DISPOSAL OF PROPERTY. 



property; but nevertheless the property of each was quite 

 separate. At the marriage the property of both was valued, 

 and the heimanfylgja, tilgjof, ttnfe, and also what she had got 

 or would get by inheritance or other ways, were regarded as the 

 property of the woman. 



If the husband died first, his natural heir got his property, 

 while the wife kept hers ; but if the wife died first, the husband 

 took back the tilyjvf, and the other property went to her heirs. 



If a man did not value the property of his wife at the 

 marriage, then he had to pay the value to her heirs if she died 

 before him, and take an oath that he had not received more. 

 But if he died first, and his property also had not been valued, 

 and they had been married for twelve months, then she 

 got one-third of the loose property and land, besides her 

 clothes. 



" A man shall rule over his wife's property while they are 

 married, and not separated, except that which is stipulated at 

 their betrothal or their marriage ; that property shall she 

 answer for and rule herself. If an inheritance falls to a man's 

 wife, and there are umagi 1 in that inheritance but no property, 2 

 her husband shall take care of these, and " fit them out," but 

 her heimanfylgja shall not diminish when it is made public in 

 a drinking-hall. 3 But if there is property in that inheritance, 

 the lands and all loose property shall be valued, and he shall 

 have the care of them and the increase, but he shall pay as 

 much back as he got, except the land-rents which he got 

 afterwards " (Earlier Frostathing's Law, xi. 5). 



" A gift given to a woman shall be her property, in whatever 

 manner she may be separated. All the property of a maiden 

 shall be valued, loose property against loose property, but 

 one half of a widow's property shall be valued. The valuation 

 shall be lawful in every case except two if she dies childless 

 or leaves him without a protector" (Gulath., 54\ 



The only certain examples of polygamy 4 occur among the 

 great chiefs, such as Harald Fairhair. Harald Hardradi had 



1 Umagi, one that cannot support 

 himself. 



2 Negative inheritance. 



3 Before people in a hall. 



4 Concubines were both slaves of high 

 birth who were captured in war and 

 women of lower birth, and seem to have 



often lived in the house. Njal had a 

 concubine whose son by him was killed, 

 and NjaPs wife was anximis to avenge 

 his death. Their status seems to have 

 depended on that of the man with whom 

 thev lived. 



