{{Short description|Governmental office in Iceland, Faroes, and Svalbard}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} '''{{lang|is|Sýslumaður}}''' ({{IPA|is|ˈsistlʏˌmaːðʏr̥}}; plural: {{lang|is|sýslumenn}} {{IPA|is|ˈsistlʏˌmɛnː|}}; {{langx|non|sýslumaðr}} {{IPA|non|ˈsyːsloˌmɑðr|}}, {{langx|no|sysselmann}}, {{langx|da|sysselmænd}}) is a governmental office or title used in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Norway.
The position originated in Norway in the Middle Ages, where it was used as a noble title, and the {{lang|is|sýslumaður}} was granted a fief called a ''sýsla'' (plural: {{lang|is|sýslur}}) in which he was responsible for collecting tolls, taxes and fines, upholding the law and military defences. He was also to hold courts of justice and name men to sit on juries. He sometimes also assigned fiefs to a ''lensmann''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Berglund |first=Mikael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jU07vgEACAAJ |title=Cross-Border Enforcement of Claims in the EU: History, Present Time and Future |date=2009 |publisher=Wolters Kluwer Law & Business |isbn=978-9041128614 |location=Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands |page=101}}</ref> The system was established in the 12th century by Sverre of Norway to help consolidate his power following the Battle of Fimreite.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coroban |first=Costel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vp9fDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 |title=Ideology and Power in Norway and Iceland, 1150-1250 |date=2018 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-5275-1206-1 |location=Newcastle upon Tyne, England |pages=81 |oclc=1044734411}}</ref> As Norse influence spread, so did the {{lang|is|sýslumaður}} system, reaching into Iceland and the Faroe Islands, as well as Orkney and Shetland.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Imsen |first=Steinar |title=The Faces of Orkney: Stones, Skalds and Saints |date=2003 |publisher=Scottish Society for Northern Studies |editor-last=Waugh |editor-first=Doreen J. |location=Edinburgh, Scotland |pages=66–67 |chapter=Earldom and Kingdom. Orkney in the Realm of Norway 1195-1379 |oclc=44932651 |chapter-url=https://www.ssns.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/05_Imsen_Orkney_2003_pp_65-80.pdf}}</ref>
Today, a {{lang|is|sýslumaður}} or {{lang|no|sysselmann}} (often translated into English as "district commissioner", "sheriff", "magistrate", or "governor") handles a variety of governmental responsibilities in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Svalbard archipelago in Norway.
== Iceland == The office of {{lang|is|sýslumaður}} was established in Iceland when the country submitted to the King of Norway in 1262–1264 and royal authority was invested in {{lang|is|sýslumenn}} to oversee the island's 12 {{lang|is|sýslur}}. Appointed by the King of Norway, it was possible for a single {{lang|is|sýslumaður}} to oversee up to a quarter of the island through representatives stationed through his assigned {{lang|is|sýslur}}.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Jón Viðar Sigurðsson |title=Ideology and Power in the Viking and Middle Ages: Scandinavia, Iceland, Ireland, Orkney, and the Faeroes |date=2011 |isbn=978-90-04-20507-9 |location=Leiden |page=85 |chapter=Kings, Earls and Chieftains: Rulers in Norway, Orkney and Iceland ''{{circa|lk=no}}'' 900–1300 |oclc=729736021 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9a6Ug6j_djcC&pg=PA85}}</ref> In 1375 a group of prominent Icelanders declared they would no longer accept non-native {{lang|is|sýslumenn}}, nor royal amendments not sanctioned by the Alþingi.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341940998 |title=The Norwegian Domination and the Norse World {{circa|1100|lk=no}}–c.1400 |publisher=Tapir Academic Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-82-519-2563-1 |editor-last=Imsen |editor-first=Steinar |location=Trondheim, Norway |pages=24–25 |via=Research Gate}}</ref>
Currently there are nine district commissioners that manage several types of public services in their districts, including collecting taxes outside of the capital area, handling civil marriages, inheritance, child custody and issuing various permits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sýslumenn |trans-title=District Commissioners |url=https://island.is/s/syslumenn |access-date=20 October 2021 |website=Ísland.is |language=is}}</ref>
