húsgangsmaðr (ON) noun

A vagrant beggar. ONorw FrL exhibits lenience towards them and their family if caught stealing herring or fishing nets. It was illegal for able-bodied persons to beg, and certain forms of support for illegal beggars was punishable.


beggar ONorw FrL KrbA 16 Rgb 39 Bvb 6
tramp OIce Grg Þsþ 82
vagrant ONorw MLL Llb 51 Refs:

Dennis, Foote and Perkins 1980, 246; Dennis, Foote and Perkins 2000, 399; KLNM s.v. tiggar

Citation
  • ‘húsgangsmaðr’. A Lexicon of Medieval Nordic Law.

    • http://www.dhi.ac.uk/lmnl/nordicheadword/displayPage/2338
    (07/27/2024)