I've shared my Viking-nerd side in previous posts. If you'll indulge me, I'd like to share a little more in this post and the next. Vikings had their own brand of democracy: one voice, one vote through their annual Thingvellir meeting (also called Thing or Althing ). Independence and rule of law are their hallmarks. But in all Vikingdom, volcanic Iceland bred a fierce style of self-governance. The near-arctic Vikings lived by their own set of rules on remote Iceland. They never had a king in residence, rather a "Law Giver" or "Law Speaker" led the island who answered to a distant king.* Iceland's democratic spirit was tested in what I call "The Great Vote of 1000." Discord brewed between two factions --- Christians versus pagans. The surprise? The two groups had lived peacefully most of the time. From early settlement, leaders divided Iceland into four main sections. One person oversaw his or her...
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