þinglæsingu

Þinglæsing is an Old Norse legal term referring to the act of publicly registering or proclaiming a legal matter, often a land transfer or a debt, in a public assembly or before witnesses. This process served as a public record and a means of establishing legal validity and preventing future disputes. The term literally translates to "assembly reading" or "reading at the Thing," where the Thing was the assembly of free men in Germanic societies, particularly in the Norse world.

The purpose of þinglæsing was to ensure that important legal transactions were known to the community. This public announcement made it difficult for parties to later deny the agreement or for others to claim ignorance of the rights and obligations involved. By having a transaction "read at the Thing," it became a matter of public record, akin to modern-day land registries or public announcements of legal judgments. This practice contributed to the stability and order of society by providing a transparent and verifiable system for legal dealings. The specific procedures for þinglæsing could vary, but typically involved a formal declaration by the parties involved, often with the presence of witnesses and the formal pronouncement by a designated official or the assembly itself.