A general rule seems to have prevailed for the computation of the rétt in all upper classes, which was reckoned in silver, or 12 ells of vadmal for every eyrir. In the lower classes it was reckoned in the so-called lögeyrir (legal eyrir), i.e. about 12 feet of vadmal for every eyrir.
Some rétts were hereditary, and a wife enjoyed the same rétt as her husband received, and retained it even during widowhood.
“This is about the rights of women. Every man has full rétt on behalf of his wife. Three marks are due to a haulld if his wife is struck.
“A widow shall have her rétt herself, as high a rétt as that of her late husband, and whoever she wishes shall claim it” (Frostath., x. 37).
In Gulathing’s Law the haulld is the centre of the division; his rétt is three marks.
“A haulld shall get as his full rétt three marks. The rétt of every man upward (of higher rank) from the haulld shall increase by a third and decrease downwards” (Frostath., x. 34).
The amount to be paid or received by each degree of a family was entirely independent of the number of members of such degree. In the computation the following rules were chiefly followed:—The weregild on both sides embraced the family within the same degrees of the slain and the slayer, each individual degree on the side of the slayer paying weregild to the corresponding one in the family of the slain; the first receiver of weregild was the son of the slain, or, if he was not alive, the father.
“The first indemnity (baug)[[543]] is called head-indemnity. That is ten marks. That is (as much as) thirty-two cows if the slain man is odal-born. The weregild increases and decreases like other rétts of men. The father shall get it if the son is not alive; if both live, the father owns three marks. If he is not able to fight, he gets twelve aurar from the slayer. If the slayer is outlawed he loses that indemnity. When the slayer dies his heir receives the axe (has to pay the weregild)” (Gulath., 218).
“The second indemnity is called brother’s indemnity. That is five marks, or sixteen cows. The third is the indemnity of the brœdrung (first cousin). That is four marks, or half an eyrir less than thirteen cows” (Gulath., 219).
The sum paid was the same whether the receiver was one or more. The amount paid by each degree became smaller in proportion as the kinship became more distant. The degrees of kinship embraced in the weregild were always considered as existing on both sides. If they in reality did not exist, the slayer had to pay, and the next of kin on the other side to receive, for the missing degree.