c Marco jurídico

Many kings fo u g h t against G otland w h ile i t was heathen; however the G otlanders always held the v ic to ry and constantly protected th e ir rig h ts. L a te r the G otlanders sent a large number o f messengers to Sweden, b u t none o f them could make peace before A v a ir Strabain o f A lva parish. He made the fir s t peace w ith the kin g o f the Swedes.

When the G otlanders begged him to go, he answered, 'You know th a t I am now most doomed and ill- fa te d . G ra n t me then, i f you wish me to expose m yself to such p e ril, three w ergilds, one fo r m yself, a second fo r my su rvivin g son and a th ird fo r my w ife .' Because he was wise and skille d in many thing s, ju s t as the tales go about him, he entered in to a binding tre a ty w ith the kin g o f the Swedes. S ixty marks o f s ilv e r in respect o f each year is the G otlanders' tax, divided such th a t the kin g o f Sweden should have fo rty marks o f s ilv e r out o f the sixty, and the ja r l tw e n ty marks o f s ilv e r. A v a ir made th is sta tu te in accordance w ith the advice o f the people o f the island before he le ft home. In th is way, the G otlanders subm itted to the kin g o f Sweden, o f th e ir own fre e w ill, in order th a t they m ight tra v e l everywhere in Sweden fre e and unhindered, exempt fro m to ll and a ll other charges. S im ila rly the Swedes should also have the rig h t to v is it G otland, w ith o u t p ro h ib itio n against tra d e in corn, o r other prohibitions. The kin g was obliged to give the G otlanders protection and assistance, i f they should need i t and request it . In add itio n the kin g , and likew ise the ja rl, should send messengers to the G otlanders' general assembly and arrange fo r th e ir ta x to be collected there. The messengers in question have a duty to proclaim the freedom o f G otlanders to v is it a ll places overseas, which belong to the kin g in Uppsala and, s im ila rly , fo r such as have the rig h t to tra v e l here fro m th a t side.

L a te r, a fte r this, K ing O la f the H oly came fle e in g fro m Norway w ith his ships, and la id in to a harbour, the one called A kergarn. St O la f lay there a long tim e. Then Orm ika o f Hajnum , and several other p o w e rfu l men, w ent to him w ith th e ir g ifts . Orm ika gave him tw elve yearling rams along w ith other valuables. St O la f then reciprocated and gave him in re tu rn tw o round d rin k in g vessels and a

battle -a xe . Orm ika subsequently received C h ris tia n ity according to St O la f's

teaching and b u ilt him self an oratory at the same location as A kergarn church now stands. From there St O la f tra ve lle d to v is it Jaroslav in Novgorod.

Chapter 3

A lth ough the G otlanders were heathen, they nevertheless sailed on tra d in g voyages to a ll countries, both C hristian and heathen. So the merchants saw C h ristia n customs in C h ristia n lands. Some o f them then allow ed themselves to be baptized, and brought priests to G otland.

B o ta ir o f Akeback was the name o f the one who fir s t b u ilt a church, in th a t place which is now called Kulstade. Islanders were not prepared to to le ra te th a t, but burned it . F or th a t reason the place is s t ill called Kulstade. Then, la te r on, there was a sacrifice a t V i. There B o ta ir b u ilt a second church. The people o f the island also wanted to burn th is p a rticu la r church. Then B o ta ir w ent up on top o f the church him self and said, 'I f you w ant to burn it , you w ill have to burn me along w ith th is church.' He was him self in flu e n tia l, and he had as his w ife a daughter o f the most pow erful man, called L ik k a ir S n ie lli, liv in g a t the place called Stenkyrka. L ik k a ir carried most a u th o rity a t th a t tim e. He supported B o ta ir, his s o n -in -la w , and said as follow s, 'Do n o t persist in burning the man o r his church, since it stands a t V i, below the c lif f . ' As a re su lt, th a t church was allow ed to stand unb urnt. I t was established there w ith the name o f A ll Saints, in th a t place w hich is now called St Peter's. I t was the f ir s t church in G otland to be allowed to stand.

Then, at some tim e a fte r th a t, his fa th e r-in -la w L ik k a ir S n ie lli had him self baptized, together w ith his w ife , his children, and a ll his household, and he b u ilt a church on his farm , the one now called Stenkyrka. I t was the fir s t church on the island up in the northernm ost th ird . A fte r the Gotlanders saw the customs o f C hristian people, they then obeyed God's command and the teaching o f priests. Then they received C h ristia n ity generally, o f th e ir own free w ill, w ith o u t duress; th a t is no-one forced them in to C h ristia n ity.

A fte r the general acceptance o f C h ristia n ity, a second church was b u ilt in the country, at A tlingabo; it was the fir s t in the m iddle th ird . Then a th ird was b u ilt in the country, at Fardhem in the southernmost th ird . From those, churches spread everywhere in Gotland, since men b u ilt themselves churches fo r greater convenience.

