After posting about the library we visited on our trip to Charleston I got thinking about other travels Andrew and I have taken together. We spent our honeymoon in Iceland, which has plenty of historical interest. For instance, the world’s oldest parliament was established there by Vikings in AD 930!
The Icelandic parliament, known as Alþingi (Althing), was initially held outside on the plains of þingvellir (now Thingvellir National Park). Any free, law-abiding men could attend the sessions, which were held for two weeks every June. Large crowds gathered and people would stay in booths (búðir) — temporary tents with permanent stone foundations.
The centre of Alþingi was Lögrétta (the Law Council). Here legislation was passed and conflicts settled by the Goðar (chieftains) by majority vote. The Lögsögumaður (Law Speaker) would recite the laws at Lögberg (Law Rock), where speeches and rulings were also delivered.
For more information about Iceland’s parliament over the years (including centuries under Norwegian and Danish rule), I recommend this website, and for details about Viking legal procedures as well as more pictures of Thingvellir, check out this site.
Sources
- “Althing the Icelandic Parliament” via Arctic Adventures
- “A short history of Alþingi – the oldest parliament in the world” via europa.eu
- “Viking-Age Laws and Legal Procedures” via hurstwic.org
Here are some other “Did You Know?” posts you might have missed.
Did you know that…
- archives are mentioned in the Bible?
- Mozart’s middle name may have originated as a joke?
- Maldon Sea Salt comes from a 135-year-old family-owned salt works?
- in ancient Rome only men celebrated birthdays?
- Owen Sound was the northernmost terminus of the Underground Railroad?
Strangely enough, I knew the short answer – having researched Viking Iceland for a novel. But good to be reminded.