Republikken Gulating

The first republic of Gulathing was established by West Norwegian vikings, in the late 700s or early 800s CE. A predecessor was Njardarlog, "Njord's law", an area in Sunnhordland (Southern Hordaland, Vestland fylke). It must have been governed through a central thing pretty much like the later republics. The thing was a parliament with legislative and judicial powers and executive responsibilities. We dont know much about the law code they used, but it probably had similarities with the later Gulathing law. Njardarlog in its later stages may have had the same level of government as Gulathing, but it was probably quite insignificant as an agent in relations between peoples and societies in West Norway.

Gulathing must have been built by several of these small "thing areas", but we cant be sure where they were located and what they were called. We only know the names of the later constituent regions of the republic: Nordhordland, Sunnhordland (with Njardarlog), Hardanger, Voss, Nordfjord, Sunnfjord and Sogn (later Indre Sogn and Ytre Sogn).This was the extent of the state in the first part of the Viking Age. Even after the addition of Rogaland and Sunnmøre, the central thing stayed in Gulen, as it was still virtually mid-way on the coast. Representatives from Agder had a bit further to travel. This was the southernmost and last coastal area to be included in the republic.

Faroe Islands, Shetland and Orkney were settled from Gulathing and in periods governed from Gulen.The valleys of Valdres, Hallingdal and Setesdal were added to Gulathing last. Some valleys in Numedal and Telemark may have had Gulathing influence before they were added to other thing areas.Gulathing became part of a united Norway in 1274, when king Magnus Lawmender established a unified law. He made the things gradually lose their legislative power in favour of the king. And after 500 years, Republic of Gulathing had lost its independence.