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Politics and Society
Reference:
Nosova, E. S.
Iceland Lawspeakers in the Age of Sagas
// Politics and Society.
2013. № 7.
P. 884-888.
URL: https://en.nbpublish.com/library_read_article.php?id=54101
Nosova, E. S. Iceland Lawspeakers in the Age of Sagas
Abstract:
The article analyzes the procedure for electing a lawspeaker, the first person in early mediaeval Iceland.
The author of the article describes the main ethical requirements for a lawspeaker as well as his main powers
and responsibilities. A position of a lawspeaker (lögsogumaðr) in mediaeval Iceland was a bright phenomenon
compared to the other social and political development of Scandinavian countries. Formation of state institutions
in Denmark, Norway and Sweden was accompanied with the growing power of sea kings and appearing insignia.
Iceland was an exception even though it had close relations with the countries of the Western Scandinavian
group. At the end of the article the author concludes that dualism was typical for a position of a lawspeaker just
like for the state management system of Iceland in general. On one hand, law speakears position had certain
limitations because was available to all social groups and a lawspeaker was elected only for three years. On the
other hand, there was a tendency towards succession of this position within one genus. Secondly, law speakers
did not have any legal privileges or preferences. Lawspeakers had to observe the countrys laws and were
criminally prosecuted. Adam Bremensky described that combination of rights and responsibilities by saying that
they had no other king except the law.
Keywords:
Iceland, lawspeaker, Middle Ages, Scandinavia, procedure, election, position, ethics, requirements, powers.
This article can be downloaded freely in PDF format for reading. Download article
This article written in Russian. You can find original text of the article here
.
References
1. Grágás: lagasafn íslenska þjóðveldisins/ Gunnar Karlsson, Kristján Sveinsson, Mörður Árnason., Reykjavík, 2001.
2. Íslendingabók/ Sigurður Nordal. Reykjavik,1974, ch.
3. Saga o N'yale/ Islandskie sagi. pod obshch. red. Smirnitskoy O.A., Spb., 1999
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