Þingum

Þingum is the dative plural form of the Old Norse noun þing, meaning an assembly or parliament. The þing was a public gathering in which free men met to legislate, adjudicate, and decide public affairs. Assemblies occurred at various levels—from local farmstead meetings to large regional and national gatherings. At a þing, laws were discussed and proclaimed, disputes were settled, witnesses heard, and decisions often ratified by consensus or other customary procedures. A key official, the lawspeaker (lögsögumaðr), would recite and interpret the lawful code during proceedings.

The Icelandic Althing (Alþingi), established around 930 CE, is the best-known example of a national þing and is often cited as one of the oldest parliamentary institutions in the world. Similar institutions existed elsewhere in the Norse world, such as regional things in Norway and Denmark, where communities gathered to deliberate and administer justice.

Linguistically, þingum appears in Old Norse and other medieval texts as the dative plural form of þing. The concept of þing contributed to legal culture in medieval Scandinavia and influenced later forms of representative or constitutional assemblies in the region.

See also: Alþingi, Lögsögumaður, Thing (assembly).