58 



DR. JON STEFAN SSON, PH.D., ON ICELAND : 



iiiodified, and applied the laws. Decisions were carried by 

 simple majority, though the minority must not consist of more 

 than twelve members. If a resolution of the LogrMa infringed 

 the rights and interests of any free man, he could veto or 

 suspend it' by appearing in person. It was one of the 

 numerous precautions taken to guard the ancient palladium of 

 personal liberty. It was a counterpoise to tlie abuse of 

 oligarchy. The whole nation, through any of its members, had, 

 in the last instance, the right to take part in the deliberations 

 of tlie Althing. 



The L6gr6tta published and interpreted the laws through the 

 Law-Speaker. He could be consulted at any time of the year 

 on a point of law, being its ofhcial interpreter. If a law was 

 passed by in silence and not recited publicly by him for three 

 years, i.e., for his term of office, it was abolished, provided that 

 no remonstrance was made. The only trace there was of central 

 power in the island resided in him, but as he had no executive 

 power, it was next to none. 



After the Althing the new laws and other matters of public 

 importance were proclaimed at a Thing, held in each Thing 

 district of Iceland, and called Lci^. There was another Thing 

 held in the spring, dealing with local matters and preparing for 

 the Althing. 



The source of the English trial by jury is the Icelandic kvi^, 

 and the English juries de mcineto in the thirteenth century 

 correspond with that form of trial. 



At the Althing of A.D. 1000 a debate took place about the 

 introduction of Christianity. The Christian chieftains supported 

 the envoys of King Olaf Tryggvas(m of Norway, and the 

 heathens, to avoid civil war, agreed to submit it to the decision 

 of the heathen Law-Speaker, Tliorgeir, whether the Christian 

 religion or tlie old faith should prevail in Iceland. For three 

 days and three nights he lay quietly in his tent, thinking over 

 the two religions. On the fourth day he stood forth on the 

 Law mount, or hill, and declared that they were to be bay)tized 

 and call themselves Christians, the temples to be destroyed, but 

 those who liked to sacrifice at home to the old gods might 

 continue to doso, and a few heathen customs were to be permitted. 

 The people accepted this, only the men from North and East 

 Iceland refused to be immersed (baptized) in (X)ld water, so 

 the hot springs at lieykir were used for the rite. 



Two bishf)])s' sees were established, at Skalholt in 1056, and 

 nt Holar in 1 IOC), subject successively to the IMetropolitan sees 

 of Jjremen, Lund and Thrandheim. The bish()])K were elected 



