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43-736: The Icelandic law as codified in the Gragas states that the penalty for burning was full-outlawry ( Old Norse skóggangr ). Yet the literary sources make it clear that it was a commonly used tactic. At least some Icelanders considered quickfire dishonorable, hence when the enemies of Gunnar Hámundarson attacked his home they refused to burn him inside, despite the fact that it would have been faster and less costly in lives. Members of Gunnar's clan showed no such scruples when, around 1010, they burned Bergthorshvoll , home of Gunnar's erstwhile ally Njáll Þorgeirsson , his wife Bergþóra , his sons Helgi and Skarphéðinn Njálsson , and his grandson Þórður Kárason . It

86-634: A boy about five years old. — Saga of Hakon Herdebreid (Hakon the Broad-Shouldered) , chapter 13. Law of Iceland Law of Iceland during the Commonwealth (930–1262) was decided by the Alþingi ( Althing ). It has changed over the years, but the legislative body is still called the Althing. Following the settlement of Iceland around the 870s, Iceland lacked a unitary legal system. Already around

129-537: A father and a son were burnt to death inside their home : Vifast, Folkad, kuþar had this stone raised in memory of their father Holmfast [and of their brother] Arnfast. Father and son were both burnt in. And Balle and Frösten, Livsten's retainers [carved]. In the Heimskringla , Snorri Sturluson records many accounts of quickfire used in the struggles between powerful men in Norway. According to him, Harald Fairhair ,

172-492: A house is faltering, so the attackers have the idea to use fire against the besieged defenders. According to Lee M. Hollander , it is possible that this account inspired the narrative of the burning of Njáll. However, the episode of the burning of Njáll also appears in the Landnámabók and several other sources. In both Norway and Sweden , arson had the specificity of being used by kings, either during succession wars (such as

215-440: A loft over the hall among the crosstrees, and we will put the fire in there, and light it with the vetch -stack that stands just above the house." Then they took the vetch-stack and set fire to it, and they who were inside were not aware of it till the whole hall was ablaze over their heads. Then Flosi and his men made a great pile before each of the doors, and then the women folk who were inside began to weep and to wail. […] Now

258-560: A marriage for his son Ingjald with Gauthild , the daughter of the Geatish king Algaut , who was the son of Gautrek the Mild and the grandson of Gaut . Gautrek consented as he believed that Ingjald had inherited his father's disposition. Gauthild's maternal grandfather was Olof the Sharp-sighted , the king of Närke . Snorri Sturluson relates that when his father Anund had died, Ingjald became

301-513: A son Olof Trätälja and a daughter Åsa . His daughter had inherited her father's psychopathic disposition. She married King Guðröðr of Skåne . Before she murdered her husband she managed to make him kill his own brother Halfdan the Valiant , the father of the great Ivar Vidfamne . In order to avenge his father, Ivar Vidfamne gathered a vast host and departed for Sweden, where he found Ingjald at Ræning. When Ingjald and his daughter realized that it

344-506: Is again known as Althing , although it is a representative parliamentary body and not a popular assembly like the original thing . Icelandic law consists primarily of statutes adopted by the Althing, with some orders issued by the Cabinet (executive branch of the state) , normally as regulations. The Ministry of Justice makes public the rules of law which apply in Iceland. Under Article 2 of

387-656: Is because of this occurrence of quickfire that the name of the saga in Icelandic is Brennu-Njáls saga , "The Saga of the Burning of Njáll". One son-in-law, Kári Sölmundarson , escaped and later killed many of the burners. Here is the description of the arson of Njáll's house : Now they took fire, and made a great pile before the doors. […] Then the women threw whey on the fire, and quenched it as fast as they lit it. Some, too, brought water, or slops. Then Kol Thorstein's son said to Flosi : "A plan comes into my mind; I have seen

430-528: Is roughly the 7th century. Johannes Magnus in his 16th-century list of kings places Ingjald ( Ingevallus, Ingellus ) in AD 883. Snorri Sturluson gave an extensive account on the life of Ingjald in the Ynglinga saga which is part of the Heimskringla . The Ynglinga saga , a part of the Heimskringla relates that the viceroy of Fjärdhundraland was named Ingvar and he had two sons, Alf and Agnar, who were of

473-507: The Gulating laws from Norway. Iceland's early laws were changed by agreement at the Alþingi, with prominent changes including the polity's conversion to Christianity in 1000 and the criminalisation of aspects of pagan practice around 1016. Codification was undertaken in 1117–18, led by Hafliði Másson . The resulting text, known as Hafliðaskrá , does not survive, but seems to have been one of

