Leysingi
In Norse law, a leysingr was a freed slave. While often used interchangeably frjálsgjafar was the lowest rank of freedmen. frjálsgjafar was a person whose freedom was given but not made public. Once a frjálsgjafar gave a freedom ale he became a leysingi. A leysingi had more freedoms after giving a freedom ale and could have more freedoms by doing things such as other work or his master granting him more freedoms. A slave had to be adopted into free kin with such a status as freedman, but they still had lower status in society. In the law codes, a freedman was consistently regarded as inferior, whether they committed an offense or were the victim of one. A master had control over where the freedman lived, who he could marry. When a freedman got old, he relied on the church for care. The act of manumission had to be confirmed by an oath and announced publicly either at an assembly or in the church itself. The freedman could not even leave his master’s property without permission. If the slave had not given a freedom ale he could not earn over 1/3 eyrir. The children of the freedman could not inherit anything unless he was married to a freedwoman, and they had both given their freedom ale. These are just some ways in which a freedman had less rights. Slavery was eventually abolished in Scandinavian society. Each year the assembly had to give one slave his freedom, and slavery had disappeared in most Scandinavian countries by the 14th century.
A leysingi was much different than the modern conception of freedmen because they had limited freedom. Freedmen were still reliant on their master’s against their own freewill. Masters had control over marriage, business dealings and could not leave without permission. They essentially were still slaves but had slightly more freedom. For slavery itself, it was not necessarily a slave economy, it was more of a small-scale household-based form of slavery. These slaves were brought as prisoners, were traded for, or used to pay off debt rather than based on skin color.
A leysingi was also an old Norse nickname given to freedmen to identify them and this later evolved into the surname Leising. 638 people have the surname leysing in the United States as of 2010.
Background
Slavery was most prevalent during the Viking Age. The Vikings were a group of people out of Scandinavia who raided, traded and created settlements throughout Europe. Slavery was an important part of their society. A Leysingi, which means freedman, is a term which can only be fully understood if there is context on the process in which a person becomes a slave and an understanding of Scandinavian society. There are various stages leading up to a freedman in Scandinavian society. It’s important to start with how one becomes a slave and who are the slaves in Scandinavian society, discussing the life of a slave and their daily life and tasks they would undergo, the social classes, and how slavery was ultimately ended within the society of Scandinavia and slaves were given freedom.Social Classes
Social classes within Scandinavian society are complex. There are various sources of evidence but a common source that is cited is from the poem, Rígsþula. It was written sometime between the 9th and 13th centuries. The poem talks about a god called rig, who visits three houses sleeping with the wife and fathering sons in each of the households. The third son was Jarl, who marries and fathers’ nobility and royalty. The second son is Karl, who marries and fathers the race of free men. The oldest son, Þræl, a slave, has children with a woman named Þír, who is a female slave, and has no benefit of a wedding. This poem highlights the three social classes in Viking society. The Jarl or nobility on the top, the Karl or Freemen, and the slave usually referred to as a Þræl or thrall. It shows what we know about the origins of social classes within Scandinavian society. It discusses the Þræl as having dark skin which some historians say could mean it is talking about a Celtic slave, but Karras argues its likely just talking of unattractiveness. It is worth noting there is debate among historians on the reliability of this poem because it doesn’t seem like any sagas or legal codes of this time in Scandinavian countries. It is proposed by some historians that because of the Irish element could indicate an origin within a Norse community in Ireland or Scotland.Sagas
Egils saga discusses the Egil Skallagrímsson, a Viking poet, warrior, and farmer, during the 9th and 10th century. In this saga, it discusses a thrall named Grani who was owned by Steinar. He takes the cattle on the neighbor, thorstein’s land. This angers Thorstein and he kills Grani. Steinar sees a tall and strong slave named Thrand. He was worth a hefty sum. He was worth three marks of silver, which was twice the price of a common thrall. Steiner buys Thrand. He gives Thrand an axe and Thrand takes the cattle on Thorstein’s land and Thorstein kills Thrand. Steiner attempted to sue Thorstein for thrall-slaying and wanted outlawry as the penalty of each slaying. This was the law, when thralls of anyone were killed, the compensation for the thrall must be paid to the owner before the third sunrise. However, two charges of lesser outlawry equaled one charge of full outlawry. Thorstein did not file a countersuit for any of the charges. This shows the demeaning nature of slaves being seen as property in Norse society. It also shows the value of slaves in society. It gives a better insight into what would happen if someone were charged with killing another person’s slave.Heimskringla Saga was written by Snorri Sturluson in 1230 describes the various kings of Sweden and Norway and their lives. It also discusses the conflict between pagan and Christian people during this time. In Heimskringla, Slaves play a role as messengers. Jarl Hákon sends his slaves to a farmer named Ormr to bring his wife, Guðrún, to him. The slaves had dinner at Ormrs house and requested him to bring his wife to the Jarl. Ormr refused to bring Guðrún. Guðrún was insulted. She told the slaves to tell Jarl that she would not come unless one of his mistresses, Þóra of Rimull, came for her. The slaves told the farmer and his wife that they would regret their decision not to come with them and made threats to the farmer and his wife. This shows slaves could be used as messengers and enforce their masters demands. It also shows slaves were able to wield authority on their masters’ behalf.
