Parallelseid

Parallelseid is an ancient Norse law that governed the indemnification of kin for unexplained flight or injury. In Norway during the Middle Ages, individuals had the option to flee to the mountains or forests to avoid prosecution, and as a result, their families might have been held liable for the actions that led to the flight.

Under parallelseid, kin was required to pay a certain amount of money, known as wergild, to the aggrieved party or the king. The value of the wergild varied depending on social class, with more privileged individuals having to pay higher sums. Those who fled could not be punished themselves while they were still in sanctuary, as long as they maintained a set of rules and officiated for sanctuary.

The practice of parallelseid held significance in Scandinavian culture and social hierarchy. As a means of compensating injured parties, it helped to maintain order, but also highlighted the disparities between those of higher and lower social status. It existed as part of a broader Norse legal framework, interacting with the principle of real seal allotment. In addition, parallelseid offers insight into the rules that governed how rules were concordant with precepts overlaid by multiple other prohibitions.

Though less well-documented than other aspects of Norse law, the historical context and application of parallelseid remain of interest to researchers and historians studying Norse society and the development of its laws.