Units of Measurement from Viking Age Law and Literature

Dear Viking Answer Lady:

What measurements did the Northmen use? I know of the ell, the span between elbow and index and the third digit of the hand, the span between joined thumbs and stretched forefingers. They must have other measurements for land, sea, depth etc. Do you know of them?

(signed) Measuring Up

Gentle Reader:

I have looked through my references and resources to report back as many units of measurement as I could identify. This is not necessarily all possible measurements - these are the ones I could think of and successfully dig out of reference texts and the Old Icelandic Dictionary. But it's a start! Enjoy...

Length/Distance
Old Norse Measurement	Equivalent To	Description
faðmr	about 2 yards in length	A measure of length, a "fathom". Also means "the out-stretched or embracing arms".
rôst	About 1 mile	Literally "a rest" but used of the distance travelled between two rest-stops, a distance which varried by type of terrain but which was around a mile.
vika		A sea-mile, answering to the land measurement of a rôst.
tylpt		Literally "dozens", used to mean "dozens of vika/sea-miles" - to circumnavigate Iceland was fjórtán tylptir or "fourteen dozens".
akrlengd		"Acre-long", the length of a field of arable land.
túnlengd		"Homefield-long", the length of an enclosed homefield. A short distance.
Area
Old Norse Measurement	Equivalent To	Description
dagsslátta	about three-quarters of an acre of grassland	"A day's mowing."
Weight
Old Norse Measurement	Equivalent To	Description
fjórðungr	About 10 lbs.	A measurement of weight.
eyrir, pl. aurar	Slightly more than 27 grams, nearly one ounce avoirdupois (28.35 gram)	"Ounce". Measurement specified in the Icelandic law code Grágás.
ôrtug	0.9 gram	One-third of an eyrir [ounce]. Measurement specified in the Icelandic law code Grágás A pennyweight or penny weighed of silver was one-thirtieth of an ounce, 0.9 gram. One penny weighed was worth two "pennies counted", i.e., two of the "penny" coins normally current. (The Arabic dirham, well-known in Scandinavia in the tenth century, had a stable weight of 2.97 gram, and it was probably this or what could be reckoned an equivalent that was meant by references to the "penny", ten of which make an ounce.
môrk, pl. merkur		A "mark", worth 8 eyrir (ounce).
pund	12 lbs.	A "pound", = 24 merkur [marks].
skippund	12 lbs.	Literally, "a ship-pound",= 24 merkur [marks]. Used in medieval documents to translate Latin talentum.
bismarapund		A "steelyard-pound". The word bismari is a loan word from German Besem, Besen.
vætt		Literally, "a weight", a measurement of weight. In Norway = 1/24 of a skippund; in Iceland = 80 lbs.
þveit		A "bit", "a cut off piece", used as a unit of weight and also in reference to a small coin which was a fraction of an eyrir [ounce].
Cloth Measurements
Old Norse Measurement	Equivalent To	Description
alin or ôln, pl. alnir	About 19-3/8" (49.2 cm)	An ell, the standard measure for cloth. Vaðmál, cloth of a standard quality, was required to be two ells in width by the Icelandic law code Grágás.
kvarði	About 19-3/8" (49.2 cm)	About 1200 the use of a "stick" (kvarði) of one ell was prescribed in Icelandic law, and was regulated against a 20-ell line on the wall of the church at Þingvöllr and a two-ell line marked on every burial church.
stika	About 38-3/4" (98.4 cm)	About 1200 the use of a "rod" (stika) of two ells was prescribed in Icelandic law, and was regulated against a 20-ell line on the wall of the church at Þingvöllr and a two-ell line marked on every burial church.
þumal-ôln	About 20-3/8" (51.7 cm)	A "thumb-ell" was the standard ell plus a "thumb", approx. 1 inch (2.5 cm), to ensure that error fell on the generous side.
Money Measurements
Old Norse Measurement	Equivalent To	Description
lôgeyrir		Six ells of two-ell-broad homespun made the standard ounce-unit. False measures were liable to prosecution. An ounce-unit originally represented what an ounce of silver could buy in other media of exchange, generally in homespun cloth but also in other forms of legal tender. The ounce-unit of homespun came to have separate significance as a currency unit, normally accepted as six ells of cloth two ells wide and of stipulated quality, though three-ell and four-ell ounce-units were also used by local or private agreement. (Hence the stipulation that repayment should be in units of the same size as the original sum). The relationship in the values of the ounce-unit of cloth and the weighed ounce of acceptable silver (silver of a quality acceptable in wergild and other payments) is estimated to have fluctuated as follows: c. 1000 3:1 (i.e., 18 ells to the ounce), c. 1100 8:1 (48 ells to the ounce); c. 1200 7.5:1 (45 ells to the ounce); c. 1300 6:1 (36 ells to the ounce). The general assumption in the laws is that the standard of 48 ells to the ounce of silver was to apply in personal compensation, fines and penalty payments.
hundruðum		Literally "hundreds", the value of 120 ells of vaðmál. The Old Norse "hundred" (hundrað) was 120 of anything.
hundrað silfrs		The silver value of 120 ells of vaðmál.

