The Thing

The Thing was the assembly of the Germanic peoples, a forerunner of a number of Northern European parliamentary structures of the modern day. They involved the entire community and were used to debate major affairs. Before the assembly was held, the leading individuals in the community were made aware of the topics for debate, so they could properly consider them.Tacitus, P. C., (98). Germania. Ch.11
Except in response to an emergency or accident that had to be debated, they were held when the moon was either in its crescent or gibbous phased, owing to the belief that these were the most auspicious times to begin an enterprise. The dependency on night was a universal in ancient Germanic society (i.e. meetings wouldn't be scheduled for x number of days, but after x number of nights), owing to the idea that night is the usher of day.
The meeting would take place over the course of two or three days so they could spend time catching up and enjoying themselves both before and after the meeting. When the meeting actually started, the leading figures would speak in turn, decided by their relative rankings determined during the meeting. Voting would be done through the following ways: verbal sounds indicate dissent, clashing of spears indicated approval.
Accusations and charges could be brought before the Thing, with punishments based on the crime: traitors and deserters were publicly hung from trees, whilst cowards, shirkers, and violent criminals would quietly drowned in swamps. For other crimes, fines were paid in the form of horses and cattle, with part being paid to the king/state, and others to the injured party or their family. These councils were also used to elect the leading citizens of each district and village, who could dispense justice in these places. These leading citizens would be granted one hundred attendants drawn from the common folk. Tacitus, P. C., (98). Germania. Ch.12
When a boy came of age, they were brought before the assembly and granted a shield and a spear by a leading citizen, their father, or another male relative. Tacitus, P. C., (98). Germania. Ch.13 
== References ==
Category:Germania