Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1975, Page 48

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How old is the Faroese grannastevna?
(pulling young puffins out of their breeding-holes by hand or
hook) and Skúvoy had worked out an elaborate scheme to give
co-owners fair shares in the netting of guillemots and puffins.22
Conventions adopted in 1852 in Hvalbour and Porkeri severely
limited the use of firearms.23 But the unanimity rule could be
a hindrance to action. At the 1847 Nólsoy grannastevna, Poul
Johannesen proposed that it should be forbidden at draga
lunda. Most present agreed with this, but as unanimity could
not be achieved, no resolution could be adopted. Fortunately, it
proved possible to secure unanimity for this prohibition in re-
spect of the principal lundaland, Ur'Sin.24 The 1854 Jagtlov
eased matters by giving regulative powers over sea-fowling and
seal-hunting to a simple majority of the owners provided they
controlled half the markatal,23
On 4 March 1857 came the Lov om Udskiftning af Fælles-
hauger paa Fxróerne, which gave specific powers to the granna-
stevna to act by majority. Common ownership was a hindrance
to the extension of cultivation of the hagi, and sometimes even
led to traðir reverting to hagi, as on Hestur in 1819 and on
Nólsoy in 1829. The new law permitted half the markatal or
three-quarters of the owners by number to carry an enclosure
proposal to the newly-created Udskiftningskommission for the
syssel, who would make the final decisión.26
The Haugelov of 23 February 1866 gave extensive powers
to the Faroese grannastevna to regulate by majority vote, the
type of majority being different for different purposes. Thus
a simple markatal majority decided how many sheepdogs might
be kept in the village, but at two-thirds majority by markatal
was required before geese were permitted. To change the flocks
from feli to kenníng required the approval of two-thirds of the
shareholders in the hagi concerned, controlling at least half the
markatal.27 Finally, the legal position of the grannastevna was
properly defined in the consolidating legislation of 1 April
1891.28
In this perspective, the formalisation of the grannastevna
about 1840 can be seen as the first step towards a general devo-