Basically, the late medieval lay aristocracy of Denmark, Sweden (including Finland) and Norway was the same. Possession of land was allodial and the roots of the nobility in the near past were twofold; it originated from a class of magnates with much landed property and from men who had entered the king’s service. The Law of Jylland (1241) uses the term herremœnd (pl.), men serving a lord (herre) whether king, duke, count or bishop (cf. Chapter 12(b), where another possible meaning is also mentioned). In Sweden the word frälse (in origin ‘freedom’) was sometimes used, focusing on the tax exemption given in return for service.

There were, however, also important differences between the three Scandinavian kingdoms. Norway was the poorest and the privileges of the Norwegian nobility were very limited, while Denmark was the richest and culturally most European kingdom. Sweden (excluding Finland) became increasingly similar to Denmark. As far as possible the two latter kingdoms will be treated together while Norway will in part be dealt with separately. An Icelandic service aristocracy in embryo was created in the thirteenth century when Icelandic magnates became royal liegemen and Iceland was placed under the Norwegian crown (Chapter 12(c)). In the late Middle Ages a few Icelanders received royal patents of nobility and styled themselves herra (lord) but a noble class can hardly be said to have been established in Iceland.