CHAPTER XXXVIII.

THE GODI AND THE GODISHIP.

Power and functions of the godi or temple-priest—The leaders at sacrifices and spiritual rulers in the earliest times—The law only above the godi—He is the administrator of the law among the Thingmen—The post hereditary—Ceremony attending the assumption of office—The godi’s office transferable—Appearance of the godi—Their attendance at the Althing compulsory—The weapon-thing—Sanctity of the law-courts.

The power and functions of the godi, or temple-priest, whose name has been mentioned in the chapter on Religion, were probably the same in Norway as in Sweden or Denmark before the time of Harald Fairhair of Norway, Gorm of Denmark, and Eirik of Sweden. In the earliest times the godis, whose office was called _godord_ (godiship), were the leaders at sacrifices and spiritual rulers of the people, and their descendants united both the spiritual and temporal power.

The original number of holders of the godiship in Iceland was thirty-nine, but in the year 1004 twelve new members were added.

The position of the godi among the Thingmen was of a special nature, and was grounded on birth or privilege, such as purchase; the only thing above him was the law, which was in the keeping of all the godis of the country. He had to see that the law was carried out among the Thingmen, and had to help his own Thingmen when they had a case against a Thingman of another district.[523]

The temple-priest as such had certain revenues; he had, besides, a share of the pay given to the Thingmen by the bœndr who did not go to the Thing; parts of certain fines and forfeited property, and fees for certain legal formalities which could only be performed by him.[524] He was named by the district or by the family, and the bœndr[525] under a certain godi were called the Thingmen of the godi.

The _godord_ was looked upon as property; it was inherited, and could be given away, sold, or forfeited. If the godi forfeited the godiship, then the men of the _Thridjung-district_[526] to which the godiship belonged had to elect another; and also, when the heir was not of age, they could elect a provisional godi. The heir to a godiship would become godi, if the bœndr allowed him, at the age of twelve. If the heir was a woman, she could give the godiship to whichever man of the district she preferred.

When a man became a godi he killed a ram and dipped his hands in its blood.

“Höskuld said: ‘Let us redden ourselves in the blood of the godi according to ancient custom.’ He killed a ram, reddened his hands in its blood, and declared Arnstein’s godiship to be his....” (Ljosvetninga Saga, c. 4).

If the godi broke the law he was prosecuted like another man, consequently there was a check upon his powers, and he had to take great care that law and justice were properly executed.

“The men of the _Thridjung-district_ always have power over the godiship when the godi is outlawed and loses it. They shall draw lots among themselves. If a man has bought a godiship, or it has been given to him, then it shall be inherited (by his heirs).... If the godi becomes sick, he has the right to sell the godiship. If he dies and leaves a son 12 winters old he gets it (the godiship) if the people allow it. If a woman is heiress she shall sell the godiship to some man of the district. If the godi dies before _einmanud_[527] they shall draw lots and have a meeting as to who shall get the godiship; crosses[528] shall be cut and sent in all directions. If he dies after _einmanud_ they (the people) shall come one night before others to the Spring-thing and draw lots who shall be godi. If he dies towards the Althing (time), or on the way to the Thing, then his nearest kinsman at the Althing shall be godi. If there is no kinsman his Thingmen[529] shall decide who is to be godi, and must come to their decision before the courts (are formed). If there are cases at the Spring-thing the godi is liable to lesser outlawry if he has not arrived at the beginning of the Thing” (Grágás (1852), p. 142).

If the godi for one reason or another could not rule over his district, he could give it to whomsoever he liked within the district; though the office could be owned by more than one, it could only be _represented_ by one man.

“Hrafnkel sat on his farm (_bu_) and continued to be honoured. He died and his mound is in Hrafnkelsdal outside Adalbol. Much property, all his war-dress, and his good spear were _mound-laid_ with him. His sons assumed his rule. Thorir lived in Hrafnkelsstadir and Asbjörn at Adalbol. They both owned the godiship and were thought to be powerful men” (Hrafnkel Freysgodi’s Saga).

If there were several owners, and the power had only been given to one of them, it went by turns one year at a time.

“Helgi Asbjarnarson lived at Oddsstadir near Hafrsá; he was godord-man (godi); he was married to Droplaug, daughter of Spakbessi. They had many children. Hrafnkel, the first cousin of Helgi, lived at Hafrsá and was young. He and Helgi both had the same godord (godiship) and Helgi wielded the godiship.

