THE THING-PLACE HOLY. 517 



go between the winter-houses and not between the soeters. The 

 Thing-summons shall delay nowhere in weather fit for travelling 

 except in night-quarters, and not unless there is necessity. If a 

 man drops the summons he is liable to pay three aurar. . . . 

 The man who carries a summons shall cut three notches on the 

 doorpost or door . . . and put the summons over the lintel. 

 All boendr shall go to the Thing when the summons comes to 

 their house except single-workers. They shall go only to 

 three Things a Thing for murder, a Thing for choosing a king, 

 a man-reckoning (census) Thing. During all other Things they 

 shall sit at home. . . A ividow and a disabled bondi shall not 

 go to the Thing against their will. All other bo3ndr shall go to 

 the Thing when the summons comes to their house, or pay 

 a Thing-fine " (Earlier Gulathing's Law, 131). 



The Thing was held in an open place called Tliingvoll 

 (Thing -plain), in earlier times near a temple. 1 On the Thingvoll, 

 or near it, there always seems to have been a Tliing-brekka, 

 or Thing-hill, from which all announcements were made. 



The Thing-plain was a sacred place, which must not be 

 sullied by bloodshed arising from blood-feud (lieiptarllod) or 

 any other impurity. The Thing, from the time it was opened 

 until it was dissolved, was during pagan times under the 

 protection of the gods. It was opened with certain religious 

 ceremonies, which included a solemn peace declaration (grida 

 seining] over the assembly, which in earlier times was pro- 

 nounced by the Hersir near whose temple the Thing took 

 place. Every breach of the peace at a Thing was a sacrilege 

 which put the guilty one out of the pale of the law he was 

 like the violator of the temple peace a vary i veum (wolf 

 in the sanctuary), an outlaw in all holy or inhabited places, 

 and an utlagi (outlaw) for all until he had made reparation 

 for his crime. 



A struggle having arisen between the godi Thorstein and 

 his followers and some descendants of a chief Kjallak who 

 had announced their intention not to respect the sanctity of 

 the Thing and proceeded to act in defiance of the remon- 

 strances of Thorstein, recourse was had to arbitration, and 

 Thord Gellir was appointed arbitrator. 



After the introduction of Christianity, near a church. 



