CHAPTER XLIV. 



REVENGE. 



The duty of the nearest relative Procedure Blood-nights Secret slaying 

 Incitement to revenge by women Intentional wounding Arbitration 

 Manslaughter Murder by lunatics Insults Punishment of derision. 



KEVENGE played a conspicuous part in the daily life of the 

 Norsemen, and it was the duty of the nearest relative to avenge 

 the death of. a kinsman. This duty first belonged to the 

 brother of the deceased, and, if he had no brother, to his next 

 of kin. Relatives as far as the fourth degree were obliged, if 

 there was no one nearer, to undertake the duty. If the rela- 

 tive could not find the murderer, his revenge fell upon the 

 innocent kinsman of the murderer, or upon the servants of the 

 latter. 



Procedure depended on the nature of the case. If a man 

 was slain in his own Herad, his wife or heir, or the nearest of 

 kin present in the Herad, the same day that the death became 

 known sent out an arrow from farm to farm through the Herad 

 to summon the bcendr. The summons ordered them to meet 

 the same day, or, if it was already late, the next day, at the 

 place of murder, to attend the Arrow-thing. At the Arrow-thing 

 those more especially had to appear to whom the murderer had 

 announced the slaying, with his name and residence ; those 

 assembled examined the circumstances of the slaying, and 

 what was practically a coroner's inquest took place. 



" Thither came nine bcendr who lived next to the slaying- 

 place. Mord (who caused the slaying and declared it) had ten 

 men with him. He showed to the bcendr the wounds of 

 Hoskuld, and named witnesses to the wounds, and one to every 

 wound except one. He feigned not to know who had given it, 

 for he had given it himself. He declared that Skarphedin 

 had slain him, and that his brothers and Kari had given the 



