Danish translations

The Norwegian language underwent major changes after the Black Death in 1349, which made the old law manuscripts more difficult to understand and use. Moreover, an increasing number of officials came from Denmark, especially after the Reformation, when Norway was subordinated to the Danish king. Thus, during the second half of the 16th century, many Danish translations of the Laws of the Land were produced, and new parts were added. Danish translations of the Laws of the Land were sometimes written side by side with the original Old Norse text.

As the number of divergent translations grew, King Christian IV ordered that a new and official translation of the Laws of the Land be made. Christian IV’s Norwegian Code of 1604 can also be seen in the exhibition. Besides a new Prologue, the most significant change was the removal of the Christianity section which concerned the Norwegian succession to the throne and the relationship between ecclesiastical and royal power. Both became irrelevant after the Reformation, when Norway was subordinated to the Danish king, who also became head of the Danish–Norwegian Church. However, the new edition was not satisfactory either, and it was constantly changed in the following decades.