26 



DIVORCE. 



punished who has such a large opening in his clothes that 

 his bare chest is displayed. Both are reasons for divorce.' . . . 

 Thord at once rushed to the law court and named witnesses, 

 he declared himself divorced from And, because she wore 

 closed breeches like men " (Laxdsela, c. 35). 



" C4udrun, Usvifr's daughter, was forced by her father to 

 marry Thorvald Halldorsson, of Garpsdal. She always asked 

 him to buy her the most costly things. Once, when she asked 

 him for something, he said that she knew no moderation, and 

 gave her a cheek-horse (box on the ear). She answered : 

 'Now thou hast given me what we women think of great 

 importance, and that is a good complexion, and thou hast 

 cured me of importunate requests.' The same evening Thord 

 (Ingunnarson, a good friend of hers) came in. Gudrun told 

 him of this disgrace, and asked how she should take revenge 

 for it. Thord smiled, and replied : ' I know a good way ; make 

 a shirt for him with an opening of divorce, and declare thyself 

 separated from him for this reason.' Gudrun said nothing 

 against this, and they left off speaking, but that same spring 

 Gudrun declared herself separated from Thorvald, and went 

 home to her father at Laugar " (Laxdsela, ch. 34). 



Divorce was easy to get, 1 especially for the man, on the 

 ground of the wife's infidelity ; while the wife could get it on 

 the ground of repeated ill-treatment from her husband. 



" If a man does not sleep in the same bed with his wife for 

 six seasons on account of dislike, then her kinsmen can claim 

 her property and also her rett, but she shall herself keep 

 her property " (Gragas, i. 329). 



A man could separate from his wife without a lawful reason, 

 but the separation was looked upon as a disgrace by her 

 kinsmen, and revenge was sure to follow. 



" If a man wants to separate from his wife, he shall declare 

 himself separated so that each of them may hear the other's 

 voice, and have witnesses present " (Gulathing's Law, 54). 2 



If a husband tried to take his wife out of the country 

 against her will she could separate herself from him. 



1 In Iceland a high degree of poverty 

 after the marriage was a lawful reason 



for divorce (Gragas, 40). 

 2 Frostathing Law, xi., xiv. 



