Gray Goose Laws
The Gray (Grey) Goose Laws (Icelandic: Grágás [ˈkrauːˌkauːs]) are a collection of laws from the Icelandic Commonwealth period. The term Grágás was originally used in a medieval source to refer to a collection of Norwegian laws and was probably mistakenly used to describe the existing collection of Icelandic law during the sixteenth century. The Grágás laws in Iceland were presumably in use until 1262–1264 when Iceland was taken over by the Norwegian crown.
Origins of Icelandic law
According to
Etymology
The term "Gray Goose Laws", used to describe the laws of the Icelandic Commonwealth by the 16th century, may refer to the following:
- the fact that the laws were written with a goose quill,
- the fact that the laws were bound in goose skin, or
- because of the age of the laws—it was then believed that geese lived longer than other birds.
Manuscripts
The existing Icelandic Commonwealth laws that now exist as the Grágás never actually existed in one complete volume during
According to the Grágás, one third of the Icelandic laws were recited by the
These laws remained in force until 1271–1273 at which time the
References
Editions and translations
- Vilhjálmur Finsen (ed. and trans.), Grágás: Islændernes lovbog i fristatens tid, udg. efter det kongelige Bibliotheks Haanskrift, 2 vols (Copenhagen: Berling, 1852), http://www.septentrionalia.net/etexts/gragas.pdf. Edition and translation of the Konungsbók (GKS 1157 fol) text.
- Vilhjálmur Finsen (ed. and trans.), Grágás efter det Arnamagnæanske Haandskrift Nr. 334 fol. (Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1879). Edition and translation of the Staðarhólsbók (AM 334 fol) text.
- Grágás: Stykker, som findes i det Arnamagnæanske haandskrift Ms. 351 fol. Skálhóltsbók og en række andre haandskrifter, tilligemed et ordregister til Grágás, oversigter over haandskrifterne, og facsimilier af de vigtigste membraner (Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1883).
- Dennis, Andrew, Peter Foote, and Richard Perkins, trans., Laws of Early Iceland: Grágás. The Codex Regis of Grágás with Material from Other Manuscripts. University of Manitoba Icelandic Studies, 3, 5. 2 vols. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba, 1980–2000.
Studies
- Boulhosa, Patricia Press. “The Law of Óláfr inn Helgi.” In Icelanders and the Kings of Norway: Mediaeval Sagas and Legal Texts. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2005.
- Byock, Jesse L., Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power, Berkeley: University of California, 1990
- Byock, Jesse L. "Grágás: The 'Grey Goose' Law in Viking Age Iceland London: Penguin, 2001.
- Gjerset, Knut, History of Iceland. New York: Macmillan, 1924
- Laxness, Einar, Íslandssaga, vol. 1, Reykjavík: Bókaútgafa Menningarsjóðs og Þjóðvinafélagsins, 1974
External links
- Handbok i norrøn filologi - Faksimilar, Einar Haugen - Contains photographs of the text in manuscript