Anglo-Saxon Legal System Flashcards
Define wergild
The punishment of paying a fine to the victims of a crime or their families. They believed everyone had a life price
What was wergild for killing a noblemen?
300 shillings
What were two crimes which resulted in the death penalty?
Treason against the king, betraying your lord
What did a ‘hue and cry’ involve?
The whole village would be expected to down tools and hunt for a criminal
What were the two different types of trials?
One by jury in the hundred-or-shire court where evidence would be listened to or trial by ordeal in the church
What did trial by ordeal involve?
If people were unsure if the accused person was guilty they were given a choice of iron or water to determine their punishment
What happened if someone chose water in trial by ordeal?
They were thrown in water and if they sunk they were innocent and if they floated they were guilty
What happened if someone chose iron in trial by ordeal?
The person had to grasp an iron bar to burn their hands and if the burns had healed three days after then they were innocent because god would heal the innocent
What happened in folk moots?
Open air meetings where the accused person would swear an oath that they were innocent and if enough people agreed, they were released. If they were unsure if the person was guilty they would sentence them to trial by ordeal
Who would stand in for a woman if she was accused of a crime?
Her brother, husband or father
What is the Witan?
Council made up of 40 men that advised the King about decisions to be made about the Kingdom. Made up of thegns, bishops, abbots to represent church
What did collective responsibility mean and why was it good/bad?
If one member of the community broke the law the rest were responsible for bringing him to court o they would be punished themselves. Good in some ways because some crimes were caught quickly however if powerful people like earls committed crimes they were too powerful for normal people to stop them
