496 DIVISIONS OF PEOPLE INTO CLASSES. 



and jarls ruling the country had great support from the lendir 

 menn, for in each Fylki it was the lendir menn who ruled over 

 the mass of the boendr " (St. Olaf, c. 44). 



The Bondi was a name of honour given to him who possessed 

 lands which he cultivated with men under him consequently 

 the foremost chiefs of the country were boendr. 



They made and unmade the laws in the Thing, accepted 

 or deposed the men who were to rule or ruled over them. In 

 them lay the strength and power of the country ; from their 

 earliest youth we find them practising all kinds of athletic 

 games, fitting themselves to be warriors on land and sea. 



The Haulld seems to have been a higher grade of bondi, 

 on account of the nature of the odal which he had inherited 

 from his father and mother, and which his forefathers had 

 owned before them. The haulld and the bondi were the only 

 classes who could be regarded as hereditary ; they formed an 

 integral part of the herad, and were the representatives of all 

 that was powerful and influential in the land. Throughout 

 the whole Northern literature we see their power when 

 assembled in the Thing. 



The desire to show this power caused chiefs and rich bcendr 

 to surround themselves with a retinue of free and warlike 

 men. 



" When Olaf Tryggvason ruled over Norway, he gave his 

 brother-in-law Erling one half of the land-rents, and one half 

 of all the revenues between Lidandisnes (Lindesnces) and Sogn. 

 Olaf married his other sister to Koguvald Jaii tllfsson, who 

 ruled long over Western Gautland. Eognyald's father Ulf was 

 the brother of Sigrid the Proud, mother of Olaf King of Sweden. 

 Eirik Jarl did not like Erling to have so much power, and 

 took to himself all the possessions which King Olaf had 

 granted to Erling ; but Erling continued to take all the land- 

 dues in Rogaland, and the inhabitants often paid them twice 

 to him. Little did the Jaii get of the fines, for the si/shimenn 

 (tax-gatherers) could not remain there. The Jarl never went 

 to veizlas (entertainments, feasts) there unless he tad many 

 men with him. 



" Eirik did not dare to fight against Erling, for he had many 

 and mighty kinsmen, and was powerful and popular. He also 

 constantly had with him as many men as a king's bodyguard. 

 Erling was often on warfare during the summer, and won 



