INDEMNITIES PAID IN KIND. 551 



Offence in word consisted in abuse or disgraceful similes, or 

 in bringing an accusation of some disgraceful deeds. 



In the first case the offended had to get witnesses to the 

 offence, and must not return the abuse; if he did so, he was 

 held to have avenged himself, when the two offences were 

 balanced one against the other, and there was no indemnity. 

 In the second case the offender could free himself by proving 

 the truth of his accusation, or getting ten witnesses that the 

 accusation was grounded on a report from the house of the 

 offended. The offended person then had to deny this on oath, 

 or in some cases by undergoing the burning iron ordeal ; 

 according to the result the offender had or had not to pay 

 indemnity. 



If a man was slandered behind his back to the king or a 

 chief, the offender was liable to the punishment which the 

 slandered would have had had he been guilty. 



"No one of us shall slander another to the king, or to a more 

 powerful man than himself. If he slanders away a man's life 

 or property, he has slandered away his own property or life, if 

 it is proved. If he denies it he shall do it with a settareid 

 (an oath). He shall have the same punishment which he meant 

 for the man " (Gulath., 137). 1 



" No man can take his rett oftener than three times, 2 neither 

 man nor woman, if he does not take revenge in the meantime ' : 

 (Gulath., 186). 



The weregild was not always paid in cash, but was some- 

 times given in kind. 



" Now the payment must be regulated. A cow shall be 

 worth two aurar and a half. When a cow is paid it must not 

 be older than eight winters, unless the receiver cares to take it. 

 All paid cows must have good horns and tails, eyes and teats, 

 and in every respect be good. Corn and oxen and all call- 

 bearing cows may be paid as indemnities (baug). Gold or 

 burnt (cleansed) silver may be paid if found. Horses, but not 

 mares. A stallion, but not a gelding. It must not have 

 faults. Sheep may be paid, but not goats. Odal-land, but 

 not kaup-land. A ship, unless it is repaired or so old 

 that the first oar-loops of it have been rown off, its sterns are 



1 See oath, p. 558. 



2 It was thought unmanly to be <\\^- 

 graesd three times ami take no revenge. 



Ct'. also Gulath., 196; Addition to Fros- 

 tath. Law, 36. 



