Drekkingarhylur
This beautiful pool beneath some small waterfalls on the Öxará (river) in the Almannagjá (gorge) in Þingvellir National Park, Iceland bears a gruesome name, Drekkingarhylur. Roughly translated it means “the drowning pool”. Here mostly in the 16th to early 18th century women convicted of the crimes of adultery, incest and infanticide were executed by being tied in a sack and drowned in the pool. History records at least 18 females met their demise in this manner. These executions were carried out as part of the court system at Þingvellir but it wasn’t always that way.
Courts were part of the Alþing from its beginning. Then around 960, the Alping appointed four courts, one for each quarter of the country. Legal cases that had not been concluded at district assemblies could be sent to a Quarter Court at the Alþing. In early in the 11th century, The Lögrétta established a Fifth Court to handle cases left unresolved by the Quarter Courts. During this Commonwealth period, the chieftains and the individuals themselves held the executive power. When crimes were committed there was no central authority to carry out judgments. This resulted in Þingvellir being the site of no executions or, indeed, any other type of punishments during the Commonwealth Period.
This all changed in 1262 when Icelanders yielded to the authority of the Norwegian king by signing the treaty known as the Gamli Sáttmáli. This move came as a solution to the increasing animosity between clans and chieftains, This treaty did away with the legislative arm of the Alþing. The Lögrétta, the only remaining entity, became a court of law with limited jurisdiction. Ultimate judicial power was given to the Norwegian king's officials. In 1281 Jónsbók was approved became the basis for the law and legal procedures in Iceland for the following centuries. With the approval of Jónsbók, and the transfer of judicial power to the Norwegian king's officials, punishments became more severe than they had been during the Commonwealth period. As the Danish King git control of Iceland, the Danes introduced the legislation of Stóridómur, the "Great Judgment" in 1564. Following implementation of the Stóridómur, the frequency of corporal punishment at Þingvellir increased significantly.
Historical records report 70 – 80 executions in Thingvellir from the 17th century to the early 18th century. Convicted Men were hung (15 recorded) or beheaded (30 recorded) while the convicted women were drowned at Drekkingarhylur (18 recorded). Witches were burned (unknown number). Besides the Drowning Pool, Þingvellir has other macabre sites such as Gallows Rock (Gálgaklettur), Scaffold beach (Gálgaeyri) and Burning gap (Brennugjá). All pretty much self explanatory. It is said that many of the women executed were innocent, and abused,
References:
www.thingvellir.is/en/history-nature/history/
icelandroadguide.com/items/drekkingarhylur/
travelade.com/iceland/stories/execution-trail-thingvellir...
www.stuckiniceland.com/the-dark-side-of-thingvellir/
Drekkingarhylur
This beautiful pool beneath some small waterfalls on the Öxará (river) in the Almannagjá (gorge) in Þingvellir National Park, Iceland bears a gruesome name, Drekkingarhylur. Roughly translated it means “the drowning pool”. Here mostly in the 16th to early 18th century women convicted of the crimes of adultery, incest and infanticide were executed by being tied in a sack and drowned in the pool. History records at least 18 females met their demise in this manner. These executions were carried out as part of the court system at Þingvellir but it wasn’t always that way.
Courts were part of the Alþing from its beginning. Then around 960, the Alping appointed four courts, one for each quarter of the country. Legal cases that had not been concluded at district assemblies could be sent to a Quarter Court at the Alþing. In early in the 11th century, The Lögrétta established a Fifth Court to handle cases left unresolved by the Quarter Courts. During this Commonwealth period, the chieftains and the individuals themselves held the executive power. When crimes were committed there was no central authority to carry out judgments. This resulted in Þingvellir being the site of no executions or, indeed, any other type of punishments during the Commonwealth Period.
This all changed in 1262 when Icelanders yielded to the authority of the Norwegian king by signing the treaty known as the Gamli Sáttmáli. This move came as a solution to the increasing animosity between clans and chieftains, This treaty did away with the legislative arm of the Alþing. The Lögrétta, the only remaining entity, became a court of law with limited jurisdiction. Ultimate judicial power was given to the Norwegian king's officials. In 1281 Jónsbók was approved became the basis for the law and legal procedures in Iceland for the following centuries. With the approval of Jónsbók, and the transfer of judicial power to the Norwegian king's officials, punishments became more severe than they had been during the Commonwealth period. As the Danish King git control of Iceland, the Danes introduced the legislation of Stóridómur, the "Great Judgment" in 1564. Following implementation of the Stóridómur, the frequency of corporal punishment at Þingvellir increased significantly.
Historical records report 70 – 80 executions in Thingvellir from the 17th century to the early 18th century. Convicted Men were hung (15 recorded) or beheaded (30 recorded) while the convicted women were drowned at Drekkingarhylur (18 recorded). Witches were burned (unknown number). Besides the Drowning Pool, Þingvellir has other macabre sites such as Gallows Rock (Gálgaklettur), Scaffold beach (Gálgaeyri) and Burning gap (Brennugjá). All pretty much self explanatory. It is said that many of the women executed were innocent, and abused,
References:
www.thingvellir.is/en/history-nature/history/
icelandroadguide.com/items/drekkingarhylur/
travelade.com/iceland/stories/execution-trail-thingvellir...
www.stuckiniceland.com/the-dark-side-of-thingvellir/