ohailigr (OGu) óheilagr (ON) úheilagr (ON) adj.

This word, which does not occur in the Danish or Swedish laws, is used in at least three distinct ways. Firstly, it means ‘unholy’ in a general sense, the opposite to helagher and cognates. Secondly (in GL only), it refers to working or weekdays as opposed to ‘holy’ days: Sundays, saints’ days, church festivals, etc. Thirdly, it means unprotected in some way. In the senses ‘of forfeit immunity’ and ‘unprotected’, the word is related to the concepts of manhælghþ, the right to personal protection under the law, and hemfriþer, the protection that one had in one’s own home against attack. This is the implication behind the majority of usages in OIce and ONorw law and occurs when a person is suspected of a crime, but perhaps not yet condemned by trial, in which case their right to compensation was removed. In GL it is used to refer to the loss of protection suffered if someone refused to admit a legally correct house-search for stolen goods. The search party could legally break down his door without fear of prosecution, even if no stolen goods were found. Similar rules, but without the use of the word ohelagher, are to be found in ÄVgL, YVgL and ÖgL.

condemned ONorw FrL Mhb 41
of forfeit immunity OIce Grg Þsþ 52, 55 Vís 87, 88 Bat 113 Feþ 159 Lbþ 181, 201 Rsþ 230 Misc 238, 242
OIce Js Lbb 27 Kab 4
unholy ONorw EidsL 24.2 27.5
unprotected OGu GL A 14, 37
unprotected by the law ONorw GuL Krb, Kpb, Llb, Mhb
without legal redress OIce Grg Vís 90
without the protection of law OIce Jó Mah 4, 16 Llb 22, 30 Þjb 6
working OGu GL A 56 Refs:

Heusler 1911, 6−68, 114−23; KLNM s.v.v. hæmnd, rättlösa; Miller 1984, 127 n. 126; Peel 2015, 172 note 37/7−9; Schlyter 1877, s.v. ohailiger