Overview

In this book Elizabeth Walgenbach argues that outlawry in medieval Iceland was a punishment shaped by the conventions of excommunication as it developed in the medieval Church. Excommunication and outlawry resemble one another, often closely, in a range of Icelandic texts, including lawcodes and narrative sources such as the contemporary sagas. This is not a chance resemblance but a by-product of the way the law was formed and written. Canon law helped to shape the outlines of secular justice. The book is organized into chapters on excommunication, outlawry, outlawry as secular excommunication, and two case studies—one focused on the conflicts surrounding Bishop Guðmundr Arason and another focused on the outlaw Aron Hjǫrleifsson.

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9789004460911

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Reviews

'In Excommunication and Outlawry in the Legal World of Medieval Iceland Elizabeth Walgenbach sets forth the argument that outlawry in medieval Iceland was shaped by the conventions of excommunication. This legal history engages with developments in canon law, law codes from Iceland and neighboring countries, and contemporary sagas and their sources and transmission [...] This is an interesting book, and I do find the central argument compelling, particularly in light of the case studies presented in its defense. It will be of interest to scholars of legal history, outlaw studies, and Old Norse/Icelandic literary and cultural studies, and stands to produce further and lively scholarly discussion regarding the relationship between canon and secular law in medieval Iceland.' Melissa Ridley Elmes, in The Medieval Review 22.12.07. See the full review here.

Author Information

Elizabeth Walgenbach, Ph.D. (2016), Yale University, is a post-doctoral researcher at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Her work focuses on medieval canon law in the north, and she has published articles on medieval Icelandic law, religion, and manuscripts.

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