Anglo-Saxon England (c.1000 - 1066) Flashcards
How big was the population in late Anglo-Saxon times, and what percentage of it lived in the countryside?
- 1.7 to 2 million
- 90%
List 3 things Anglo-Saxon people were vulnerable to.
- Disease
- Poor harvests
- Warfare’s effects
List 4 main changes to crime and punishment that occurred before 1066 and why they happened.
- The King’s power and influence over crime and punishment increased; he decided penalties so that communities no longer relied on their basic local customs
- The Church’s role increased; they wanted criminals to have a chance to seek forgiveness
- Capital punishment was used more often; it boosted the King’s visible power and authority
- Blood feud was replaced with wergild; wergild wasn’t about retribution and made violence less likely
List, define and give an example of the 4 types of crime in Anglo-Saxon times as well as typical punishments for each.
Crimes against the person:
- causes another person physical harm
- assault/ murder
- wergild/ maiming
Crimes against property:
- taking/ damaging another person’s belongings
- theft/ arson
- hands cut off/ hanging
Crimes against authority:
- actions that threatened the strict social structure
- a serf betraying their lord/ treason
- hanging
Moral crimes:
- indecent behaviour that does not fit under the other 3
- adultery
How was the law shared in Anglo-Saxon times?
- Kings issued ‘codes’ of law
- These introduced new laws, altered existing laws and strengthened ignored laws
List 3 ways the Anglo-Saxons enforced the law.
- Tithings; groups of 10 men over 12
- If one broke the law, the others had to bring him to court or pay a fine
- Hue and cry; raising of an alarm after a crime has been committed
- The whole village had to join in, or else everyone had to pay a heavy fine
- These were both examples of collective responsibility
- One man from every hundred- 10 tithings- had to regularly meet with the King’s shire reeve- an appointed local official who had to bring criminals to justice
List the 4 types of court the Anglo-Saxons had, what they dealt with, and who judged the cases.
Manor (private):
- Broken local rules (e.g. a runaway slave)
- The landowner
Hundred:
- Less serious cases, monthly
Shire:
- Serious cases (e.g. murder), every 6 months
- Local noblemen
Royal:
- The crimes of lords
- The King
List the 2 stages the Anglo-Saxons used to determine guilt.
- Trial by jury (of men who knew the accuser and the accused)
- Without clear evidence, the jury would use their knowledge of the 2 people to make a decision
- They would then swear an oath of compurgation on who was guilty
- If the jury could not make a decision, trial by ordeal would be used instead
Which trial by ordeal stands out the most, and why?
- Trial by ‘blessed bread’, which was taken by priests
- All other types of trial by ordeal posed serious risks to the health, while all priests had to do was eat a piece of bread
What was the purpose of the stocks/ pillory?
(- Stocks held the ankles while the pillory held the neck and wrists)
- They caused physical pain/ discomfort and humiliation
What was blood feud and how did it change?
- The early Saxon right of a murder victim’s family to get revenge on the murderer
- Wergild was used to replace this and covered physical injury as well
- The size of the fine was dependent on the victim’s social status/ what part of their body had been harmed
List 4 reasons why the Anglo-Saxons used capital and corporal punishment.
- They were used as both retribution (a severe punishment meant to match the severity of a crime) and a deterrent
- Capital punishment tended to be used when it protected the ruling class’ land and property
- Criminals who had been disfigured served as a reminder to others
- The Church also encouraged maiming so criminals could seek forgiveness
What were the 4 types of trial by ordeal, and who took each?
- Trial by hot iron: women
- Trial by hot water: men
- Trial by cold water: men
- Trial by blessed bread: priests
