What was the Weregild system?
Overview. A weregild was a defined value placed on every man graded according to rank, used as a basis of a fine or compensation for murder, disablement, injury (or certain other serious crimes) against that person. It was assessed from the guilty party, payable as restitution to the victim’s family.
What does the Anglo Saxon word Weregild mean?
wergild, also spelled Wergeld, or Weregild, (Old English: “man payment”), in ancient Germanic law, the amount of compensation paid by a person committing an offense to the injured party or, in case of death, to his family.
What is an example of wergild?
Wergild sentence example If he was slain, a fixed sum ( wergild ), varying according to his station, had to be paid to his relatives, while a further but smaller sum (manbot) was due to his lord. Within the ceorlisc class we find similar subdivisions, though they were not marked by a difference in wergild .
What was wergild and how was it used?
“Wergild” meaning “man price” or “man payment” was used in the legal system of many Germanic tribes, including the Anglo Saxons. It was used when a family member of one family killed or injured the family member of another; when this occurs, payment or “wergild” was demanded as a way of retribution and making amends.
What is the Murdrum fine?
The Murdrum Fine! If a Norman was killed and their murderer had not been found within 5 days, the hundred (all the local community) would be fined. These fines helped to reduce violent acts against the Normans but when attacks did occur, the fines provided valuable income for the King.
What does witan mean in history?
The Witan. The Witan was the occasion when the King would call together his leading advisors and nobles to discuss matters affecting the country. It existed only when the King chose and was made up of those individuals whom he particularly summoned.
What does glede mean?
Definition of glede (Entry 1 of 2) : any of several birds of prey (as the common European buzzard or the osprey) especially : the common European kite (Milvus milvus) glede. Definition of glede (Entry 2 of 2) obsolete variant of gleed:1.
What is meant by wergild and how does it relate to Beowulf and the cultural climate of the time?
Another word from this period, which occurs in Beowulf, is “wergild.” Wergild is the value of a man’s life, payable to his family by his murderer. The individual does not always have to be sentenced to death as a consequence for his guilt in a murder. It suffices if economic sanctions are paid to the court.
What was the wergild punishment?
The Saxons relied heavily on a system of fines called wergild. Wergild was compensation paid to the victims of crime or to their families. The level of fine was carefully worked out and set through the king’s laws. Wergild, unlike blood feud, was not about retribution and so made further violence less likely.
Why Murdrum fine is important to King William?
The Murdrum Fine! These fines helped to reduce violent acts against the Normans but when attacks did occur, the fines provided valuable income for the King. A suspected person was strapped to a chair and thrown into a lake. If they sank they were innocent; if they floated they were guilty, and then they were executed.
What is the meaning of weregild?
Weregild – definition of weregild by The Free Dictionary Define weregild. weregild synonyms, weregild pronunciation, weregild translation, English dictionary definition of weregild. also wer·gild or were·gild n. In Anglo-Saxon and Germanic law, a price set upon a person’s life on the basis of rank and paid as compensation by the family…
What is the wergild of a woman?
Wergild. The wergild of a woman was usually equal to, and often more than, that of a man of the same class; in some areas, a woman’s wergild might be twice as much as that of a man. Clergy also had their own rate of wergild, although this was sometimes dependent on the class into which they were born.
What does wergild mean in Beowulf?
It was used when a family member of one family killed or injured the family member of another; when this occurs, payment or “wergild” was demanded as a way of retribution and making amends. Also, what is an example of Wergild in Beowulf?
What is the significance of the weregild in German law?
The weregild was codified, for example, under Frankish Salic Code. Weregild payment was an important legal mechanism in early Germanic society; the other common form of legal reparation at this time was blood revenge. The payment was typically made to the family or to the clan.