54 THE ARVEL, OR INHERITANCE FEAST. 



At the arvel the debts of the dead were settled, and 

 divisions made if the heirs were several. If the property left 

 was not sufficient to pay the debts, then the creditors had to 

 share the loss in proportion to their claims. If the heirs were 

 sons or daughters of the deceased they had to pay the debts 

 out of their own property. 



" When a man is dead his heir shall sit in the high-seat and 

 summon all the creditors to come there on the seventh day 

 and take away each their due, as much as witnesses proved. 

 If the property is not enough all shall share the loss. The 

 one to whom more was due shall lose more. If a pauper's and 

 a woman's share are in the inheritance it holds good if there 

 is money enough for both ; if there is not she shall lose her 

 gagngjald (tilgjof) ... If there are sons or daughters they 

 shall pay the debts if they have property, but no other man 

 shall do so unless he inherits property " (Gulathing's Law, 115). 



After the debts were paid, then the paupers were distributed 

 between the heirs (or if only one pauper existed, each heir 

 supported him in turn in the same proportion as the inheritance), 

 for the community never intervened in the support of paupers. 



" If people divide paupers without property between them 

 the division shall be kept up, however they may divide. They 

 (paupers) shall follow the heirs " 1 (Gulath., 127). 



Only children by a lawful union were legitimate skirborinn 

 (holy-born), and consequently arfborinn (inheritance-born). 



" The child whose mother is bought with mund is inheritance- 

 born when it comes into daylight living and receives food ' : 

 (Gragas, i. 223). 2 



" The man who has been carried between the skaut (cloak - 

 skirts) of father and mother shall have the same rights as his 

 father had " (Earlier Frostathing's Law, ix. 15). 



" If a man lives with his concubine twenty winters or more, 

 and they never separate during that time, and no hindrances 

 come forward during the time, then their children are inheri- 

 tance-born and they are partners by law " (Gulath., 125). 



1 When paupers have been divided 

 like property, they go from heir to 

 heir, &c. 



2 The son of a man who is a freed 

 man and has a wife before his freedom- 



ale has been made, and has a son by that 

 woman, shall not take the inheritance of 

 any man though he is carried between 

 skauts (cloak-skirts, laps). (Earlier Fros- 

 tathing Law, ix. 15). 



