Sýslumaður

Sýslumaður (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsistlʏˌmaːðʏr̥]; plural: sýslumenn [ˈsistlʏˌmɛnː]; Old Norse: sýslumaðr [ˈsyːsloˌmɑðr], Norwegian: sysselmann, Danish: 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 sýslumaður was granted a fief called a sýsla (plural: 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. The system was established in the 12th century by Sverre of Norway to help consolidate his power following the Battle of Fimreite. As Norse influence spread, so did the sýslumaður system, reaching into Iceland and the Faroe Islands, as well as Orkney and Shetland.

Today, a sýslumaður or 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.