sysel (ODan) sýsla (ON) noun

The highest administrative/judicial district beneath land (q.v.) in JyL and in the east and north of Norway. Following Icelandic submission to Norway in 1262/4, Norwegian authorities sent sheriffs (sýslumenn, see sysluman) to govern regions of Iceland. Their jurisdiction was called a sýsla (see sysel). During the Middle Ages a sýsla had no fixed geographic boundaries, and their number and size changed over time.


activity OIce Grg Lbþ 206
business OIce Sg 2
district OIce Þfb 2, 5 Sg 2 Kab 26
OIce KRA 3

region ODan JyL 1, 2
sheriff’s district ONorw GuL Krb Refs:

Andersen 2011, 32–33; KLNM s.v. syssel

Citation
  • ‘sysel’. A Lexicon of Medieval Nordic Law.

  • http://www.dhi.ac.uk/lmnl/nordicheadword/displayPage/5220
    (03/29/2024)