In modern days we would simply say a coward, but to the Norse people it was one of the worst thing you could be called. It was a social stigma implying the loss of honor and the status of a villain. The result wad that he could be sentenced an outlaw. ‘
Outlawry for being known as nithingr? News to me.
Social Stigma, yes, but Outlawry? Outlawry was no small deal. A Court sentenced you and gave you a 3 year grace period with only 3 "Safe House" you could visit while preparing. When it began you were kicked out of society and out from under the law's every protection, usually with a bounty on your head known as a 'Head Price'. Outlawry came in 2 degrees depending on the severity of your offense. Lesser Outlawry of 3 years: If you lived through it you could rejoin Society with Full Immunity from being the victim of crimes, under the law, again. And Full Outlawry which was Eternal. A Full Outlaw's children also inherited the sentence.
However, since Nobody wanted gangs of Outlaws roaming the forests, the system saw to that too by offering a way Out of your Outlawry.
You hunted down and killed other Outlaws. 2 killed for remission of Lesser Outlawry and 3 killed for remission of Full Outlawry, which puts Robin Hood's Merry Band into a Mel Brooks farce because most Outlaws were trying to kill their way back into the law before someone killed them 1st.
As to Holmgang: Here's the actual Late Period rules.
[The characters/dramatizations preceding Hoyle are because it's cut and pasted from my free trilogy]
"I demand Holmganga." Nacarr bellowed at Hroghar. He was invoking the ancient right of trial by combat. Dueling had been Outlawed in old world Iceland back at the millennium, but this was not the old world.
"Found your spine worm?" Hroghar demanded, butting his axe's butt cap into Nacarr's chest.
"Not surprised," he added with a hasty nod up to the limb above them and then a second to Jarnulf, who was staring straight down at his feet and shaking his head laughing.
"Einvigi not good enough for you?" Jarnulf said. "You arrogant son of a bitch?"
Einvigi was two men just going at it till one granted the other peace or killed him. Nacarr had called for Holmgang, an affair of rules, seconds, and honor.
A cloak five ells square was to be staked at its corners to the ground. Three staked out spaces a foot wide surrounded it. Ropes were tied between the stakes. Each dueler took turns whacking the other's shield apart as his second guarded him with it. Combatants were allowed two replacement shields. At any point the worse wounded could admit guilt and release himself by paying a duel ransom of three marks, or in Nacarr's case a rope.
Stepping outside the line with one foot was retreating, with both feet, running. When the shields were used up the duelers were to fight on over the cloak with weapons only. The first whose blood fell onto the cloak lost. The man challenged had to strike the first blow.
