ármaðr (ON) noun

The ármaðr (pl. ármenn) originally designated a king’s steward or bailiff who managed royal estates in Norway and those of jarls in the Orkneys. Ármenn were expected to house the king and bishop during their journies and were in charge of almost the entire local administration. Over time he assumed functions as the king’s local representative, endowed with the power to act on behalf of the king in administrative and judicial affairs. In these latter functions he was also called erendreki (see ørendreki) in GuL, though this may refer to a separate official in FrL (LlbB 7). There may also have been some overlap in the duties of an ármaðr and those of the umboðsmaðr (see umbuþsman) or lénsmaðr (see lænsmaþer). Bishops and provosts later had ármenn to operate on their behalf. In FrostL (11.2) one of the tasks of a bishop’s ármaðr was the recovery of fines owed to the bishop. Ármenn of the king may have collected taxes and other revenues on his behalf as well. Another responsibility assigned to the ármaðr was the construction of buildings for the king, a duty which may previously have been performed by local farmers. There may have been one ármaðr for each fylki (q.v.) in Norway. According to FrL (Þfb 2), one of the duties of an ármaðr from each fylki was to enclose the Law Council (lögrétta) (q.v.) with boundary ropes (vébönd) (q.v.) during assemblies. According to GuL (ch. 311), the ármaðr, along with men given land by the king (lendir menn) (see lænder) was responsible for sending around a summons to assemble for war. According to GuL (ch. 37), ármenn were not permitted to attend judgments at an assembly, though they could be represented by delegates (nefndarmenn) (see næmdarmaþer). An ármaðr was generally someone of lower birth and was brought into the service of the king, similar to the bryti (q.v.) or lænsmaþer (q.v.) in the Old Swedish laws. It has been suggested that ármenn were slaves, though this is a matter of some debate, as there is little evidence available. Regardless they, along with the lendir menn, were often in conflict with local nobility whose interests rivaled those of the king or bishop. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries ármenn were gradually replaced by the more esteemed and higher-ranked sheriffs (sýslumenn) (see syslyman) and by deans (provaster) (q.v.) for church business. The position had vanished entirely by the sixteenth century.

king’s official ONorw FrL KrbA 29 Mhb 10, 22
king’s representative ONorw FrL Intr 12, 19 Mhb 22 Var 13 Rgb 3 LlbB 7 Bvb 5 Reb 1
official ONorw FrL KrbA 46
representative ONorw EidsL 30.5 32.6
ONorw FrL KrbA 1, 2
ONorw GuL Krb, Kpb, Løb, Llb, Tfb, Mhb, Olb, Leb
ONorw MLL Llb 11
steward OIce KRA 36, 39
ONorw FrL KrbB 3 Leb 2
ONorw MLL Þfb 1, 2 Refs:

Bagge 1991; Bagge 2010; Bolton 2009; Brink 2008a; Brink 2010b; CV; F; Helle 2001; KLNM, s.v.v. bryde, embedsindtægter, lendmann, lensmann, official, sysselmann, tomte, årmann; Krag 2008; LexMA s.v.v. Bauer, Bauerntum; NGL V s.v. ármaðr; ONP; Orning 2008; Strauch 2012 s. v. Ármaðr