Before G otland allied its e lf to any bishop permanently, bishops came to

Gotland who were pilgrim s to Jerusalem, in the H oly Land, and were tra v e llin g home from there. A t th a t tim e the route eastwards was to cross through Russia and the Byzantine empire to Jerusalem. In the fir s t place consecrated churches and graveyards, according to the request o f those who had caused the churches to be b u ilt.

A fte r the Gotlanders became accustomed to C h ristia n ity, they then sent messages to the Lord Bishop o f Linkoping, since he resided closest to them, to the e ffe ct th a t he should come to G otland, by a confirm ed statute, to lend his support, on the fo llo w in g conditions; th a t the bishop would wish to come from

Linkoping to G otland every th ird year together w ith tw elve o f his men, who

would accompany him around the whole country on farm ers’ horses, ju s t th a t

Thus the bishop has a duty to tra ve l around G otland to church consecrations and to collect his payments in kind, three meals and no more fo r each consecration o f a church, together w ith three marks; fo r an a lta r consecration, one meal together w ith tw elve ore, i f the a lta r alone is to be consecrated; but i f

both are unconsecrated, a lta r and church together, then both should be

consecrated fo r three meals and three marks in coin. From every second priest the bishop has a rig h t to collect payment in kind as a visita tio n tax, three meals and no more. From every other priest, who did not make payment in kind in th a t year, the bishop is to take a fee from each one, as is laid down fo r churches. Those who did not make payment in kind at th a t tim e, they should make payment in kind as soon as the bishop comes back in the th ird year. And the others have a duty to pay a fee, who the previous tim e had made payment in kind.

Should disputes arise th a t the bishop has a duty to judge, they should be resolved in the same th ird , since those men know most about the tru th who live nearest to it. Should the dispute not be resolved there, it should then be refe rred to the consideration o f a ll men, and not from one th ird to another. Should h o s tilitie s or m atters o f c o n flic t occur, which belong to the bishop to judge, one has an obligation to aw ait the bishop's a rriv a l here and not tra ve l over to the mainland, unless necessity force it, and it be such a great sin th a t the ru ra l dean cannot give absolution. Then one should tra ve l over between Walpurgis' Eve and A ll Saints' Day, but not a fte r th a t during the w in te r, u n til the fo llo w in g Walpurgis Eve. A fin e to the bishop, in Gotland, is to be no higher than three marks.

Chapter 4

Since the G otlanders accepted bishop and p riest, and com pletely embraced

C h ris tia n ity , they also undertook, on th e ir p a rt, to fo llo w the Swedish king on w a r-p a rtie s w ith seven warships, against heathen countries, but not against C hristian ones. However, i t had to be in such a way th a t the kin g should summon the Gotlanders to the levy a fte r w in te r, and give them a m onth's respite before the day o f m obilisation and, furtherm ore , the day o f m obilisation should be before

midsummer, and no la te r. Then i t is a la w fu l summons, b u t not otherwise. Then

the Gotlanders have the choice o f tra v e llin g , i f they are w illin g , w ith th e ir

longships and eight weeks' provisions, but no more. Nevertheless, i f the

G otlanders are not able to take p art, then they are to pay a fin e o f 40 marks in coin, in compensation fo r each longship, but th is , however, is a t the fo llo w in g harvest and not in the same year th a t the summons was made. This is called the

'le v y -ta x '.

In th a t month the sum moning-baton should pass around fo r one week and an assembly be announced. When people are agreed th a t the expedition w ill go out, they w ill then fu rth e r arm themselves fo r the voyage fo r a fo rtn ig h t. And afterw ards, fo r a week before the m obilisation, the men on the muster ought to be prepared and w a it fo r a favourable w ind. B u t i f i t should happen th a t no favourable w ind comes du rin g th a t week, they should s t ill w a it seven nights a fte r

the day o f m obilisation. However, i f no favourable w ind comes w ith in th a t

specified tim e, they then have the rig h t to go home freed fro m oblig ation, since they are not able to cross over the sea row ing, b u t under sail. Should the levy summons come w ith in a sh orter period than a month, they do not have to go, but may remain at home w ith im punity.

Should i t be the case th a t the kin g is not w illin g to believe th a t the summons came u n la w fu lly , o r th a t the w ind hindered them a t the proper specified tim es, the kin g's messengers, who co lle ct the tax a t th a t assembly which is next a fte r St Peter's mass, have a d u ty to take an oath from tw elve commissioners, whom the kin g's messengers wish to select, th a t they remained a t home fo r la w fu l reasons.

No commissioned oath shall be given in G otland apart fro m the kin g's oath. Should the m isfortune occur th a t the crowned king is by some force driven away fro m his kingdom, the G otlanders then have the rig h t not to hand over th e ir tax, but re ta in i t fo r three years; b u t they nevertheless have a duty to continue to co lle ct the tax together each year and a llo w i t to lie , and then hand i t over when thre e years have passed, to the one who a t th a t tim e rules Sweden.

A sealed le tte r w ith the kin g 's a u th o rity should be sent concerning a ll the kin g's law , and n o t an open one.