Anglo-Saxon Crime, Policing And Punishment

Question 1

Crimes against a person

Answer 1

Crimes that cause physical harm to another person

Murder, assult

Question 2

Crimes against property

Answer 2

Crimes that involve taking or damaging something that belongs to another person

Stealing, vandilism, arson, bugulary

Question 3

Crimes against authority

Answer 3

Crimes that threaten the king or a lord

Blackmail, assassination, treason

Question 4

Moral crimes

Answer 4

Crimes don’t match up to society’s views on decent behaviour

Not going to church on Sunday, sex before/outside of marrige, playing footie⚽️ on Sunday

Question 5

What is the wergild?

Answer 5

The saxons relied on a system of fines called the wergild. It was essentially compensation and varied depending on the crime.
The wergild for killing a noble was 300 shillings.
The wergild for killing a freeman (higher peasant) was 100.
The wergild for killing a peasant was 10.
The wergild for killing a welshman was payed less than killing a peasant.
The wergild was also used to settle other physical injuries. For example the loss of an eye was 50 shillings.

Question 6

What is Capital punishment

Answer 6

Death penalty

Question 7

what is Corpal punishment

Answer 7

Hurting someone

Question 8

What is mutillation

Answer 8

Cutting of body parts

Question 9

Trail by cold water❄️💧

Answer 9

• Throw a tied up person in a river
• If they float, guilty🏊🏻‍♂️❌
• If they stay underwater, innocent, however they might drown

Question 10

Trail by Concentrated bread⛪️

Answer 10

• Only for preists
• If you choke on blessed bread, guilty
• If you didnt choke, innocent

🍞

Question 11

How is trial by concentrated bread rigged

Answer 11

Its rigged cause people want the priests of their churches to be innocent, its not good if they are guilty

Question 12

Trail by hot iron🔥🔥🔥🔥

Answer 12

• only for women
• walk 3 steps with red hot metal bar
• bandage her up
• if its healed, innocent
• if not, guilty, “god didnt heal her so he is saying she is guilty”

Question 13

Trial by caldron (hot boiling water)🔥💧

Answer 13

• throw a stone to a bottom of hot boiling water in a caldron
• accused has to shove both their hands in to find the stone
• after that, wait a few days
• if their hands are still burnt, innocent
• if they are healed, they are guilty
• opposite of trial by fire

Question 14

What are tithings

Answer 14

Each village has a group of 10 men held responsible for making sure each of them didnt commit a crime. If 1 does then the other 9 have to hand him in or they have to pay a fine

🧑🏻👨🏼👱🏻‍♂️👨🏻‍🦳👨🏽‍🦲🧔🏽👨🏻‍🦰🧑🏾👨🏻🧔🏻

Question 15

What is hue and cry

Answer 15

If u see a crime, shout and then everyone would have to catch the criminal

Question 16

What is a constable

Answer 16

Basically the policeman but he is unpaid. He was nominated to do this job for a year. He had to keep law and order after dark

Question 17

What is the watch

Answer 17

A group of armed men patrolling village streets during the night trying to prevent crime

Question 18

Trial by local Jury

Answer 18

• Anglo saxons
• Jury made of men👨🏻‍⚖️👨🏼‍⚖️👨🏽‍⚖️👨🏾‍⚖️👨🏿‍⚖️
• men from the village that knew the accused and accuser👨🏻‍🌾👨🏽‍💼
• accused and accuser bith give their sides of the story and jury pick who they think is telling the truth👿😇
• if there was no evidence the jury decided guilty/innocent based on their knowledge of people concerned

Question 19

What happens to you in corpal punishment

Answer 19

Mutilation
(Cutting of a ear, nose, taking out an eye)

They do this in hope it will deter offenders