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Odal or Udal Right

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Odaly, Daniel

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(Celtic od, property) is the title of a tenure of land as absolute, and not dependent on. a superior. The odal right prevailed throughout Northern Europe before the rise of feudalism. It was founded on the tie of blood which connected freeman with freeman, and not on the tie of service. It was the policy of the sovereign authority everywhere to make it advantageous for the freemen to exchange the odal tie for the tie of service — a change which paved the way for the feudal system. The odallers of Orkney were allowed to retain or resume their ancient privileges on paying a large contribution to the erection of St. Magnus's Cathedral at Kirkwall; and the odal tenure prevails to this day to a large extent in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, the right to land being completed without writing by undisturbed possession proved by witnessess before an inquest.