ABSTRACT

This chapter investigates the cost of arranging lawthings in the thirteenth century. During the Viking Age, lawthings were established for even bigger judicial areas in Norway, such as the Gulathing, Frostathing, Eidsivathing, Borgarthing and Hålogaland. Norway differed significantly from the Faroe Islands both administratively and geographically. As an extension of the thing compensation scheme, it will also be investigated how the king and the state used the thing to administrate the monetary system, namely to exchange old coins for new ones – so-called recoinage or renovatio monetae. According to the sections attributed to King Olav in the Gulathing Law, each thingman was entitled to half a month's worth of food as travel compensation, unless he had even further to travel. In the economic system of the Middle Ages the use of goods as a form of payment was based on tradition, while the monetary system was organized by the kings.