A collection of laws from the Icelandic Commonwealth period consisting of Icelandic civil laws and the laws governing the Christian church in Iceland. Prior to the establishment of the Gray Goose Laws all the Icelandic laws were recited by the Law Speaker at Althingi over a three year period. In 1117 Althingi decided that all the laws should be written down and this was accomplished at Haflidi Másson’s farm over that winter and published the following year. The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Icelandic: Þjóðveldisöld) was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in 930 and the pledge of fealty to the Norwegian king in 1262. ... Alþingi (English: Althing) is the national parliament, or literally the General Iceland. ... Events May 3 - Merton Priory (Thomas Becket school) consecrated. ...
These laws remained in force until 1271-1273 at which time the Ironside Laws - based on Norwegian laws - were adopted. For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ...
The name Gray Goose Laws was in use by the 16th Centuryand may refer to the following:
that the laws were written with a goose quill,
that the laws were bound in goose skin, or
because of the age of the laws - in the then belief that geese lived longer than other birds.
References:
Byock, Jesse L., Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power, University of California Press, Berkely, CA 1990
Gjerset, Knut, History of Iceland, The MacMillan Company, NY 1924
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