syssel

A syssel is a historical type of country subdivision in Denmark and elsewhere in Scandinavia. The mediaeval Danish sysler may be compared to the fylker of Norway, the landskap of Sweden and Finland, the shires of England and Scotland, and the Gaue of the Holy Roman Empire. A syssel was subdivided into a number of hundreds or herreder.

The name still can be found in the Danish district of Vendsyssel, as well as in a governmental title, sýslumenn, in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Svalbard.