þing-festi

Old Norse Dictionary Entry

þing-festi

Old Norse Dictionary Entry

Definitions

1 þing-festi

f. a law term, domicile in or allegiance to a ‘þing-community. In the Icel. Commonwealth every franklin had to declare his allegiance to one of the priests, and to say of what community he was a member; yet the word was political rather than strictly geographical, for the ‘þings,’ like the ‘godords,’ were not strictly geographical divisions, Grág. i. 164: hence the phrase, spyrja at þingfesti e-s. to speer after a man’s þingfesti, call on him to declare it, as also ganga við þ. e-s, to acknowledge one’s þ. (of the priest), Grág. (Kb.) i. 3, 43, 132, Nj. 87; því at einu er rétt at hafa þingfesti í öðrum fjórðungi heldr enn er maðr býr, ef goða er þat lofat þeim at lögbergi at taka þriðjungs-mann útan-fjórðungs, Grág. i. 165, which last passage is evidently a ‘novella.’

Runic Inscription

þᛁᚾᚴ-ᚠᛁᛋᛏᛁ

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark

Abbreviations Used

Common Abbreviations

ch
chapter.
f.
feminine.
Icel
Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
Icel.
Iceland, Icelander, Icelanders, Icelandic.
id
idem, referring to the passage quoted or to the translation
l.
Linnæus.
lit
literally.
þ.
þáttr.

Works & Authors

Grág.
Grágás. (B. I.)
Kb.
Konungs-bók. (B. I, C. I, etc.)
Nj.
Njála. (D. II.)

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