Nordic Lexicon

væria (OSw) værje (ODan) veria (OGu) verja (ON) værþia (OSw) verb

Refers to defence and acquittal in a legal case. Although displaying some overlap, the defence is represented in translations such as ‘defend’, ‘deny’, ‘excuse’, ‘give defence’, ‘respond’, ‘substantiate’, and the acquittal is reflected in translations such as ‘acquit’, ‘exonerate’, ‘free’, ‘clear’, ‘free from fines’. Both defence and acquittal could be performed by the defendant alone as well as by oath-helpers, witnesses, occasionally other men involved in the dealings at hand, sometimes other actual eye-witnesses or other local men assumed to have knowledge of the facts of the case, or a group of nominated men, sometimes referred to as a næmd (q.v.). Both defence and acquittal could be reached through an eþer ‘oath’. Appearing in numerous phrases and expressions, such as: döma warþæn ’deem innocent’ (OSw UL Kkb 19), gitær han æy swa wart ’if he cannot defend it like this’ (ODan SkL 80), með fastum wæriæ ’to defend with transaction witnesses’ (OSw SdmL Jb 9), wæri sik medh landzlaghum ’defend oneself according to the law of the land’ (OSw HL Mb 8), wæri mæþ fiughurtan manna eþe ’defend with an oath of fourteen men’ (OSw ÖgL Kkb 24), verjask at lögum ’defend himself according to the law’ (OIce Js Mah 13). Also ‘to fend for’, ‘to fend off’, ’to defend’ referring to the care, protection and defence of children, houses, land etc., for example værje ok æj hærje ‘defend and not destroy’ (ODan SkL 57).

acquit OSw BjR
OSw KrL Kmb Rb Eb Hb DbI Tb
OSw MEL Kgb Kmb Rb Eb Hb DbI Tb
OSw MESt Jb Kmb Skb Eb Hb DbI
OSw ÖgL Kkb, Eb
OSw SdmL Kkb, Kgb, Jb, Kmb, Tjdb, Rb
OSw UL Kkb, Kgb, Mb, Kmb, Blb, Rb
OSw VmL Kgb, Äb, Mb, Jb, Kmb, Bb, Rb
OSw YVgL Äb, Gb, Tb, Add
be innocent OGu GL A 37
OSw UL Kkb
clear OSw HL Kgb, Äb, Mb, Blb, Rb
OSw MEL Eb
OSw YVgL Add
confirm OSw ÄVgL Äb
declare innocent OSw HL Kkb
defend ODan ESjL 2
ODan JyL Fort, 1−3
ODan SkBL
ODan SkL passim
ODan VSjL 5, 12, 65, 82, 83, 86, 87
OIce Grg Þsþ 35 Vís 90
OIce Jó Mah 7, 16 Kab 2 Þjb 2
OIce Js Mah 13 Þjb 2
ONorw FrL Mhb 10, 30 LlbB 12
ONorw GuL Kpb, Løb, Arb, Mhb, Olb
OSw ÄVgL Kkb, Md, Slb, Äb, Gb, Rlb, Jb, Tb, Fös, Föb
OSw BjR
OSw DL Kkb, Eb, Mb, Bb, Tjdb
OSw HL Kkb, Kgb, Mb, Blb, Rb
OSw KrL Kgb Äb Jb Bb Kmb Rb Eb Hb DbI DbII Add
OSw MEL Kgb Äb Jb Bb Kmb Eb Hb DbI
OSw MESt Kgb Gb Äb Bb Kmb Skb Rb Eb Hb DbI SmbI Tb Dob
OSw ÖgL Kkb, Eb, Db, Äb, Jb, Kmb, Bb
OSw SdmL Kkb, Kgb, Gb, Äb, Jb, Bb, Kmb, Mb, Tjdb, Rb, Till
OSw SmL
OSw UL passim
OSw VmL passim
OSw YVgL passim
deny OSw UL Mb
excuse OSw ÄVgL Jb
OSw YVgL Jb
exonerate OSw UL Äb, Mb, Rb
free ODan ESjL 3
OSw ÄVgL Fös
OSw DL Kkb, Bb, Rb
OSw HL Äb, Mb
OSw YVgL Add
free from fines OSw UL Kkb
OSw VmL Kkb
give defence ODan SkL 142
guard OSw ÄVgL Jb
invest OIce Jó Kge 18
keep back OGu GL A 19
keep safe OSw MEL Tb
make defence ODan VSjL 37
manage ONorw GuL Leb
pay (someone’s) penalty OGu GL A 22
possess OGu GL A 28
protect ONorw GuL Krb
prove ODan ESjL 2, 3
ODan VSjL 1, 16, 76
OSw ÄVgL Tb
OSw HL Jb
prove someone right OSw HL Rb
purge OSw HL Kkb, Kgb
OSw KrL Bb Kmb SmbI SmbII Tb
OSw MEL Bb Kmb Eb DbI SmbI SmbII Tb
respond OSw ÄVgL Rlb
substantiate OSw UL Mb
OSw VmL Mb, Kmb
swear ODan VSjL 76
vindicate OSw HL Mb
Expressions:

verja lýritti (ON)

to forbid by veto OIce Grg Þsþ 58

væria sik (OSw) verias (OGu)

defend oneself OSw UL Kkb, Kgb, Mb, Kmb, Blb, Rb VmL passim OGu GL A 4, 20a, 22

to be the defendant OGu GL A 19, 22

substantiate a denial OSw UL Kkb, Äb

væriande hand (OSw)

in armed defence OSw MEL Tb