“Hrafnkel claimed the godiship from Helgi Asbjarnarson, his kinsman, and did not get it.

“In the spring people went to the Spring-thing. Helgi Asbjarnarson then named An Trud into the court (dóm), though it was to be concealed, for An had given to Helgi seven stud horses. When An was seated in the court Helgi put on his head a felt-hood to disguise him and asked him to speak little. Thereupon Hrafnkel with the sons of Droplaug and many men walked up to the court. Helgi Droplaugarson walked up to the seat of An Trud in the court; he jerked up the felt-hood with the guards of his sword and struck it down and asked who sat there. An told his name. Helgi said: ‘Who named thee into the court on the behalf of his godiship?’ He answered: ‘Helgi Asbjarnarson did it.’ Helgi Droplaugarson then asked Hrafnkel to name witnesses and claim that Helgi Asbjarnarson had forfeited the godiship; he said all his cases were made void as he had named An into the court. Then there was great pressing forward and a fight nearly ensued, but Hólmstein intervened and tried to reconcile them. The agreement was that Hrafnkel should have the godiship as long as Helgi had had it before, and thereupon they should have it both together; Helgi should, however, help Hrafnkel in all cases at Things and meetings of men and wherever needed. Helgi Droplaugarson said to Hrafnkel: ‘Now it seems to me I have helped thee.’ He answered that it was so. Then people rode home from the Thing” (Droplaugarsona Saga).

The godis seem to have worn long beards, which apparently was the custom among rulers, for Edward is represented on the Bayeux tapestry with a beard.

“Rolf was a great chief and a most powerful man; he had to keep the temple of Thor on that island (Mostr), and was a great friend of Thor, on which account he was called Thorolf. He was tall and strong, fair of face, and had a large beard, wherefore he was called Mostrarskegg; he was the most prominent man on the island” (Eyrbyggja Saga, c. 3).

When the heir to the godiship was a minor, the fittest Thingman took the office till he came of age.

“It was law at that time that when the heirs were minors the Thingman who was thought the fittest should keep the godiship (until they were of age)” (Vatnsdæla, c. 41, 42).

The men of Vatnsdal had a meeting at Karnsá about the godiship.

“They spoke about the godiship and did not agree; every one of them wished to become godi. Then they laid lots in a cloak-skirt, and the lot of Thorkel Silfri (a chief) always came first, for he was skilled in witchcraft. Thorgrím (a kinsman of the deceased godi) walked out and met Thorkel Krafla (his own illegitimate son) in the entrance with other boys. Thorgrím said: ‘Now I want thee to pay the price for the axe.’ Thorkel answered: ‘I should like very much to have the axe, and can easily pay its price now, though I have not the ware thou likest.’ Thorgrím said: ‘Other things than ware will be taken.’ Thorkel asked: ‘Dost thou want me to slay Silfri?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Thorgrím. The lot of the godiship had then been drawn by Silfri. Thorkel walked into the room, and so near Silfri that he touched his foot; Silfri pushed him away and called him the son of a bondmaid. Thorkel jumped up on the next seat and struck his head with the axe (_taparöx_); Silfri at once died, and Thorkel said the axe was not too dear. Thorgrím said the boy had been badly tempted, and did not stand it well, but had shown himself to be a kinsman of the Vatnsdælir (by his bravery), and he would acknowledge that he was his son. Thereupon Thorgrím got the godiship, and was called the godi of Karnsá” (Vatnsdæla, c. 41, 42).

“The godi if he likes shall go upon the Thing-slope at the Spring-thing and name witnesses that he asks all Thingmen of his district (thridjung) to go to the Althing, and they shall decide it with lots or in other ways. Every ninth of his Thingmen shall go. The Spring-thing shall be dissolved at mid-day when men have been four nights at it, but not before, unless all the Thingmen agree otherwise and all cases brought before it are decided” (Grágás, i. 116).

Every Thing-district had a fixed Thing called Herad-thing, which was presided over by the three godis of the Thing-district.

The godi in whose district the Thing-place lay declared the Thing holy; if the Thingman could not come himself, he could send a freeman of his house in his place.

