THE NORSE OCCUPATION. 45 



r airhair ; and teinds were exacted after the introduction of 

 Christianity. Although nominally valued in money, taxes 

 were paid in produce, fish, &c. It is perhaps unnecessary 

 to say that the word Vik-ings, or " men of the bays," has 

 no connexion with kingship. The Vikings followed the 

 profession of piracy, which was considered no less honour- 

 able an occupation than cattle-lifting during the clan 

 period in the Highlands. 



The allodial system of land-tenure (Icelandic bdal= 

 ancestral possessions) which prevailed was the antithesis 

 of feudalism ; it was based upon entire independence of 

 Superiors and was completed by undisturbed possession of 

 the land. The odallers were peasant nobles who possessed 

 their lands simply by primal occupancy. Their title was 

 absolute and inalienable, and their rights were transmitted 

 to their children and jealously guarded from infringement. 

 A man might take service with another and even sink to 

 the position of a thrall, without forfeiting his right to the 

 possession of his odal. The only " rent " known to the 

 odaller was an assessment for public services. 



The odalsjord comprised the tun or township with its bol 

 or chief farm (hence Eribol, &c.) enclosed by its hill dyke 

 which separated its inner field from its soettur or common 

 outpasture (hence Shader, Sheshader, Linshader and other 

 similar names in Lewis). The rights of the community in 

 respect of these commons were carefully preserved by the 

 herad. Every settler had the right to make use of the 

 wood and water on them, to fish in them, to hunt and trap 

 animals, to cut timber and mow grass, and to build smithies 

 and hunting huts. The rights of previous users of the 

 common land had to be observed by new-comers. The 

 settler was expected to fence his property within twelve 

 months. Outside his homefield, he owned as out-grounds 

 all the surrounding land as far as he could throw his 

 knife. Deer enclosures could be made on common land, 

 and here again the hunting privileges of previous settlers 

 had to be respected. Fishing-grounds were common pro- 

 perty, but there were probably certain restrictions imposed 



