6 CO-OPEBATION IN DANISH AGKICULTURE 



so ako was the schoolmaster ; in a Bye-Lov it was provided 

 that all the villagers should be mutually responsible for his 

 board, whether they had children at the school or not, but 

 those whose children went to school paid such part of hisK^ 

 salary as could not be paid out of the fines- ; any one refusing 

 to do this was liable to a fine of three marks to be levied, if 

 necessary, by distress and handed over to the village authorities. 

 The old Bye-Lov sometimes dealt with other matters, such 

 as the duty of everybody to attend services in church : the 

 duties of servants ; the question of fireplaces and damage by 

 fire ; mutual aid ; death ; disease among cattle ; beggars 

 and tramps, and the like. In case of theft the villagers them- 

 selves often fixed the punishment. 



The village, therefore, was a miniature state within the 

 State, with its alderman, who in the larger villages was assisted 

 by a kind of standing committee ; and its own officers such 

 as bailiff, herdsman, and others. In the district of Aarhus 

 they said, " the village bull and the village blacksmith are 

 our officers." The alderman wielded a considerable power 

 and most Bye-Laws declared him and his helpers to be " holy 

 and inviolable," when performing their duties. The alderman 

 carried " the village staff," and " the village horn." The 

 first was a square rod, on which each farm in the village had 

 its division marked with the initials of the owner or tenant, 

 and if the peasant ever happened to be fined, a notch was cut 

 in his division on the rod. The horn was used for convening 

 meetings or for summoning the peasants in the night in case 

 of fire or on any similar emergency. The alderman kept the 

 written Bye-Laws in his possession ; it was sometimes stipu- 

 lated that he was to keep himself well versed in the Law, 

 which should be read out at the meetings at least twice a year, 

 or at least such articles of it as had reference to the matters 

 before the meeting, so that all should know the Law. If any 

 one offended he was fined, and if he did not pay his fine 

 punctually it was levied by distress. The amount of the fines 

 was spent on feasting or merry-making and on necessary 

 expenses of the village. 



It will be seen from all this, that a well-developed spirit of 

 co-operation and home rule existed in the village communities. 



