Law Ting Holm
Encyclopedia
Law Ting Holm is an islet in the freshwater Loch of Tingwall, itself located on Mainland Shetland, Scotland. This islet is now attached to Mainland Shetland by a stone causeway 1.7 metres (6 ft) wide and 42.7 metres (140 ft) long. Loch of Tingwall is west of the town of Lerwick
and has one additional island - Holme of Setter.
, an assembly held during the Middle Ages. These open-air governmental assemblies met annually in the presence of the jarl
and the meetings were open to virtually all free men. At these sessions decisions were made, laws passed and complaints adjudicated. This island parliament is known to have met from 1307 into the 16th century.
As was common with other such meeting places, a mound was made from handfuls of earth from the various local þings represented at the meeting, so that all members could say that they were on their home ground. A small, much eroded mound can still be seen and the remains of a wall were found on the perimeter of the island, suggesting the creation of secluded area for meetings. Locations where the deliberations of the assembly could be seen but not easily overheard are typical of þing sites. The stones on which the "Ford" and other officials of the meeting sat, were reportedly removed at some time in the 18th century to improve the grazing potential.
Camps associated with the meetings were set up in the nearby Tingwall valley, and access was originally via "briggi-stanes" - stepping stones
.
. Shetland Amenity Trust place names officer, Eileen Brooke Freeman, said: “We can identify many of the assembly sites throughout areas of Scandinavian influence by their common ting, thing, ding and fing place names". Examples quoted include Gulating
(Norway), Tinganes
(Faroe Islands
), Tingwall
in both Shetland and in Orkney, Dingwall
(Highland
) and Tynwald
(Isle of Man
).
The following month, the Shetland Islands Council sponsored "Move.Shetland" newsletter publicised the Thing initiative, and in addition to Law Thing Holm listed various Shetland "Thing" districts such as Aithsting, Sandsting
, Nesting
, Lunnasting
and Delting.
, Red-breasted Merganser
and Common
and Black-headed Gull
frequent the loch, which is also home to Shetland's only Mute Swan
s.
Lerwick
Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 100 miles off the north coast of mainland Scotland on the east coast of the Shetland Mainland...
and has one additional island - Holme of Setter.
Norse parliament
The islet is the former location of the Shetland AlthingThing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
, an assembly held during the Middle Ages. These open-air governmental assemblies met annually in the presence of the jarl
Earl of Orkney
The Earl of Orkney was originally a Norse jarl ruling Orkney, Shetland and parts of Caithness and Sutherland. The Earls were periodically subject to the kings of Norway for the Northern Isles, and later also to the kings of Alba for those parts of their territory in mainland Scotland . The Earl's...
and the meetings were open to virtually all free men. At these sessions decisions were made, laws passed and complaints adjudicated. This island parliament is known to have met from 1307 into the 16th century.
As was common with other such meeting places, a mound was made from handfuls of earth from the various local þings represented at the meeting, so that all members could say that they were on their home ground. A small, much eroded mound can still be seen and the remains of a wall were found on the perimeter of the island, suggesting the creation of secluded area for meetings. Locations where the deliberations of the assembly could be seen but not easily overheard are typical of þing sites. The stones on which the "Ford" and other officials of the meeting sat, were reportedly removed at some time in the 18th century to improve the grazing potential.
Camps associated with the meetings were set up in the nearby Tingwall valley, and access was originally via "briggi-stanes" - stepping stones
Step-stone bridge
A Step-stone bridge is a simple bridging allowing a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse or pond, or a garden's water feature where water is allowed to course between stone steps. Unlike other bridges it has no spans. Step-stone bridges, along with log bridges are likely to be the oldest...
.
Thing Project
In April 2010 delegates of the Thing Project (which is supported by the EU's Northern Periphery Programme) explored the possibility of a transnational World Heritage nomination, based on an expansion of Iceland’s existing World Heritage site ÞingvellirÞingvellir
|Thing]] Fields) is a place in Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It is the site of a rift...
. Shetland Amenity Trust place names officer, Eileen Brooke Freeman, said: “We can identify many of the assembly sites throughout areas of Scandinavian influence by their common ting, thing, ding and fing place names". Examples quoted include Gulating
Gulating
Gulaþing is both the name of one of the first Norwegian legislative assemblies or Þing and one of the present day law courts of western Norway.-History:...
(Norway), Tinganes
Tinganes
Tinganes is the historic location of the Faroese landsstýri , and is a part of Tórshavn. The name means "parliament jetty" or "parliament point" in Faroese....
(Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
), Tingwall
Tingwall, Shetland
Tingwall, is a hamlet and parish in Shetland, mostly on Mainland.The hamlet lies about 4 miles north west of Lerwick. It is at the head of a long narrow bay. Tingwall Airport is here.-Parish:...
in both Shetland and in Orkney, Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
(Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
) and Tynwald
Tynwald
The Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
(Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
).
The following month, the Shetland Islands Council sponsored "Move.Shetland" newsletter publicised the Thing initiative, and in addition to Law Thing Holm listed various Shetland "Thing" districts such as Aithsting, Sandsting
Sandsting
Sandsting is a parish in the west of Mainland, Shetland forming a southern arm of the Walls Peninsula. It contains the hamlet of Garderhouse, and the islands of Vementry and Papa Little on the south side of St Magnus Bay, and comprehends a mainland district of about ten miles by eight between that...
, Nesting
Nesting, Shetland
Nesting is a parish in the east of Mainland, Shetland. It includes not only a part of the Mainland, measure about twelve miles by four, on coast and seaboard from Gletness to Lunna Ness; comprehends also the islands of Whalsay and the Out Skerries, and is much diversified on all its coasts by voes...
, Lunnasting
Vidlin
Vidlin , is a small village located in the Shetland Islands of Scotland.It is at the head of Vidlin Voe, is the modern heart of the old parish of Lunnasting, which centred on the early church at Lunna on Lunna Ness....
and Delting.
Wildlife
Tufted DuckTufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
, Red-breasted Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
The Red-breasted Merganser is a diving duck.-Taxonomy:The Red-breasted Merganser was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, Systema Naturae.-Description:...
and Common
Common Gull
The Common Gull or Mew Gull Larus canus is a medium-sized gull which breeds in northern Asia, northern Europe and northwestern North America. It migrates further south in winter...
and Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
The Black-headed Gull is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident...
frequent the loch, which is also home to Shetland's only Mute Swan
Mute Swan
The Mute Swan is a species of swan, and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less...
s.