes sick, he 

 has the right to sell the godiship. If he dies and leaves a son 

 12 winters old he gets it (the godiship) if the people allow it. 

 If a woman is heiress she shall sell the godiship to some man 

 of the district. If the godi dies before einmanud 3 they shall 

 draw lots and have a meeting as to who shall get the godiship ; 

 crosses 4 shall be cut and sent in all directions. If he dies after 

 einmanud they (the people) shall come one night before others 

 to the Spring-thing and' draw lots who shall be godi. If he 

 dies towards the Althing (time), or on the way to the Thing, 

 then his nearest kinsman at the Althing shall be godi. If 



1 Every bondi had to belong to some 

 Thing. 



2 The country was parcelled out into 

 Thing-districts, each being presided over 

 by three godis, hence the word Thridjung- 



district. 



3 Einmanud, last month of winter. 



4 It is probable that this sign wns the 

 svastica, used in Iceland instead of the 

 arrow used in Norway. (See p. 520.) 



