Vol. 7 No. 01 (2026), Section for Interdisciplinary Studies in the Human Sciences
Vol. 7 No. 01 (2026)

VIKING LAW AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE ORIGINS OF WESTERN LEGAL SYSTEMS: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF THE THING, INSTITUTIONAL LEGACY, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMON LAW

Section for Interdisciplinary Studies in the Human Sciences
Published 2026-01-25
Júlio Edstron S. Santos
Advogado, graduado em Direito pela Universidade Presidente Antônio Carlos (2008), Mestre em Direito pela Universidade Católica de Brasília (2014). Doutor em Direito pelo UniCEUB. Pesquisador do Centro Universitário de Brasília. Ex-assessor Especial no Tribunal de Contas do Estado do Tocantins. Professor do Curso de Direito da Fbr. Tem experiência na área de Direito, com ênfase em Direito Público, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: Terceiro Setor, direitos fundamentais, educação em direitos humanos, cidadania e direito e Seguridade Social. Membro dos grupos de pesquisa Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas Avançadas do Terceiro Setor (NEPATS), Políticas Públicas e Juspositivismo, Jusmoralismo e Justiça Política do UNICEUB. Editor Executivo da REPATS.
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Keywords

Viking Law; Common Law; Assembly (Thing); Legal History; Institutional Legacy.

How to Cite

Edstron S. Santos, J. . (2026). VIKING LAW AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE ORIGINS OF WESTERN LEGAL SYSTEMS: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF THE THING, INSTITUTIONAL LEGACY, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMON LAW. Revista Gênero E Interdisciplinaridade, 7(01), 278-319. https://doi.org/10.51249/gei.v7i01.2811
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Abstract

This research investigates the legal system of the Viking Age and its fundamental influence on the genesis of Western Law, specifically in the formation of Common Law. The study deconstructs the stereotype of Norse barbarism by revealing a sophisticated social architecture grounded in the authority of popular assemblies (Things) and the preservation of individual and collective honor. The exploratory methodology analyzes the duality between oral tradition and written codes, addressing themes such as female legal autonomy, the financial compensation system (Weregild), and the institutionalized brutality of slavery (thralls). It concludes that the Viking institutional legacy, marked by direct participation and the value of precedent, remains an invisible pillar in contemporary democracies and courts.

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