Dog letter

The Dog Letter (Faroese: hundabrævið) is a Faroese document concerning keeping dogs on the isles. It was written between AD 1350–1400.^[1][2] The document mentions several Faroese villages and islands,^[3] including Lamba.^[4] It is the oldest existing reference to the local assembly.^[5][6] The text is contained in the Kongabókin, a collection of legal documents.^[7]

Ollum monnum j Færꝍygium þæim sæm tetta bref sea ædur hꝍyra sendir Simun loghmadur | ok allir loghrettu mæn j Færꝍygium qvediu guds ok sina. Sua list os vm hvnda þa sæm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . huærs naudsyn kræfdi j þæim stodum er mæn æighv saman saud ok leigu mæn hafva ok kutung . . | . . . . . . . knapar ok vmfærdar mæn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . til skada er sialfr . . . . Noregs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . t at eigi skulo hundar fleiri vera æn hær sægir: I Nordrꝍygium, j Kallzꝍy ij hvndar, annar hia | . . . . . . at Hvsum, æn annar j Mykladal; j Kunꝍy iij, æin j Sundi en tueir heima . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; | j Arnafirdi . ; j Mula i; a Vidareidi ij; j Fughlꝍy ij, huar j sinvm bꝍ; j Svinꝍy ij. I Austrꝍy, a Eidi . . | . . . . . . gi iij; a Ꝍyri æin; a Sælatrum æin; at Skala ij, skal annar fylgia Andresi, en an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | . . . . . . . . . . j Elldivik ij; j Ꝍyndarfirdi ij; j Fuglafirdi ij; j Leirvik engi; j Gotu ij hia Þorbergi . . | Solmundarfirdi i; j Lambahagha æin; a Nesi ij. I Nordsꝍy hia Benedict ein saudhvndur ok ij fvglahvndar . . . . . . | huer sin fvglahvnd. I Stravmꝍy, j Saxhofn æin saudhvnd ok æin lirahvnd; j Tiornvvik i; j Hualvik i; j Kolla|firdi; ij; j Vestmannahofn iij; j Huiguvik æinm en eingi svdr fra Þorisgotu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | hia Grimi æin. I Sandꝍy, j Husauik æin til . . . fangs, en annar vngr; j Skalavik ij; a Sandi iij. I Skvfꝍy ein|gi saudhvndur, æn hafva skulo þeir j . . . . . . . ok ij lirahvnda, . . abyrgist hver sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . | Hvalbꝍ iiij,, skulo ij fyrir nordan a ok ij fyrir svnan . . . . . . g . . . . . . . Ordavik i; j Hofvi i hia Pali; j Faam . . | . . . . . . Porkerdi i; j Vagi ij, annar hia . . . . . . mi en annar hia Þorsteini . . . . . by æin . . . . . . j Bꝍ ok i Gasadal ængi; en i Sauruagi ok i Miduagi ok i Sandavagi skulo so margir vera sæm þeim | semr a haustþinhi ær skynsamastir æro. Skal þessvm hvndum vardveita enir skilrikastv | men ok vera hverium ok ollum iamheimolir bøar monnum. Skulo allir hafva drepit sina hvnda inn|nan v natta er þeir heim koma fra þingi ok sva þeir er fretta til. Var þetta gort a logþingi in|nan vebanda. Skal þessi skipan standa xij manadi nea os þikki leingr hꝍfva. Ok til sanz vit|nisburd setti Simun logmadr ok allir logrettu mæn vaar insigli fyrir þetta bref.^[8]