þing

Þing is an Old Norse term designating a governing assembly or meeting. The concept appeared throughout Scandinavian and Norse-influenced regions and is the etymological root of the English word thing in historical contexts. A þing brought together free men, chieftains, and legal officials to discuss legislation, settle disputes, and make political decisions according to customary law.

Assemblies varied in scale and authority. In larger kingdoms, regional or national things could enact laws, issue proclamations, and select leaders; in smaller communities, local things handled everyday governance and local courts. A recurring feature was the presence of a lawspeaker who recited and explained the laws, while judgments could be rendered by the assembly or by appointed judges. The system combined legislative, judicial, and political functions within a single gathering.

In Iceland, the Alþingi is the best-known example. Founded around 930 CE at Þingvellir, it served as a general national þing and also exercised judicial functions under a system of law. The assembly met regularly, and laws were proclaimed by the lawspeaker. In 1845 the Alþingi was reestablished as a modern legislative assembly in Reykjavík; Iceland gained full independence in 1944, and the Alþingi has continued as the country’s parliament, currently with 63 members elected to four-year terms.

The term þing survives in place names and historical references across the Norse world and influences the modern concept of parliamentary assemblies. The word’s legacy appears in related terms and in the historical memory of early legislative and judicial systems.