Show I 1 I 1 ICELAND INSURANCE tho little island as a Ilio niler in the business centuries before the wise citizens of london recognized tho the value of fire insurance there existed a most interesting form arrn ot of it II and that not in any of 0 the great commercial nations ot of the middle ages but in a remote island of 0 the tha atlantic in iceland this fact remarkable as it Is in itself will riot not seem so surprising to those who are acquainted with mith the alio ancient condition of that country which has for several hundred years played but a small email part dart I 1 in n european Uuro history its first colonists I 1 in n the end of ct the ninth and beginning ot of the tenth centuries were among tile the most enterprising of 0 Nor ways sons and for or the iho next three centuries their new home rivaled the mother matter country in most respects and far excelled itile cc ailed it in mental menial activity the old poetry ot of norway died out a bout about the year 1000 A D 1 and from that ihal date so long on as there were skalds scalds a at t tho the COU court t of tile the norwegian kings they were Ic elanders at the same time athey they were doleful farmers daring seamen and enterprising traders they traded regu regularly laxly all the neighboring countries and thou thought plit little of an 01 ox elland erland journey to constantinople choro many of them served in the bodyguard body guard ot of the byzantine briber or at home next to the necessary care of their herds and flocks they heiti abone all devoted to poetry history and law to he be skilled in the latter was a sure title to respect at a time ilmo when law looks books were still unknown land and codes were mere carried in the head beai of the lawman or declared by tile tho r at the race meetings c ting 51 of oc the alt bing or yearly assem assembly b LAWS in the thirteenth century these laws ILS of use rand and wont went came to be written down not officially it would seem its as happened in other countries but by persons interested in legal studies and they are now non preserved in a collection commonly k known as gragas gra gas i or gray goose I 1 a man of doubtful doubet 0 origin orlynn orly tn which I 1 Is used as a general n name ame for the laws of iceland prior to Us its union with norway in 1263 1262 it Is in this collection of 0 laws th that t the Jilter interesting estIng items of compensation compensation tor for lost loss by fire occurs a section which Is quoted by tho the editor of an iceland journal of last year in the first of a series ot of articles on the ancient civilization of iceland the editor dr valtyr Is one of the t test authorities thorit ties les on this subject and u uses 5 es the quotation as a text to point out ut to 1 its his I 1 C countrymen 0 u the superior for foresight of r r one ancestors estors in this respect the modern I le icelander elander has hag not yet realized realised reali a sed od th tho 1 value oc cc insul insurance as shown by tho tact fact that one oft of the tore most yeomen in the country had his farm burned down doun three times in suc I 1 acu ecu ion without in was otherwise II 11 in I 1 the old I 1 dagg a it 1 valter arx points 0 out L in I 1 he IIII 1111 oil I 1 re republic u lie thega the soldan e 1 I e of age 0 0 t er yeoman co in f araci 1 ii I 1 ly law to be a e was if ca conci 3 ia r of t I 1 insurance sur a m CO society T the I 1 IV which k ca nr I 1 for ri ns f wits was made la is t thus e Is I 1 gras eras and d is s a a 1 th thoroughly cal I 1 alro 1 a of nf 1 r a 1 I 1 8 alil 1 MANT HOUSES IN 0 there are nr three hou liolio mans dwelling db tor for co in ti may ay te be pt mat in li event 0 of ins ing burned down dowan I in 1 n icelandic their ahel eriq h b ln ings ell room wn a aw g g and so la 13 called A houft a arti r a ta bait i IA la 1 I the wo merim i the room it common sitting r room 0 0 so and a a pantry where fix taft e m n omen th thoth t oca food it if it a mari man has both pram N 1 ii alus room rind ahall n hall then at the a e 1114 1 I 1 he A abill ha choo 00 I 1 apman 1 irh will rather have the th t 4 hill insured if there lo is rm 1111 11 lit 11 n ell chiaini chi chopel chapel on any mans farm arrn ini of tile fourth house liable for or then t blat 11 t tion alon chiero it exists cora concia pit I 1 I 1 bouges housti a aforementioned if Is ig burnell burnel at any cf y m 0 the it D owner shall surn summon moll 1 anve f i neighbors and get them to r dt h r 1 damatra dam uca that alafat ala tat ta I 1 ba haa 11 b abma s cr each i 1 shall estimate estl mata the tb dam damage e N a r almog IOD U ta i g house it cl and also t tact hittl clothes and otier either albah U v alu valuable ables b I 1 along with it but only such nuch clothe cloth N ir valuables it aa thi owner 01 ail a I 1 dally daily use shall he be recil cone onel r rudra ru aguir lra ft fit t sensation pens Pensa aHon tion if a i church Is or oa a burned shall be tile u I 1 reckon reckoned recko nod d along alone gaith it g I 1 compensation all the choir and the li brt bell 14 i 4 that haa h i destroyed if there inere awe mar INI more eisses tha 1 and nil all the furniture re luiree tar or da 0 use the sp semo me thine shall bo be r the th else case of C chapels au ill the damaso hs iii b been v PJ I 1 9 by the neighbors as ai above l 1 iriv Ud one half of 0 t the he lews ha had 1 I to be arr it ll 11 the yeoman himself end and the ta if 1 ift 7 aa made maae rood good by all the other Q in the y district from each of at hiis tiis certain amount was waa levied in 6 ion to tile the value lalur ol of his prow I 1 t ay iy I 1 ahli h 1 were not mot PAM paid within f W 1 r a amu t time I 1 it could d be seized hy by LI taws I 1 m at a 1 I 1 same time lime it WAS wa provided that coull could be called upon to sz i pay bay as it 1 share more than 1 per der cont ot of his nto property and id it aas os not co compensate mp tho the sam aado n demix for 1 by bv fire more tha than n three time tiba chambers journal |