The Dala Law

The Dala Law is known through only one remaining medieval manuscript, written c.1335 – 1353, and shows strong influence from older Swedish provincial law. It is one of the oldest known texts revealing details of life and conditions in medieval Dalar during the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries.

Contradicting older assumptions that this might have been an older law of Västmanland, the Dala Law is well adapted to prevailing conditions in medieval Dalarna Dalar. In contrast to most provincial laws where the lawman had a central position, in the Dala Law it is the written word, the law-book, that is addressed and appealed to. Although the text is comparatively short, this English translation is an important tool for facilitating the internationalisation of Swedish research and making Nordic material more accessible for international scholars. Aided by maps which show medieval Dalarna, Västmanland, and the value of the mining industry in the area, this text provides crucial insight into the history, life, and culture of medieval Dalar which has never been seen before in the English language.

With an Introduction that places medieval Darlarna Dalar in its geographical, judicial and ecclesiastical contexts, The Dala Law is an essential resource for all students and scholars interested in medieval Swedish history and law.

Inger Larsson is Professor Emerita at Stockholm University, Department of Swedish and Multilingualism, Sweden, where she researches medieval law, literacy, history, and vernacular plant names. She has published part of her research in English in these fields such as Pragmatic Literacy and the Medieval use of the Vernacular. The Swedish Example (2009), Vernacular Plant-names and Plants in Medieval Sweden (2010), and she has been co-editor of A Lexicon of Medieval Nordic Law (2020).