20 
hands of a few leading godar, and as in this manner the geographical 
character of the godords became more and more fixed, the relation of 
godar and thingmen was marked by an ever increasing subordination 
of the latter. 
The extent of power of the assemblies or Things varied considerably. 
There were 13 district assemblies (i. e. spring and autumn assemblies), 
each comprising 3 godords; 4 quarter-Things, one for each quarter 
of the country, but they soon disappeared; and lastly there was 
Althingi (the general assembly) for the whole island. Althingi was not 
a mere tribunal exercising legal jurisdiction for the whole island; it 
was a legislature for the whole country as well. Althingi thus pos- 
sessed both legislative and judicial powers, but the executive autho- 
rity was weak and inefficient, for the godar or priests retained this 
power in their own hands. The permanency of the Icelandic republican 
state system was thus necessarily conditional upon the balance of power 
(equality of the godords) being maintained among the godar, and on 
none of them becoming so powerful as to be able to lord it over the 
others. But this balance of power was disturbed when the godords 
began to accumulate in few hands, the consequence being bloody 
feuds among a few powerful families who aimed at nothing but self- 
aggrandizement. These quarrels gave the Norwegian king, Héakon 
Hakonarson (f 1263), an opportunity of interfering in Icelandic affairs, 
and at last, in 1262, he persuaded the Icelandic nation to take the 
path of allegiance, and the commonwealth had come to an end. 
On the Treaty which the Icelanders made with king at Althingi 
in 1262 were based the relations of Iceland with Norway and with 
Denmark later on, and the new constitution of Iceland. By this Treaty 
of Union the Icelanders swore allegiance to the king and his descen- 
dants and promised them permanent annual taxes, the king on his side 
promising them various privileges. — As to the real substance of the 
union agreement opinions have been greatly divided: The Icelanders 
have always maintained that it established a personal union between 
Iceland and Norway, nothing more. The Danes, on the other hand, 
in the controversy which arose later on regarding the relation be- 
tween Iceland and Denmark, contended that the agreement had brought 
about a real union between the two countries, and they even went so 
far as to say that Iceland had become an integral part of the Nor- 
wegian kingdom. The treaty of union was renewed several times, but 
no such changes were ever introduced as to affect materially the rela- 
tion between Iceland and Norway. Nor was there any change of this