Rates of Exchange
Item A	Equivalent To	Item B	Notes
300 (i.e., 360) alnir [ells] of vaðmál	=	100 (i.e., 120) lôgeyrir [ounce-units]	From the maximum price list of one of the spring assemblies [varþing], the Árnes Thing in southern Iceland, was issued probably about 1186. The value of these lôgeyrir [ounce-units] was valid only for the district of this assembly, and they were equal to only half the value of the usual ounce-unit (720 alnir [ells] were usually required for 120 lôgeyrir [ounce-units]).
one ôln [ell] of English linen	=	three alnir [ells] of vaðmál	From the maximum price list of the Árnes varþing.
6 alnir [ells] of vaðmál	=	1 eyrir [ounce]	To combat extreme inflation in prices for non-woolens all over Iceland seen in the list of prices from the Árnes varþing, the Alþing [Althing, the Icelandic National Assembly] issued a price list for the whole island somewhat later, about 1200. It is the most complete record of values for the Icelandic Commonwealth, and in most cases it shows what must have been a typical relationship between goods.
1 tufted wool cloak [vararfeldr] 4 þumal-ôln [thumb-ells] long and 2 alnir [ells] wide with 13 strips across [13 tufts or rôggvar across the width of the fabric]	=	2 aurar [ounces]	From the 1200 Alþing.
6 artic-fox skins	=	1 eyrir [ounce]	From the 1200 Alþing.
6 sheep fleeces	=	1 eyrir [ounce]	From the 1200 Alþing.
6 shorn wethers [gelded sheep]	=	1 eyrir [ounce]	From the 1200 Alþing.
2 skins of old tom cats	=	1 eyrir [ounce]	From the 1200 Alþing.
3 furs of summer-old tom cats	=	1 eyrir [ounce]	From the 1200 Alþing.
5 alnir [ells] of mórendr (russet-colored vaðmál)	=	1 eyrir [ounce]	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 eyrir [ounce] of gold which withstands fire [i.e., pure gold, unalloyed]	=	60 aurir [ounces]	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 môrk [mark] of burnt silver [brannt silfr, pure, unalloyed silver]	=	60 aurar [ounces]	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 iron kettle, new and unused, weighing 1/2 vætt [weight] and as large as 8 buckets	=	15 aurar [ounces]	From the 1200 Alþing.
3 tempered scythes, with steel handles, edges fired, and weighing 18 aurar [ounces]	=	2 aurar [ounces]	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 vætt [weight] of bog iron	=	5 aurar [ounces]	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 vætt [weight] of forged iron	=	6 aurar [ounces]	From the 1200 Alþing.
3 cattle a year old	=	1 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
2 cattle two years old	=	1 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 cow not giving milk and a two-year old cow capable of bearing calves	=	1 cow less 2 aurar [ounces]	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 four-year-old ox, gelded or not	=	1 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 steer and an ox three years old	=	1 kúgildi [kúgildi = "a cow's value"]	From the 1200 Alþing.
6 ewes, 2 being two years old and 4 older, thick-haired without bald spots, with their lambs	=	1 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
6 goats 2 being two years old and 4 older, thick-haired without bald spots, with their kids	=	1 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 four-year-old horse or older and less than ten years, healthy and faultless	=	1 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 four-year-old mare or older and less than ten years, healthy and faultless, giving no milk	=	3/4 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 two-year-old sow or older with 9 piglets	=	1 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
3 alnir [ells] of broad linen	=	2 aurar [ounces]	From the 1200 Alþing.
2 alnir [ells] of English linen two alnir [ells] wide	=	1 eyrir [ounce]	From the 1200 Alþing.
2 merker [marks, of 8 ounces each] of wax	=	1 eyrir [ounce]	From the 1200 Alþing.
3 vættir [weights, of 80 lbs. each] of old sheep's wool	=	1 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
3 vættir [weights] of food, valued at the standard of meal	=	1 cow	From the 1200 Alþing.
1 vætt of year-old lamb's wool or an old bull's hide	=	1/3 kúgildi [the value of a cow]	From the 1200 Alþing.
2 cow's hides	=	1 old bull's hide	From the 1200 Alþing.

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Bibliography

Dennis, Andrew, Peter Foote and Richard Perkins, trans. Laws of Early Iceland: Grágás. Vol. I. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. 1980.
[Until this translation was made available, the only was to get any idea of Icelandic law was by gleaning short, individual passages quoted in various works, or by learning to read Old Norse yourself. This volume contains the Christian Laws, Assembly Procedures, Treatment of Homicide, Weregild Ring List, the Lawspeaker's Section and the Law Council Section. Very useful, contains notes and explanations as well as an excellent translation.]
Buy this book today!

Dennis, Andrew, Peter Foote and Richard Perkins, trans. Laws of Early Iceland: Grágás. Vol. II. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. August 2000.
[Volume II includes Truce and Peace Speeches, Inheritance, Incapable Person's Section, Betrothal and General Family Law, Land-claims, General Commercial Law, Stolen Goods and Theft, Duties of Communes, and Miscellaneous Provisions regarding poetry, biting dogs, bulls and tame bears, value of silver, prices, relations with Norway, legal procedure etc.]
Buy this book today!

Gelsinger, Bruce E. Icelandic Enterprise: Commerce and Economy in the Middle Ages. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press. 1981.