Here are the rights of the Mother and of the kings.¹

1 So whenever war comes, the Mother sends her envoy to the king, the king sends his envoy to the gravemen for land defense.

2 The gravemen call the burghers together and advise as to how many men they shall send.

3 All decisions of theirs must quickly be sent to the Mother with messengers and witnesses.

4 The Mother lets all decisions be gathered and, be there a generous number, it is a middle ground of all decisions, wherewith one must at first be satisfied and also the king.⁵

5 If the army is in the field, then it behooves the king to speak alone with his headmen, though there must the burghers of the Mother always preside without voice.
These burghers must send messengers daily to the Mother so that she might know if there is anything done in conflict with the law or with Frya’s counsels.

6 If the king would do something and his advisors would not, he may not persist.

7 If a foe comes without warning, then must one do as the king bids.

8 If the king is not upon the path, so must one be obedient to his follower or to his followers follower and so on to the last.¹⁰

9 If there is no headman, so choose one.

10 If there is no time, so he who feels himself fit raises himself to headman.

11 If the king has slain a dangerous folk, then may his descendents put his name after their own.
If the king will, so may he, upon an unbuilt stead, choose out a place for his house and inheritance.
That estate may be a roundeal, so great that he, from all sides, seven hundred treds may walk ere he comes to his border.¹⁵

12 His youngest son may inherit the estate, after him, his youngest, then shall one take it back.