Sometimes thralls were rewarded by their masters for meritorious actions. Vebjörn and his brothers went to Iceland, but in a heavy storm their ship was wrecked on some rocks, and they got ashore.
“There they were entertained during the winter by Atli, Geirmund Heljarskinn’s thrall. When his master got the news of this, he asked why he had taken care of Vebjörn and his companions. The thrall replied: ‘I wanted to show thus what a great and splendid chief the man was who owned a thrall that dared to undertake such things.’ Geirmund thanked him for his deed, and as a reward gave him his liberty, and land to settle on” (Sturlunga, Part i., ch. 3).
“Every man who is free and able shall own shield, spear, and cutting weapons. Only in cases of extreme necessity, where a general rising of the people takes place, the thrall goes out armed like the free men” (Gulathing’s Law, ch. 312).
Any one who captured a runaway slave and brought him back to his master could ask a reward according to the distance at which the slave was found or captured.
“If a man’s thrall runs away and another gets hold of him inside the fylki and outside the quarter (of the fylki), he shall have one eyrir. If he capture him outside the fylki but inside our law district, he shall get two aurar. If he captures him in the country and out of our law district, he gets half a mark. If he brings him home in chains the owner has to redeem him, but not otherwise” (Gulath., 68).
Without being held responsible, a master could kill or maim his thrall; only in the former case he had to publicly announce the slaying on the day it was done.
“If a man beats his thrall to death, he shall tell it to men the same day. Then he is not answerable to any one but God. But if he does not this, he is a murderer”[[503]] (Earlier Frostathing’s Law, v. 20).
The slaying of another man’s thrall was paid for by an indemnity of twelve aurar.
“It was the law at that time that if a man slew the thrall of another, the slayer should carry home indemnity therefor to the owner, before the third rising of the sun after the deed. This indemnity was twelve aurar of silver; and if it was paid according to this law, no suit could be commenced for the slaying of the thrall”[[504]] (Eyrbyggja Saga, c. 43).
“Steinar summoned Thorstein for thrall-killing, and claimed that the slaying of each be punishable by fjorbaugsgard (lesser outlawry); this was the law if a man’s thralls were killed, and the indemnity was not paid up before the third sunrise after. Two cases of lesser outlawry[[505]] were to count the same as one of full outlawry” (Egil’s Saga, c. 85).