Finally, if this may fairly be taken to be the wergeld of the hauld, then, recurring to the repeated statement in the Gulathing law that the wergeld of the hauld being told, the wergelds of others ‘varied according to the rett,’ the wergelds of the several classes in Norse social rank may, it would seem, with fair probability be stated as follows:-- +-----------------------------+-----------+-----------+----------+ | | Rett in |Wergeld in |Wergeld in| | -- |silver ores|silver ores| cows | +-----------------------------+-----------+-----------+----------+ | Leysing before freedom ale | 4 | 40 | | | ” after ” ” | 6 | 60 | 24 or 25 | | Leysing’s son | 8 | 80 | 32 | | Bónde | 12 | 120 | 48 or 50 | | Ár-borinn or Ættborinn-man | 16 | 160 | 64 | | Hauld or Odal-born | 24 | 240 | 96 or 100| +-----------------------------+-----------+-----------+----------+ The significance of these gradations in the retts and wergelds of Norse tribal society will become apparent in our next section. III. THE GRADATIONS OF SOCIAL RANK DISCLOSED BY THE WERGELDS ETC. We are now able to devote attention to the interesting question of the gradations in social rank under Norse tribal custom. And we are fortunate to have the guidance of Dr. Konrad von Maurer’s valuable paper written in 1878 and entitled ‘Die Freigelassenen nach altnorwegischem Rechte.’ [Sidenote: Grades of social rank in the churchyard.] Although tribal custom, viewed as we view it after the acceptance of Christianity, may not be altogether what it was originally in its actual working, yet still it is worth while to seek for the principles underlying the separating lines between social conditions as revealed in the laws. So far as they can be discovered, they are sure to be instructive, for they cannot have been the result of the sudden change in religion. Their roots at any rate go far back into tribal custom, however much, as in other cases, the Church may have adopted and modified what it could not eradicate. The hard lines of distinction between social classes were kept up even in the churchyard. Kirkiu garðe er skipt í fiórðonga til griæftar. Skall grafua lænda menn austan at kirkiu oc í landsuðr undir vxa [_v.r._ upsa] dropa, ef þæir æigu lut í kirkiu giærð. En ef þæir æigu æigi lut í kirkiu giærð, þá skullu þæir liggia í bónda legho, þá skall grafua hauldzmen oc þæira börn.