Laws of Early Iceland: Gragas 1 (University of Manitoba Icelandic Studies)
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Book Summary Information
Translator: Andrew DennisTranslator: Peter Foote
Translator: Richard Perkins
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-01
ISBN: 0887556957
Number of pages: 279
Publisher: University of Manitoba Press
Book Reviews of Laws of Early Iceland: Gragas 1 (University of Manitoba Icelandic Studies)
Book Review: Difficult, but a real treasure
Summary: 5 Stars
This second volume of the Laws of the Icelanders has now become available nearly a quarter of a century after Volume I appeared. Sadly, that first volume has now gone out print, although from taking with the publisher, I understand a new edition of Volume I will soon be ready.
Great news, because together these are tremendously important documents. They not only give wonderful insights into the medieval world, but also hold the seeds of much of English law that in turn would find its way into the quirky American legal system. If you believe legalistic thinking is a kind of insanity that often goes against common sense, you'll find lots of proof in these "Viking" laws, that seem to cover every possible worry of medieval man -- how a whale is to be divided, the punishment for composing unflattering poems, the fine for kissing someone else's wife, how murder is to be reported, and so forth. Eighty-year-olds slipping off and marrying without the permission of their kids was apparently a big enough problem that a special set of laws had to be made to cover that situation. There was one fine for a poke in the nose, another for a kick in the testicles.
Being a collection of laws, however, they're not easy reading and probably will need to be taken in small doses of a page or two at a time and thought about -- much like Donne's poetry, say. Many of the laws require some real untangling to be understood at all, while the meaning of others has likely been lost forever.
Just the same, the translators have done a super job of making the laws accessible. They've grouped them logically and provide plenty of footnotes for assistance, along with a dictionary of technical terms and a glossary with the original Icelandic vocabulary.
Obviously these are scholarly works meant for a specialized audience, but that audience should certainly extend to everyone in the legal profession and everyone with an interest in the Middle Ages, especially those who would hope to fully understand the Icelandic Sagas. Actually, anyone who likes to read should enjoy skimming these volumes. Even if you can't afford to own them yourself, you should encourage your local library to have them. They are priceless.
Summary of Laws of Early Iceland: Gragas 1 (University of Manitoba Icelandic Studies)
The laws of Mediaeval Iceland provide detailed and fascinating insight into the society that produced the Icelandic sagas. Known collectively as Gragas (Greygoose), this great legal code offers a wealth of information about early European legal systems and the society of the Middles Ages. This first translation of Gragas is in two volumes.Iceland Books
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