These administrative units primarily consist of small rural villages, often with few or no towns, and are overseen by a hreppstjóri [ˈr̥ɛhpˌstjouːrɪ].
Unlike the chieftain-þing structure, the hreppur operated independently, collecting and distributing tithes and mandatory contributions designated for the poor.
The hreppur also managed an early form of insurance, where a member who lost more than a quarter of their livestock to disease could recover half of the loss.
[1] Today, the use of the term hreppur is declining, as urban communities merge into new municipalities.
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