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Medieval Sourcebook:
Taxation in Norway,
From The Heimskringla
The taxes imposed by the King in Norway after the Danish conquest were numerous, and
were expected to be paid in kind. Possibly some of them had existed previous to the
conquest.
King Sven introduced new laws in many respects into the country, partly after those
which were in Denmark, and in part much more severe. No man must leave the country without
the king's permission; or if he did, his property fell to the king. Whoever killed a man
outright should forfeit all his land and movables. If any one was banished the country,
and an heritage fell to him, the king took his inheritance. At Yule every man should pay
the king a meal of malt from every harvest steading, and a leg of a three-year-old ox,
which was called a friendly gift, together with a spand of butter; and every housewife a
rock full of unspun lint, as thick as one could span with the longest fingers of the hand.
The bondes were bound to build all the houses the king required upon his farms. Of every
seven males one should be taken for the service of war, and reckoning from the fifth year
of age; and the outfit of ships should be reckoned in the same proportion. Every man who
rowed upon the sea to fish should pay the king five fish as a tax, for the land defense,
wherever he might come from. Every ship that went out of the country should have stowage
reserved open for the king in the middle of the ship. Every man, foreigner or native, who
went to Iceland, should pay a tax to the king. And to all this was added, that Danes
should enjoy so much consideration in Norway, that one witness of them should invalidate
ten of Northmen.
Source:
From: Samuel Laing, trans., The Heimskringla, A History of the Kings of Norway,
(New York: The Norroena Society, 1911), Vol. II, pp. 636-637, reprinted in Roy C. Cave
& Herbert H. Coulson, A Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee:
The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936; reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), p. 364.
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