Dráp og frásagnir um dráp í Føroyum

Abstract

A survey has been carried out of homicides committed in the Faroes, from the time of the first occupation of the islands until the present day. Føroyingasøga and the Faroese records are the primary sources. Research has shown that the majority of homicides about which any information can be traced were committed in the time covered by the saga and in the seventeenth century (see Table I). Table II shows that several of the offenders, and of the victims, were foreigners. The frequency with which various methods of killing appear in the sources is given. The motives of homicides are to be found in Table III, which shows that the most usual motive was self-defence. The places of homicides are given in Table IV, where it will be seen that the island where most homicides occurred was Suðuroy. The reason for this is that well over half the homicides committed
in Suðuroy happened with the plundering of the island by pirates in the seventeenth century. There is some dispute as to whether the sources may be relied on. Instances quoted show that certain records are not reliable, since either too many homicides, or too few, are mentioned in them.