The first wave of Norse settlers established an annual meeting, the Althing, which all adult men were supposed to attend. Here, the island’s freemen gathered for two weeks every midsummer to hear public announcements, receive summonses, listen to speeches, and resolve disputes. As they spread farther around the coasts, the islanders established new ‘quarters’, each with its own Thing, and these were further divided into three local Things, which were convened annually by three local chieftains.
