Umbót

Umbót is a historical term found in Icelandic and Old Norse legal contexts that refers to a form of redress or compensation provided to an injured party. The word is linked to the broader idea of making good for a wrong, repairing the harm that has been done to someone else.

In medieval Icelandic law, umbót described the obligation of the wrongdoer to provide compensation as a remedy for harm. It functioned as a civil remedy within customary law, and the amount or nature of umbót could be determined by the laws, by agreement between the parties, or by a local assembly or judge. Umbót could cover various kinds of loss, including property damage and financial harm, and in some cases aspects affecting reputation or status.

The purpose of umbót was restorative rather than punitive: to restore the injured party to the position they held before the harm occurred and to prevent further disputes. Over time, as legal systems in the region evolved and more formal mechanisms for damages and insurance developed, the explicit use of the term umbót declined in everyday practice. Nevertheless, the underlying concept—restitution or compensation for harm—remains central to modern civil law concepts in many jurisdictions.

In studies of Norse legal culture, umbót is cited as an example of how societies implemented mechanisms to repair harm through monetary or material settlements, emphasizing reconciliation and social restoration alongside dispute resolution.