Anglo-Saxon and Norman Glossary Terms Flashcards
Anglo-Saxon
The people of England before the Norman times. The Anglo Saxons ruled England until 1066
Benefit of the clergy
A rule that said that the clergy (priests) would not be put on trial in the ordinary courts, but in church courts instead, which were often more leniant.
Capital punishment
The death penalty, or execution
Century
A period of 100 years
Chronology
Time or time order, arranging things in the order they happened.
Clergy
A name for priests
Corporal punishment
Physcial types of punishment, eg whipping
Crimes against authority
A crime involving going against the king or the nobles or other forms of authority
Crimes against property
A crime involving someone’s property, eg stealing an object or burning down a house
Crimes against the person
A crime involving violence against someone, eg assault or murder
Deterrent
Something that makes you not want to do something, eg not want to commit a crime
Forest laws
Laws introduced by the Normans to reserve large areas for the king to go hunting; ordinary people could not collect wood or hunt animals in the forest
Heresy
A religious crime, where you do not believe in the official form or religion
Hue and cry
The system were the inhabitants of a village in the Middle Ages would call out for help to catch a criminal
Hanged, drawn and quartered
A rare punishment usually given to a traitor, where they were sentenced to death by hanging, then cut down alive and cut into pieces.
Law enforcement
Making sure the law is followed, by using police and
Maiming
A type of corporal punishment. Causing physical harm. A criminal could be punished by having a hand or ear cur off of their tongue cut out.
Murdrum
A new law introduced by the Normans. If a Norman was murdered by an Anglo-Saxon, and the murderer was not captured and executed, there was a special penalty known as the murdrum fine.
Norman
Someone from Normandy, the Normans ruled England from 1066
Oath
A formal declaration of the facts, calling upon God to witness what is said is true. A typical oath could start I swear before God
Petty crime
Smaller, less important or less serious types of crime, like stealing a very small amount
Pillory
A form of public punishment where a criminal would put their head and hands through a wooden frame. Usually used for minor crimes like public disorder.
Sanctuary
Going to a church and claiming sanctuary meant that you could not be arrested for 40 days
Stocks
A form of public punishment where a criminal would have their ankles trapped in a wooden frame. Usually used for minor crimes like public disorder.
Sheriff
The person responsible for law and order in a county or shire
Tithings
A group of 10 men above the age of 12 who were responsible for policing themselves in the Medieval Period
Treason
The crime of going against the king, or betraying your country; seen in the Medieval era as the worst type of crime
Trial by combat
A trial where guilt is determined by who wins a fight, such as a sword fight
Trial by ordeal
A trial where guilt is determined by going through an ordeal, eg holding a hot iron - if it started to heal after a week, you were not guilty. If it didn’t, you were guilty
Wergild
Literally Man Price. This was a fine paid to compensate someone (or their family) for causing injury or death. After 1066, this money was paid to the Norman King, not the victim or their family.
Serf
The lowest-status of peasant