“We shall have a Spring-thing in our country. Three godis shall have one together. They shall not hold a Thing for longer than one week, nor for less than three nights, unless they are allowed by the _Lögrétta_[530].... The godi who owns _Thinghelgi_ (declaration of thing-peace) there shall declare the Thing holy the first evening when they come there.... The godi shall decide what are the Thing-boundaries, and he shall declare it holy, as at the Althing, and declare what is its name”[531] (Grágás, p. 96, § 56).

A Thingman could declare himself the Thingman of another godi. Every godi had to have a booth on the plain, large enough to hold all his Thingmen; but the great bœndr often had with them their own booths, and their friends, women, children, and servants, &c. The godi who declared the Althing holy was called _allsherjar godi_ (the godi of the whole host).

We see that in Iceland at first the _Kjalnesinga godi_ had the high office at the Althing,[532] but later the godi in whose district the Althing lay.

The Althing began on Thursday when ten weeks (fifty days) of summer had passed, and lasted fourteen days.[533]

To the Althing all the godis had to come, and to arrive on Thursday night, before the sun had left the plain; if not, they forfeited their godiship. If a godi had met with lawful hindrances, the godi of the same Thing-district decided who should take his place. He had the right to call upon every ninth man of his Thingmen to follow him to the Spring-thing.[534]

All the bœndr who had come to the Althing on Thursday night were considered _right Thingmen_, but the bœndr who remained at home had to pay a fine. If they came before the first Sunday of the Thing they were _right Thingmen_, but received no pay. The Thingmen were not allowed to leave the precincts of the Thing before the assembly was dissolved.[535]

“All godis shall come to the Thing on the fifth day of the week when 10 weeks of the summer have passed before the sun leaves the Thing-plain. If they do not come they are fined and lose their godiship, unless necessity causes their absence. The Thingmen shall come to the Thing on the fifth day of the week and go to their booth with the godi in whose Thing-district they are; each of them shall have a partition of cloth across the booth; each shall get Thing-journey pay, and they are Thingmen both in their own matters and in those of others. The godi is then bound to give a Thingman room in his booth; if he does not, then the Thingman does not break the law though he go to another booth, and has also a claim to the Thing-journey pay. Men shall pay Thing-journey pay as they agree upon in every district with the godi.... The Thingmen shall not be one night or longer away from the Thing; nor are they Thingmen when they go outside the Thing-marks” (Grágás, i. 24).

Sometimes meetings took place called _Vápnathing_, where all the bœndr had to appear, and produce for inspection the arms which every man was legally obliged to have.

“Wherever a weapon-thing is to be, the king’s steward (árman) or a _lend-man_ shall announce it in the autumn, and hold the Thing in the spring. All free and full-grown men shall come to it or pay a fine of three _aurar_ each. Then men shall show their weapons as is laid down in the laws. A man shall have a broad-axe or a sword, a spear, and a shield which must have at least three iron-rims across it, and whose handle must be fastened with iron nails. Three _aurar_ are to be paid for every folk-weapon (missing or not in good order). For every rowing-bench the bœndr shall furnish two dozen arrows and one bow. One _eyrir_ shall be paid for every missing arrow, and three _aurar_ for a bow” (Earlier Gulathing’s Law, 309).

The place where the judges sat was holy, and ropes, _vebönd_, marked out the boundaries of the enclosure.

“The court was held in a level field and hazel poles were put down in a circle into the ground with ropes around them; these ropes were called _vebönd_ (sacred bands). Inside the circle sat the judges, twelve from Firdafylki, twelve from Sygnafylki, and twelve from Hördafylki; these thirty-six men were to judge in all cases. Arinbjörn chose the judges in Firdafylki, and Thórd of Aurland (the brother of Björn) those from Sygnafylki and these twenty-four acted together” (Egil’s Saga, c. 57).

“It is an old right that stewards from every Fylki shall make the vebönd on the Thing-plain. The vebönd shall be so wide that those appointed for the law-court shall have room to sit inside. The stewards shall name for the law-court as many men as are fixed for each Fylki. From the inner Thrándheim forty men shall be named for each Fylki, and from the outer Thrándheim sixty men from each Fylki, and the oldest and most able men shall be named into the law-court. No lendirmen must go into the law-court unless the bœndr allow it. It is also law that no man who is not named must sit inside the vebönd without being liable to pay a mark. If a man leaves the law-court and goes outside the vebönd to another place he is to pay a full mark” (Frostathing’s Law, i. 2).