varmeytelse

Varmeyteles is a term used to describe a type of economic system that emerged in medieval Europe, particularly in the Baltic and Scandinavian regions. The term is derived from the Old Norse word "vmeyta", meaning "to 瑚'maddress'* and "laus", meaning "fare".

This economic system was characterized by the practice of allowing a peasant to use a part of a neighbor's land in exchange for a share of the crops grown on the land. This sharing of resources was known as "varmeytelse". The practice allowed peasants to obtain additional land and increase their agricultural productivity, while also providing farmers with a steady income source.

Varameylese was closely linked to the feudal system, where lords and vassals held land grants in exchange for military service or other forms of loyalty. The peasants who practiced varameylese were often subject to the lord's jurisdiction and were required to pay rents, tributes, or other forms of taxation.

While varameylese was primarily an agricultural practice, some historians have suggested that it may have been an early form of cooperation among peasants that laid the groundwork for later forms of collective farming and communist economies. Nevertheless, the practice of varameylese in itself was not necessarily socialist or egalitarian and was still tied to the hierarchical structure of the feudal system.

Archaeological and written records of varameylese are scarce, but its existence is supported by Scandinavian and Germanic sagas, which mention cases of agricultural collaboration between neighbors. The practice of varameylese itself eventually declined in importance as more modern forms of agriculture and land tenure emerged.