== Faroe Islands == As in Iceland, the {{lang|fo|sýslumaður}} system was brought to the Faroe Islands in the 13th century as the Norwegian king exerted greater influence over the islands. Traditionally, there were six {{lang|fo|sýslumenn}}, one for each {{lang|fo|sýsla}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Painter |first=Robert K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Z4hCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA15 |title=Faroe–Islander Saga: A New English Translation |date=2015 |publisher=McFarland & Company Inc. |isbn=978-1-4766-6366-1 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |pages=15 |oclc=917343522}}</ref>
Today, {{lang|fo|sýslumenn}} are the modern district sheriffs appointed to three-year terms. In line with Danish police reform efforts, as of 1 January 2009, the number of {{lang|fo|sýslumenn}} was reduced to four, overseeing three police districts.<ref>{{cite report|title=Organisering af Færøernes Politi|lang=da|trans-title=Organisation of the Faroese Police|publisher=Færøernes Politi|location=Torshavn, Faroe Islands|date=4 June 2009|first=Kári|last=Thorsteinsson|url=http://tilfar.lms.fo/logir/alit/2009.06%20Organisering%20af%20F%C3%A6r%C3%B8ernes%20Politi.pdf|access-date=20 October 2021}}</ref> Initially, the Danish National Police wanted to stop using the term {{lang|fo|sýslumaður}}, but it was deemed not possible as the {{lang|fo|sýslumenn}} are more than police, performing a range of tasks for the Faroese government, the courts, and the Danish High Commissioner.<ref name="Police reform">{{cite web|url=http://www.midflokkurin.fo/2011/10/19/politireform/|title=Politireform|last=Hansen|first=Karsten|date=29 January 2009|publisher=Miðflokkurin|language=fo|accessdate=27 October 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930155541/http://www.midflokkurin.fo/2011/10/19/politireform/|archive-date=30 September 2015}}</ref>
One of the tasks of the {{lang|fo|sýslumaður}} is to decide whether or not a pod of pilot whales that has been spotted should be slaughtered and, if so, into which bay the boats should drive the pod. This is decided together with the {{lang|fo|grindaformenn}}, who leads the pilot whale hunt.<ref name="The Grind Law">{{cite web|url=http://www.logir.fo/Logtingslog/56-fra-19-05-2015-um-grind-og-annan-smahval|title=Løgtingslóg um grind og annan smáhval, sum seinast broytt við løgtingslóg nr. 93 frá 22. juni 2015|last=Johannese|first=Kaj Leo Holm|date=19 May 2015|publisher=Prime Ministers Office|language=fo|accessdate=27 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="grindadrap">{{cite web|url=http://www.in.fo/index.php?id=42&tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=16235&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=915e99275e7e436e48dd5ab82b1eb1bc|title=Grindadráp leggjast í enn tryggari legu|last=Bertholdsen|first=Áki|date=27 August 2014|publisher=in.fo|language=fo|accessdate=27 October 2015}}</ref>
== Svalbard == In Norway, the term {{lang|no|sysselmann}} is used for the Governor of Svalbard; however, after 1 July 2021, it was replaced by the gender-neutral term {{lang|no|sysselmester}} as part of Norwegian efforts to ensure that governmental terms are not distinctly masculine or feminine. In English, both {{lang|no|sysselmann}} and {{lang|no|sysselmester}} are translated as "governor".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://svalbardposten.no/sysselmannen-blir-sysselmester/19.13350|title = Svalbardministeren har bestemt seg: Sysselmannen blir sysselmester|work=Svalbard Posten|url-access=subscription|date = 11 December 2020|language=no}}</ref>
From 1931 to 1933, the term {{lang|no|sysselmann}} was also used for the governor of Erik the Red's Land, Norway's claim on eastern Greenland.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Landmark |first=Webjørn |date=2021-03-19 |title=Okkupasjon av Eirik Raudes Land |trans-title=The Occupation of Erik the Red's Land |url=https://www.ishavsmuseet.no/fortellingar/okkupasjon-av-eirik-raudes-land/ |access-date=2022-10-18 |website=Ishavsmuseet Aarvak |language=nn-NO}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Syslumadur}} Category:Government agencies of Iceland Category:Law enforcement in Iceland Category:Law enforcement in the Faroe Islands Category:Society of Norway Category:Norwegian noble titles