Cryptography 1600-1900 # 88777

Dulsmál 1600-1900. Fourteen judgments and a list. Már Jónsson prepared the printing and wrote the introduction. Photographs Helgi Bragason and Jóhannes Long.
The birth of an illegitimate child was reported almost every third year on average during the period 1600-1900. Such cases were called dulsmál at that time. Often women were the only ones involved, but often the fathers of the children came close or took the initiative. Legal provisions that were in force until the 19th century were based on the fact that the child was stillborn being sufficient for conviction, something that is unique in the legal history of the country. Punishments were cruel and the last execution for dulsmál took place in 1792. This book publishes a total of fourteen judgments from the region where the facts of the case are clearly stated. The introduction provides an overview of such cases in their entirety and traces the legal development. A list is included of all cases that were known to have come to court as possible dulsmál, over 100 in number. (Bókatíðindi 2000).