586 



REVENGE. 



he must repel the charge by a tylftareicl. Charge of murder 

 and of breach of faith must also be repelled in this way. Six 

 men, equal to him (the accused) in rett, shall be summoned 

 on both sides of him, two of them selected, then two of his 

 nearest kinsmen, himself as the fifth, and seven fangavattar 

 (witnesses summoned at random)" (Gulathing's Law, 132). 



" Further, if thou findest a man slain out on the field, thou 

 shalt hide the body and tell the first man whom thou meetest, 

 and then go to his heir if he is in the Fylki ; else thou shalt cut 

 a Thing-summons and call a Thing. The man that does not 

 come to the Thing is fined six aurar, called the large Thing-fine, 

 and proves himself to be the slayer if the heir wants to accuse 

 him of it" (Gulath., 161). 



If a reconciliation took place between the slayer and family 

 of the slain, the nearest of kin to the slain at once assured the 

 slayer of intermediate truce (grid), and later, when the in- 

 demnity was paid, which generally took place in several 

 instalments, assured him of security (tryggdir), whereby the 

 matter was regarded as completely settled. 1 



If the slayer left the weapon in the wound of his foe his act 

 was not considered murder, but only a lesser crime, termed 

 " secret slaying." 



" One morning, just before day-light, while Vestein was still 

 in bed, some one entered the room, thrust a spear through his 

 breast, and went out again. When Vestein tried to rise he fell 

 dead. His sister Aud called upon a thrall of hers, Thord the 

 faint-hearted, and bade him take the weapon from the wound. 

 It was the custom for the man who pulled the weapon from 

 a wound to be obliged to avenge the slain ; but it was called 

 secret slaying, and not murder, if the slayer left the weapon 

 remaining in the wound " (Gisli Sursson's Saga). 



To slay a man for revenge at night, or to put any one to 

 death at night, was considered murder. 



" King Olaf sat down in his seat when the room had been 

 prepared, and was very angry. He asked where the slayer 

 was. He was told that he was guarded out on the balcony. 

 The king said : ' Why is he not slain ? ' Thorarin Nefjulfsson 

 answered : ' My lord, do you not call it a murder to slay men 



1 Cf. Fcereyinga Saga, c. 4, 5 ; Njala, 

 36. 122 ; Heidarviga Saga, c. 22 ; Bjorn 

 Hitdcelakappi ; St. OlaPs Saga, 126, 132 ; 



Egil's Saga, c. 24, 59, 60; Viga Styr, 4. 

 N. G. L.,1. 56, 60, 159, 167, 178. 