Writings of Ibn Fadlan
Ibn Fadlan was a traveler from the 10th century. He has various run ins with the Vikings and gives an insight into the various items they traded which includes slaves. In one instance Ibn Fadlan explains the Vikings prayers. He explains the Vikings had a tall wooden pole with a face with many small images around it and they would bring their bread, meat, onions, milk and mead and say, “O my lord, I have come from a far country and have with me so many slave girls for such a price, and so many sable pelts. I have brought this offering to Thee. I wish that Thou shouldst provide me with a merchant who has many dinars and dirhams, and who would buy from me at the price I desire and will raise no objection to me to aught what I may say.” And then he departs and goes off to trading and if he has trouble trading that day then comes back and prays more. This gives insights on how various Viking tribes prayed and traded throughout Europe and the middle east and gives insight into what they traded which included many slaves.Slaves were also used as human sacrifice and showed off the wealth of the owner. Many slaves sacrificed were women and many sacrifices were to pagan gods, and of course with their owner when their owner was buried. Many slaves during this time, were currency and sacrifices to a pagan god.
Ibn Fadlan gives one of the few written accounts of Viking sacrifices. He describes his experience with a chieftain who had died and a slave girl who decides to be cremated with him. Two slave girls accompany her. She drinks happily and is cheerful to be cremated with the chieftain. They placed a couch on top of the chieftain’s ship and covered it with quilts, Byzantine silk brocade, and cushions. A crone arrived called the “Angel of Death” and spread the couch coverings. She is responsible for putting the chieftain in order and killing the slave girl. They laid the chieftain out on the cushions. They brought alcohol, fruits and herbs and placed it beside him. They brought bread, meat, onions, his weaponry and a dog which they sliced into two and placed it in front of him. They brought a rooster, hen, and two cows and they cut them into pieces and threw them on the ship. At the time of the evening prayer on Friday they brought the slave-girl to something they constructed which looked like a door-frame. She put her feet on the hands of the men and was raised above that door-frame. She said, “behold, I see my father and my mother” and they brought her down. Then they lifted her up a second time and she said, “behold, I see all of my dead kindred, seated”. They brought her down and then lifted her up a third time and she said, “behold, I see my master, seated in Paradise. Paradise is beautiful and verdant. He is accompanied by his men and his male-slaves. He summons me, so bring me to him” They next handed her a hen. She cut off its head and threw it away. They took the hen and threw it on board the ship. The slave girl removed all her jewelry and gave it to the “Angel of Death”, and she drinks. She eventually is dragged into the pavilion to be killed, and the Vikings bang their shields with sticks so the other slave girls could not hear her screams. Six men had intercourse with the slave girl and then they take a rope and place it around her neck and hold her hands and legs and stab the slave girl with a dagger. They placed the slave girl next to the chieftain and burned the ship. This took an hour for the ship to be burned to ash This shows the gruesome way slaves would be sacrificed in the Viking age and gives insight into the brutality of the Viking age