Note 37 — MCCLXIII.

i.e., Tribute—Ringa elldingom, (orig.), bright rings: Ringa signify not only rings, or bracelets, but also money; for before the introduction of coinage into the North, very thick spiral gold wires were worn round the wrists of great men, who distributed bits to those who performed any signal service; and such a wire is still to be seen in the Royal Museum at Copenhagen. It is not always easy to discern when by ringa is understood ornaments for the fingers, bracelets, rings of investiture, or the current money of the times.