Those who belonged to rich masters were allowed to work for themselves, and thus acquire means to buy their freedom, and it was more usual for a slave to buy his freedom than to be made free. He either paid the full sum and became a free man at once, or paid part of the sum down and the rest by work for his master.
After this he had personal rett, but had to work one year for his master, without whose consent he could not marry or make bargains; but when he had paid the sum and wished to become free, he made his freedom-ale—a feast with a certain measure of ale—to which he had to invite his master and his wife, and seat them in the high-seat.
On the first evening of the feast he had to pay the price of his freedom, namely 6 aurar, to the master, which he could give up or not. Then he became leysingi (freedman) and could marry and make bargains not exceeding a certain amount.
Even after the freedom-ale there was a special relation between the freedman and his former master and his descendants, which was called, on the side of the master, vörn (defence), on that of the freedman thyrmsl (obligation, dependence); these terms meant that the master protected the freedman, and that the latter was dependent on the former. The freedman was not by birth a member of any family that could help him, so “his former master had to do that duty.”
The master had to take care of his freedman if he became a pauper; if the latter went against his former master in anything, whether in law or in enmity, he became his thrall again.
The master and his descendant took the inheritance after their freedman or his descendant, if he had no free kinsmen within a certain degree. This custom varied in different parts of the country; according to the Frostathing’s Law, it was the fourth degree.[[499]]
“The family of a leysingi is four men in thyrmsl, but the fifth (degree) is no more in it, though not bought free” (Frostath., ix. 11).
“If a man wishes to buy himself off thyrmsl and dependence, rather than make his freedom-ale, it shall be so if his master will pledge his faith in granting it, and then it shall never be broken” (Frostath., ix. 16)
“If a leysingi wishes to have the power of bargains and marriage, he shall make his freedom-ale, with at least 3 sáld (measures) of ale, and invite his master to it, with witnesses, and seat him in the öndvegi, and lay 6 aurar in balances the first evening, and offer him the sum of a leysingi.[[500]] If he receives it, it is well; if he gives it up, it is as if it were paid” (Gulathing’s Law, 62).
“If a thrall gets land or lives (for himself), he shall make his freedom-ale with 9 mœlirs (measures) of ale, and kill a ram, and a family-born man[[501]] shall cut off its head, and his master shall take the neck-band[[502]] from his neck. If his master allows him to make his freedom-ale, he shall ask his leave to make it with two witnesses, and invite him, with four others, to the feast which is his freedom-ale” (Frostathing’s Law, ix. 12).