Norðleoda laga is a set of laws apparently pertaining to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. Mention of a Northumbrian king suggests that the text originates before the mid-tenth century, when Northumbria ceased to be an independent kingdom. The text comprises a list of the wergelds payable on the killing of people of different social statuses, with the following values:
| Rank | Thrymsa |
|---|---|
| King | 30,000 |
| Archbishop/aetheling | 15,000 |
| Bishop/ealdorman | 8,000 |
| Hold/high-reeve | 4,000 |
| Mass-thegn/secular thegn | 2,000 |
| Prospering ceorl | 2,000 |
| Ceorl | 200 |
| Prospering Welshman | 120s. |
| Non-prospering Welshman | 80s. |
| Landless Welshman | 70s. |
Editions and translations
- Liebermann, F. (ed.), Die Gesetze der Angelsachsen, 3 vols (Halle a. S.: Niemeyer, 1903–16), I 458–60.
- Monk, Chris (ed. and trans.), Norðleoda Laga (‘Laws of the Northumbrians’), Textus Roffensis, ff. 93v-94r (Rochester: Rochester Cathedral Research Guild, 2018)
References
- "Early English Laws: Norðleoda laga (Norðleod)". www.earlyenglishlaws.ac.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- Whitelock, Dorothy (1996). English Historical Documents, 500-1042. Psychology Press. p. 477. ISBN 978-0-415-14366-0. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
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