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516-567: The Local Authorities Act No. 138/2011. There are 74 local municipalities, each governed by an elected body of locally elected representatives. This Iceland -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ingjald Illr%C3%A5de Ingjald illråde or Ingjaldr hinn illráði ( Ingold Illruler or Illready ) was a semi-legendary Swedish king of the House of Ynglings , son and successor of King Anund , and

559-536: The civil war era in Norway ) or during attempts at unification and expansion of territorial control by a king (for instance Harald Fairhair in Norway or Ingjald Illråde in Sweden). According to the medieval Swedish ballad Stolt Herr Alf , Odin himself advised a king to kill one of his vassals with quickfire. In Sweden, at least three kings are told as having used quickfire as a way to kill their opponents. The semi-legendary king Ingjald Illråde (who may have reigned in

602-468: The 7th century) used quickfire at least twice: first he used it to kill several invited petty kings in order to directly rule their territories, and lastly he used it to kill Granmar , the last independent king of Södermanland . The regnal list of the Westrogothic law gave the 11th-century Swedish king Anund Jakob ( King of Sweden 1022 – c. 1050) the epithet "charcoal-burner" because of his methods. He

645-465: The Fjord district. There he heard news of King Vemund, and came by night to a place called Naustdal, where King Vemund was living in guest-quarters. Earl Ragnvald surrounded the house in which they were quartered, and burnt the king in it, together with ninety men. Then came Berdlukare to Earl Ragnvald with a complete armed long-ship, and they both returned to More. The earl took all the ships Vemund had, and all

688-484: The Norwegian king traditionally credited with unifying Norway at the end of the 9th century, often used quickfire, as an alternative to, and in addition with, battles. One of his first deeds was the killing, either by fire or with weapons, of four petty kings in a single quickfire raid. According to Snorri, this allowed Harald to seize control over " Hedemark , Ringerike , Gudbrandsdal , Hadeland , Thoten , Raumarike , and

731-469: The beaker was brought in, he took a bull's horn and made the solemn vow that he would enlarge his own kingdom by half towards all the four-quarters, towards which he pointed his horn, or die. When all the prominent guests were drunk, he ordered Svipdag's sons, Gautvid and Hylvid, to arm themselves and their men and to leave the building. Outside, they set fire to the building which burnt down and those who tried to escape were killed. Thus Ingjald made himself

774-559: The constitution, the Althing and the President of Iceland jointly exercise legislative power, with Articles 13 and 19 requiring the President to entrust his authority to the Ministers, with the President validating each law by signing with a Minister to give formal consent. Between 1944 and 2023 the president has refused consent on two occasions. Article 78 allows certain public tasks and rights to be delegated to local municipalities, governed by

817-682: The early morning. They caught him in his house and set it on fire and burned the band of men who were within. There was a baron called Thjof who was burnt inside. He had been previously in the retinue of Svein the Sacrificer . Svein himself left the house, but was slain immediately. Thus Ingi once more received the Kingdom of Sweden; and he reestablished Christianity and ruled the Kingdom till the end of his life, when he died in his bed. — The Saga of Hervör and Heithrek The Altuna Runestone in Sweden also tells that

860-408: The father and predecessor of King Olof Trätälja . As with many of the 5th-7th century Yngling Kings of Sweden , his historicity is contested. Ingjald is mentioned in medieval historiographical sources including the Ynglinga saga , Historia Norvegiæ , Hervarar saga , Upplendinga Konungum , Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar and Íslendingabók . The setting of Þorsteins saga Víkingssonar

903-621: The following day. Arnkel's rival Snorri Goði prosecuted Arnkel, at Thorolf's request, for the unlawful killing of the thralls. The Sturlunga saga reports that in 1253, during the Age of the Sturlungs , the Flugumýri Arson was an unsuccessful attempt on the life of Gissur Þorvaldsson by his Icelandic enemies. This account is quite similar to what is told in Brennu-Njáls saga : an assault against

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946-609: The foundations of the voluminous records of the law of the Icelandic Commonwealth known as Grágás . Grágás became Iceland's law up to 1262–64, when Iceland came under Norwegian rule. Following the Gamli sáttmáli (Old Covenant) of 1262, Magnus VI of Norway attempted to introduce the law code Járnsíða around 1271–73; this was itself superseded when existing laws were compiled in Jónsbók by Jón Einarsson (in 1281). Jónsbók

