THE CUSTOMS OF THE LAW-COURTS. 539 



three in every Spring-thing, when three Thing-districts were in 

 each of the three quarters, and they shall each of them take 

 one man from each of the old Thing-districts, so that twelve 

 men sit in the law-court from each quarter. . . . 



" Each man who sits in the law-court has to have two men 

 to give him advice, one in front of himself, and the other 

 behind him and his Thingmen ; then the benches are fully 

 occupied, with forty-eight men on each bench. No man shall 

 sit inside the benches on the space of the law-court except 

 those who have cases ; but at other times they can sit there, 

 and the lawman has to dispose of the seats. The people shall 

 sit outside the benches. Only those who have cases . . . have 

 the right to rise in the law-court when laws or licenses are 

 considered. He who rises (without the right to do so) is to be 

 fined three marks, and whoever likes can prosecute him. 

 People who crowd so much to the Logretta purposely, or make 

 so much noise or tumult that cases are disturbed, are liable to 

 lesser outlawry, as in the case of every disturbance at the 

 Thing. If men come to the law-court who have to sit there 

 and others have sat in their seats, they shall ask for their 

 seats, and the men are not punished if they go away ; but if 

 they tarry when the seat is asked for, they are fined three 

 marks. Then the man shall ask for his seat with witnesses, 

 and if the other does not rise he is liable to lesser out- 

 lawry. . . . 



" The law-court shall sit both Sundays (Drottnisdag) of the 

 Thing and the last day of the Thing, and always between 

 those days when the lawman or the greater part of the people 

 wish. . . . There their laws shall be changed and new laws 

 be made if people want them; there all innocence (e.g. of 

 outlawry) shall be asked for. As soon as the godis get into 

 their seats each of them shall place a man on the bench before 

 him and another on the bench at his back for advice. Then 

 the men who have cases shall tell what they disagree upon ; 

 then they shall think on the case until they are decided in 

 their mind on it and ask all law-court men who sit on the 

 middle bench to tell what each of them wants in this case 

 according to law. Thereupon each godi shall tell what the laws 

 say and with whom he will go in this case, and the majority 

 shall rule. If an equal number of law-court men on both sides 

 say that two different decisions are lawful then the decision of 

 those with whom the lawman sides shall rule. If the others 

 are more they shall rule, and both shall take vefangseid (oath 

 of division) to this that they think what they decide in this 

 case is lawful and follow it up because it is law. . . . It is the 

 lawman's duty to tell all those who ask him what is law, both 



