Some Of The Most Interesting Documents From Sweden's Middle Ages Are The Old County Laws (well, We Never Had Counties But It's The Nearest Equivalent I Can Find For "landskap").

Some Of The Most Interesting Documents From Sweden's Middle Ages Are The Old County Laws (well, We Never Had Counties But It's The Nearest Equivalent I Can Find For "landskap").

Home › Fortune Cookies › Miscellaneous Collections

Some of the most interesting documents from Sweden's middle ages are the
old county laws (well, we never had counties but it's the nearest equivalent
I can find for "landskap"). These laws were written down sometime in the
13th century, but date back even down into Viking times. The oldest one is
the Vastgota law which clearly has pagan influences, thinly covered with some
Christian stuff. In this law, we find a page about "lekare", which is the
Old Norse word for a performing artist, actor/jester/musician etc. Here is
an approximate translation, where I have written "artist" as equivalent of
"lekare".
"If an artist is beaten, none shall pay fines for it. If an artist
is wounded, one such who goes with hurdie-gurdie or travels with
fiddle or drum, then the people shall take a wild heifer and bring
it out on the hillside. Then they shall shave off all hair from the
heifer's tail, and grease the tail. Then the artist shall be given
newly greased shoes. Then he shall take hold of the heifer's tail,
and a man shall strike it with a sharp whip. If he can hold her, he
shall have the animal. If he cannot hold her, he shall endure what
he received, shame and wounds."

Related:

Unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance
but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath....
It is Texas law that when two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing, each shall come to a full stop, and neither shall proceed until the other has gone.
In one of those "true facts" books there was an explanation for this law....
Much to his Mum and Dad's dismay, Horace ate himself one day.
He didn't stop to say his grace, he just sat down and ate his face....
Jacques: First, you must get to know your lane. Feel the slickness, feel the slippery finish.
Caresses it, experience it. Quite smooth, isn't it?...
Old Grimes is dead, that good old man We never shall see more
He used to wear a long black coat All buttoned down before....
In that day seven women shall take hold of one man. -- Old Testament -- Isaiah iv, 1
I'm going to die". (...) "I shall manage. Don't you worry about me," Jack said between clenched teeth.
Joy shook her head. "I think it can be better than that....
The only happiness lies in reason; all the rest of the world is dismal.
The highest reason, however, I see in the work of the artist, and he may experience it as such....
Picard: "'He was a man...take him for all in all...
we shall not look upon his like again.'" -- "The Most Toys", Stardate unknow...