The White Falcon - 21.05.1971, Blaðsíða 6

By the shores of
Thingvallavatn
Story & photos by QM2 John Getker
Located on the shore of Thingvallavatn, a lake
about an hour and a half's drive from Keflavik
the site of the original Althing, the oldest
isting democratic legislative body in the worl^^^W
It all began in the summer of 930 AD, about
years after the settling of Iceland. For the next
two hundred years Thingvellir was to serve as the
socio-political center of the nation.
Each year during the summer, people from all
over Iceland arrived for a two week celebration.
Principally,it was a legislative assembly to which
all the district chieftains and other representa-
tives came. The entire affair was presided over
by a law speaker who would open the assembly by re-
citing from memory one-third of all the Icelandic
laws. By the end of his three year term, this
speaker had recited the entire contents of Ice-
landic law. Naturally, this gave
him a position of tremendous power
since the laws were not written
down and because he was consulted
on all matters pertaining to the
laws of the land.
A large number of people of
lesser importance also came to
participate in the festivities
and to entertain themselves in
the sports programs, poetry and
story-telling and other general
merrymaking. Others came to ex-
hibit their latest crafts and "
goods. Disputes that had arisen
during the year were either re-
solved or brought to the Logretta
or Legislative Court. Marriages
were celebrated and people came
to reunite themselves with dis-
tant kinsmen. It was also the
only chance most people had to
get news from the outside world
People still flock there
the summer, most don't stay tv^J^F
weeks, and they come for differ-
May 21, 1971
6