File:Ridpath's Universal history - an account of the origin, primitive condition and ethnic development of the great races of mankind, and of the principal events in the evolution and progress of the (14783870632).jpg

Identifier: ridpathsuniversa05ridp (find matches)
Title: Ridpath's Universal history : an account of the origin, primitive condition and ethnic development of the great races of mankind, and of the principal events in the evolution and progress of the civilized life among men and nations, from recent and authentic sources with a preliminary inquiry on the time, place and manner of the beginning
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Ridpath, John Clark, 1840-1900
Subjects: World history
Publisher: Cincinnati : Jones
Contributing Library: University of Pittsburgh Library System
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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es, some of them fixed by con-venience and others by suggestions fromnature. The Althing, or Congress,meets at midsummer; the yule feast isheld at midwinter. Arval gatheringsand marriages are generally celebratedat the close of summer. The produc-tions of the country are of such sort asto bring no harvest except that of hay.The outdoor, as well as the indoor, as- THE NORSE.—ICELANDERS. 45 pect of Icelandic life is one of moremerriment and jollity than might be ex-pected under so inhospitable a climate.It might be difficult, on the whole, tofind a race more natural and free in itsmanners, a people more sociable andsusceptible of keener gratifications, thanthose of Iceland. We have already re- but not all gothi are franklins. Anyone of the gothi may become a franklin,and any one of the thrall may, by pos-sessing himself of a homestead, becomeone of the free. Among the classknown as gothi, or freemen, there isall the democratic equality which waspeculiar to the prehistoric German soci-
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,:€F; NORSR WEDDIXG.—Drawn by Pelcoq, after a painting of Tiedeman. cited the great differences that exist inthis respect among the peoples residentaround the Baltic. Only two classes are known amongthe Icelanders. These are the Gothi, orIndustrial divi- Free, and the T/irall, orUnfree. The latter, how-ever, are not slaves, butrather villains, or serfs. All the gothiare freemen. All franklins are gothi. sion of society;the gothi andthe thrall. ety. Chattel slavery does not exist.The thrall lives in his own hut, muchafter the manner which until recentlywas the order of the day in Russia. Athrall passes with the sale of the landson which he abides as a serf to the newlandowner, but the price at which hepasses is fixed by law, and he himselfhas rights that may not be violated.There was a considerable period be- 44 GREAT RACES OE ^E-INKEYD. fore the introdnetion of Christianity into Iceland when the noble franklins, or barons, were w( )nt to gO over Manner of life among the Norse to A

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