14 MARRIAGE. 



" The giver away next to a father or brother is a lawfully 

 wedded mother. If there is no mother, then the man twenty 

 winters old or more who is the nearest heir after the woman 

 who is married " (Frostath, law ii. 13). 



The father did not always exercise his right of deciding 

 about the marriage ; sometimes he left the decision of the suit 

 entirely in the hands of the daughter, but such cases must be 

 regarded as an exception. 



If a girl married against the will of her parents or kinsmen the 

 latter could disinherit her, and her progeny were illegitimate, 

 and this act of disobedience would even get her self-chosen 

 husband declared an outlaw as a woman-robber. 



When a poor girl was given in marriage to a rich man, one of 

 the conditions made was that her clothes and ornaments should 

 be provided, though if she was an heiress and fifteen years of 

 age she could betroth herself with the advice of her kinsmen. 



The different Sagas and laws place the age of majority of 

 men as well as of women at fifteen years, and early marriages 

 of women at that age were not uncommon. 



" Thorvald (a wealthy Icelander) asked in marriage Gudriin 

 Usvifr's daughter at the Althing when she was fifteen winters 

 old. The answer was favourable, but Usvif'r said it would be 

 seen by the conditions that they were not equally high-born. 

 Thorvald took this well, and said he asked for the woman and 

 not for property. Then Gudriin was betrothed to Thorvald, 

 and Usvifr made the agreement. It was that Gudriin alone 

 should rule over their property after they had come into one 

 bed, and be owner of one half of all, whether they lived longer 

 or shorter together. He was also to buy costly things for her, 

 so that no equally rich wife had better jewels " (Laxdsela, 

 c. 34). 1 



" The maiden who becomes an heiress may marry herself to 

 whomever she likes when she is fifteen winters old, with the 

 counsel of those of her kinsmen who are the wisest and nearest 

 both on her father's and mother's side " (Frostath., xi. 18). 



" Gliim, a powerful man, went with his brother (Thorarin) 

 to Hoskuldsstadir with eighteen men to ask in marriage Hall- 

 gerd, the daughter of the chief Hoskuld who lived there. 



1 L'f. also Droplaugar sona Saga, 23, '24. 