989-466: The goods he could get hold of. — Harald Harfarger's Saga , chapter 12. In contrast with Icelandic accounts of quickfire in the Brennu-Njáls saga and the Sturlunga saga , where it is used when a siege becomes difficult, accounts given by the Heimskringla of arsons in Norway rely heavily on surprise, and setting fire to the targeted house is the first thing done. Thus, surprise and good knowledge of

1032-457: The hill fort Ræning of the sagas. According to Nordic legends, Ræning was the place where Ingjald and his daughter Åsa had both met their ends at the hands of the semi-legendary Ivar Vidfamne . Throughout the last century thermoluminescence dating has found evidence of a burning that happened at the Rällinge hill fort from the supposed time of Ingjald's demise (600-650 A.D.). Moreover, the dating of

1075-400: The house, and burnt it. Haldor went out, and was cut down instantly with his house-men; and in all there were about twenty men killed. Sigrid, Haldor's wife, was a sister of Gregorius, and they allowed her to escape into the forest in her night-shift only; but they took with them Amunde, who was a son of Gyrd Amundason and of Gyrid Dag's daughter, and a sister's son of Gregorius, and who was then

1118-427: The king of Sweden. The kings at Uppsala were the foremost among the kings of the various provinces since Odin ruled the country, and they were the supreme chiefs of the other kingdoms since the death of Agne and Sweden was divided between Erik and Alrik . The descendants of these two kings had spread, cleared land and settled new territories, until there were several petty kings. In honour of his own ascendance to

1161-604: The largest of the houses, set fire to the buildings there. But Hakon and his men were in the smaller house, and came forth, seeing the fire, to help their people. There Munan fell, a son of Ale Uskeynd, a brother of King Sigurd Hakon's father. Gregorius and his men killed him, because he was helping those whom they were burning within the house. Some escaped, but many were killed. […] King Hakon and Sigurd escaped, but many of their people were killed. Thereafter Gregorius returned home to Konungahella. Soon after King Hakon and Sigurd went to Haldor Brynjolfson's farm of Vettaland, set fire to

1204-510: The prominent people of Sweden had seats, except for Ingjald's own court whom he had sent to his old hall in Uppsala. According to the custom of the time, for those who inherited kings and jarls, Ingjald rested at the footstool until the Bragebeaker was brought in. Then he was supposed to stand up, take the beaker and make solemn vows, after which he would ascend his father's high seat. However, when

1247-630: The same age as Ingjald. Svipdag the Blind was the viceroy of Tiundaland , the province of Uppsala where the Tings and the Yule (Midwinter) sacrifices were held (see the Temple at Uppsala ). One midwinter, when Ingjald and Alf were six years old, many people had assembled at Uppsala for the sacrifices. Alf and Ingjald played, but Ingjald found that he was the weaker boy and became so angry that he almost started to cry (which

1290-450: The sole ruler of the domains of the murdered kings. Granmar won allies in his son-in-law the sea-king Hjörvard of the Ylfings and his father-in-law Högne the Geatish king of East Götaland . They successfully withstood Ingjald's invasion where Ingjald realised that the men from the provinces he had conquered were not loyal to him. After a long standstill there was peace for as long as

1333-457: The target's whereabouts are at a premium. This is shown by this account of an attempt by Gregorius Dagsson to kill Hákon herðibreiðr , who at that time (during the civil war era in Norway ) vied for succession with Ingi Haraldsson  : Soon after Gregorius heard that Hakon and his men were at a farm called Saurby, which lies up beside the forest. Gregorius hastened there; came in the night; and supposing that King Hakon and Sigurd would be in

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1376-510: The three kings lived . However, one night Ingjald and his men surrounded a farm where Granmar and Hjörvard were at a feast and burnt the house down. He later disposed of five more kings, and he thus earned the name Illråde (ill-ruler) as he fulfilled his promise. Snorri Sturluson tells that it was a common saying that Ingjald killed twelve kings by deceiving them that he only wished for peace, and that he thus earned his cognomen Illråde ( ill-ruler or ill-adviser ). Ingjald had two children,

1419-504: The throne, Ingjald invited the kings, the jarls and other important men to a grand feast in a newly built hall , just as large and sumptuous as the one in Uppsala. It was called the hall of the seven kings and had seven high seats. Algaut the Geatish king of West Götaland , King Ingvar of Fjädrundaland with his two sons Agnar and Alf, King Sporsnjall of Nerike and King Sigvat of Attundaland came, but not King Granmar of Södermanland . The kings filled all seven seats but one. All

