Governing Urban Space through Sound: Aural and Audible Procedures in Norwegian Town Laws

Sammendrag

This article investigates the role of sound within the textual and legal contexts of town regulations in medieval Norway. Specifically, it examines how town governance in medieval Norway necessitated the incorporation of sound in the described processes of written law. It explores the extent to which medieval legal records described sound within the law text and examines its functional and symbolic purposes. By contextualizing urban legal uses of sound against rural district law and laws pertaining to specific societal groups, the study contributes to our understanding of sensory dimensions in legal symbolism, complementing existing research on visual and material symbols. The article highlights the significance of aural and audible manifestations in urban spaces and their broader legal implications.