Leidang

The institution known as leiðangr (Old Norse), leidang (Norwegian), leding (Danish), ledung (Swedish), expeditio (Latin) or sometimes lething (English), was a form of conscription (mass levy) to organize coastal fleets for seasonal excursions and in defense of the realm typical for medieval Scandinavians and, later, a public levy of free farmers. In Anglo-Saxon England, a different system was used to achieve similar ends, and was known as the fyrd.

The first recorded instance of a Norse lething is disputed among scholars.[1][2][3] There is considerable evidence that substantiates its existence in the late 12th century.[1][2] However, there are also written sources and archeological evidence which indicate that the lething system was introduced as early as the tenth century, if not earlier.[3]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Williams, D.G.E. (1997-03-01). "The Dating of the Norwegian leiðangr System: A Philological Approach". NOWELE: North-Western European Language Evolution. 30: 21–25. doi:10.1075/nowele.30.02wil. ISSN 0108-8416.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).