This article deals with the geographical organization of the thing system of Northern Europe prior to the processes of supra-regional kingdoms in the 8^th to 10^th centuries, re-evaluating the early written evidence. It is argued that at least three interrelated geographical judicial units (referred to as civitas, pagus, and centena) existed prior to the 6^th century within the historic areas of Austrasia, Frisia, and Saxony. Parallels to such a tripartite system are found in Scandinavia and Iceland in the 10–12^th centuries.