CUSTOMS AT THE THING. 521 



is unlawfully brought into the Hrepp, the man to whom he is 

 sent shall cut a cross if he thinks he needs a Hrepp-meeting, 

 and carry it to the next house, and there appoint a Hrepp- 

 meeting within seven nights or more, and tell the others to 

 carry the cross. Then each of them shall have it carried as 

 directed by the man who cut it, and it shall be sent in all 

 directions " (Gragas, p. 171, 234). 



The resolutions taken at the Thing were finally confirmed 

 by the vdpnatak (weapon-taking), for, as we know, the thingmen 

 during the deliberations put away their weapons, and by again 

 taking them up and shaking them they declared matters 

 settled and the Thing dissolved. 



"King Sverri summoned the people to Eijratliing 1 in 

 Thrandheim, and named twelve men from each Fylki of the 

 eight which are on that side of Agdanes. When they came, 

 the name of king was given to Sverri at this Thing of eight 

 Fylkis, and it was done with weapon-taking, and the people of 

 the land took oaths to him, according to the old laws of the 

 land " (Fora-manna Sogur, viii. 41). 



Sigurd Slembidjakn, who pretended to be the son of 

 Magnus Bare-foot, murdered Harald Gilli of Norway in his 

 bed at night, and then asked the people to take him as king. 



" Many from the king's house came down to the piers, and 

 all answered, as with one mouth, declaring it should never be 

 that they would yield homage and service to a man who had 

 murdered his brother ; ' for if he was not thy brother, thou 

 art not born to be king.' They clashed their weapons together, 

 and declared them all to be outlawed and peaceless. Then 

 the king's horn was blown, and all the lendimien and hirdmen 

 were gathered " (Harald Gilli's Saga, c. 18). 



Between the sessions of the Thing amusements took place, 

 among them that of saga- telling ; and the people who attended 

 were often finely dressed. 



" Thormod the scald wondered that no man was in the 

 booth, as many were there when he fell asleep. Fifl-Egil 

 entered and said : ' Too far art thou now from great fun.' 

 Thormod answered : ' Where wast thou, or what is the fun ? ' 

 Egil answered : ' I was in the booth of Thorgrim Trolli, and a 



1 A Thing held on the plain. 