1462-481: The throne. Being abnormally terrified of King Ivar Vidfadme, at that time an object of dread to many, he shut himself up in a dining-hall with his whole retinue and burnt all its inmates to death. His son, Olav, known as Tretelgje,[...] Rällinge is hill fort in Raä Helgarö 32:1, Helgarö parish, Södermanland that has small ramparts near Lake Mälaren that is thought to be a misinterpretation or incorrect spelling for

1505-466: The twentieth century. The Althing was suspended in 1799, but re-established in 1845 as an advisory body of the Danish king and from 1874 as a legislative body. Old laws are still quoted: the 13th century law of Grágás was used in a case in 2017 regarding an injury caused in a MMA  tournament, citing the rules of "friendly fight". The legislative body of the modern Republic of Iceland (since 1944)

1548-444: The whole house began to blaze. Then Njal went to the door and said : "Is Flosi so near that he can hear my voice?" Flosi said that he could hear it. "Wilt thou," said Njal, "take an atonement from my sons, or allow any men to go out?" "I will not," answers Flosi, "take any atonement from thy sons, and now our dealings shall come to an end once for all, and I will not stir from this spot till they are all dead; but I will allow

1591-634: The whole northern part of Vingulmark ". Later, Snorri recounts how arson was used to kill a rival king when a conventional armed expedition was not possible due to the season : After this battle (A.D. 868) King Harald subdued South More; but Vemund, King Audbjorn's brother, still had Firdafylke. It was now late in harvest, and King Harald's men gave him the counsel not to proceed south-wards round Stad. Then King Harald set Earl Ragnvald over South and North More and also Raumsdal, and he had many people about him. King Harald returned to Throndhjem. The same winter (A.D. 869) Ragnvald went over Eid, and southwards to

1634-467: The women and children and house-carles to go out." — The Story of Burnt Njal Another instance of quickfire is told in the Eyrbyggja Saga . According to it, in the late 10th century in Iceland, Ulfar, a freedman, was the victim of an attempted quickfire by thralls (slaves, or serfs) owned by his enemy Thorolf. Thorolf's own son, Arnkel Goði , captured the thralls in the act and had them executed

1677-515: The year 930, the chiefs of the different regions of Iceland united into a single polity. A people's assembly, the Alþingi , was instituted, meeting annually to exercise both judicial and legislative activities. This included having one lawspeaker ( lǫgsǫgumaðr ) on a rotating basis. His role was to know the law by heart and inform on points of law in legal cases. The first lawspeaker is said to have been Úlfljótr , who gave Iceland its first set of laws. These are thought to have corresponded closely to

1720-634: Was futile to resist, they set the hall on fire and succumbed in the flames. The citation from Ynglingatal does not appear to describe Ingjald as an evil king. It calls his life a brave life frœknu fjörvi : The Historia Norwegiæ presents a Latin summary of Ynglingatal , older than Snorri's quotation (continuing after Anund ): Post istum filius suus Ingialdr in regem sublimatur, qui ultra modum timens Ivarum cognomine withfadm regem tunc temporis multis formidabilem se ipsum cum omni comitatu suo cenaculo inclusos igne cremavit. Ejus filius Olavus cognomento tretelgia [...] After him his son Ingjald ascended

1763-732: Was said to have been "generous in burning down men's homes". According to the Orkneyinga saga and the Saga of Hervör and Heithrek , the exiled Swedish king Inge the Elder retook the Swedish throne by using quickfire against his pagan opponent Blot-Sweyn . This happened c. 1087 : King Ingi set off with his retinue and some of his followers, thought it was but as small force. He then rode eastwards by Småland and into Östergötland and then into Sweden. He rode both day and night, and came upon Svein suddenly in

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1806-429: Was strange because people named Ingjald were known to be stronger than average). His foster-brother Gautvid led him to his foster-father Svipdag the Blind and told Svipdag about Ingjald's lack of manliness and strength. Svipdag said that it was a shame and the next day he gave Ingjald a roasted wolf's heart to eat. From that day, Ingjald became a very ferocious person and had a bad disposition and breath. Anund arranged

1849-401: Was supplemented by or competed with some other sources of law, including ecclesiastical law, laws of local þing , and other tracts such as Búalǫg ('farmers' laws'), a body of laws concerning farming and trade within Iceland from around 1400. Although Icelandic law has changed much over time, and Iceland came under Danish rule until 1944, Jónsbók remained the basis for Icelandic law into

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