What does the term 'wergild' mean in Beowulf?
What is Beowulf’s wergild? In Beowulf, the phrase wergild literally translates as "man payment" or "man recompense," although it is most commonly rendered as "man price." Under Anglo-Saxon law, the notion of wergild was a legal principle. It required that a man be compensated for his death by another man.
Did the Anglo Saxons beat the Vikings?
The Vikings were beaten by combined forces from the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex at the Battle of Tettenhall in present-day Staffordshire. … The decisive battle came when the Danes launched a bloody raid into Mercian territory, believing Anglo-Saxon forces were far to the south.
What is an example of wergild in Beowulf?
made on the West-Danes . . . devouring Danish” (Donaldson 28). This is another example of “wergild” being applied. Wergild was a part of the warrior code. advisor and friend, Beowulf says to his lord, “Sorrow not, wise warrior. It is better to avenge his friend than much mourn” (Donaldson 25). Beowulfwas composed during the
Is Anglo Saxon the same as Old English?
“Anglo-Saxon” is an older word for the language now usually referred to as “Old English”. “Anglo-Saxon” is also used to refer to people who are (or appear, or believe themselves to be) ethnic descendants of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes who migrated to what became England from the 5th century CE.
What is an example of wergild?
The dragon and the trolls, as well as Beowulf, are responsible for their actions. They are all killed: “He would repay Grendel for the many attacks he made on the West-Danes . . . devouring Danish” (Donaldson 28). This is another example of “wergild” being applied.
What is an example of wergild in Beowulf?
One example of wergild in "Beowulf" is when Hrothgar pays the Wulfing tribe riches for the feud of Beowulf's father. Hrothgar wanted to ensure Beowulf's loyalty for fighting the monster Grendel, so he pays the wergild debt owed by his father.
How did the wergild work?
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 was wergild GCSE?
If you broke the oath, you were regarded as disloyal or dishonourable, the family could be blamed and punished, face possible exile and the victim's relatives were entitled to compensation. This form of compensation was called 'wergild'.
What is wergild and why was it used?
Wergeld is the payment demanded of a person who has killed someone. That is, until the 9th century when it was replaced by capital punishment. The history of 'compensation culture' is older than some might think.
Why was the wergild used?
In the early middle ages, wergild played multiple roles: it was used to measure a person's status, to prevent and end conflicts, and to negotiate between an individual and the agents of statehood.
What was the Anglo Saxons code of wergild?
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 was the wergild fine?
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.
Who was responsible for catching criminals in Anglo-Saxon times?
Everyone who heard it was expected to help chase and capture the suspects. There was a system in place called Tithing in which a group of ten men were made responsible for each other's behaviour. If one of them broke the law, the other members of the tithing had to bring them to court.
How were the Anglo-Saxons punished?
Anglo-Saxons had no real prisons. Most crimes demanded a Weregild, a fine known as the blood price based on the type of crime. Condemned people could be sold into slavery, exiled, executed or submitted to a many other gruesome punishments. Sometimes people would take Sanctuary in a church to escape from pursuers.
What were Earldoms divided into?
shiresEarldoms were divided into shires. These had many different functions, such as having their own courts and fortified towns known as Burhs as well as providing men to fight in case of invasion.
What were Anglo-Saxon crimes?
These crimes which were regarded as serious included treason, revolt, sheltering criminals, blasphemy and heresy. The most notorious heretics were the Lollards, the followers of John Wycliffe, who challenged the teachings of the Catholic Church in the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Where is wergild mentioned in Beowulf?
Hrothgar introduces the topic of wergild when Beowulf arrives at Heorot (line 470). Hrothgar tells of how Beowulf's father began a feud by killing the Wulfing Heathloaf, nearly starting a war.
What is a Kenning in Beowulf?
A kenning is a special kind of metaphor considered artful in Anglo-Saxon poetry. It is a picturesque metaphoric compound in Old English that stands for a simple noun. You might think of them almost as riddles, which Anglo-Saxon people loved. Boat Bent-necked wood.
What is Wyrd in Beowulf?
Wyrd is a concept in Beowulf that is usually translated as fate, destiny, or doom. It is a powerful force that controls the lives of individuals, but some people can change their wyrd through acts of courage.
What is a SCOP in Beowulf?
Who Is the Scop? In medieval times, the scop was a poet who traveled around the countryside visiting mead halls. There, he'd regale the men and women with poems designed to chronicle their escapades and revel in their victories. The most important purpose of a scop was to entertain.
What is a weregild?
A weregild is a defined value placed on every man graded according to rank, used as a basis of a fine/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 is the meaning of "weregild"?
Weregild (also spelled wergild, wergeld (in archaic/historical usage of English), weregeld, etc.), also known as man price ( blood money ), was established on a person's life, paid as a fine or compensatory damages to the family when that person's life is taken or is otherwise injured.
How much was the Wergild for a Welshman?
The weregild for a Welshman was 120 shillings if he owned at least one hide of land and was able to pay the king's tribute. If he has only 1 hide and cannot pay the tribute, his wergild was 80 shillings and then 70 if he was landless yet free.
What chapter does Thorgeir give the Suit for the Slaying of Thorgils Makson?
In the Story of Grettir the Strong, chapter 27, "The Suit for the Slaying of Thorgils Makson", Thorgeir conveys to court Thorgils Arison's offer of weregild as atonement for killing Thorgils Makson.
What was the Weregild payment?
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.
How much was the weregild for a duke?
In the 8th century the Lex Alamannorum sets the weregild for a duke or archbishop at three times the basic value ( 600 shillings), while the killing of a low ranking cleric was fined with 300, raised to 400 if the cleric was attacked while he was reading mass.
When did the weregild end?
Payment of the weregild was gradually replaced with capital punishment due to Christianization, starting around the 9th century, and almost entirely by the 12th century when weregild began to cease as a practice throughout the Holy Roman Empire.
Why is the word "wergild" important in Beowulf?
This is considered relevant material because of the importance to preserve history. 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.
Who killed Grendel in the dragon scene?
In this scene the dragon and Beowulf have killed each other. Beowulf wins the dragon’s treasure. He dies, but with honor. The price for the dragon is death for his murders. Beowulf, who is also responsible for the killing of Grendel, is killed as well.
What time period is Beowulf set in?
Beowulf was composed between 650 and 750 A. D.; therefore, its stories are set in the Anglo-Saxon period. The Anglo-Saxon tribes were Scandinavian and German. There were several tribes of raiders, who were also members of the warrior class. The culture of this time period differed greatly from our current culture.
What is the meaning of "Wergild" in Beowulf?
In Beowulf, paying wergild cements relationships, not paying it brands a killer as beyond the pale, and situations in which there is no way to atone with wergild - such as a killing within a family - are troubling.
What was the purpose of the Wergild system?
In simple terms, the purpose of wergild was to reduce the number of feuds. As you can imagine, when whole extended family groups led by sovereign rules got involved in feuds, it looked a whole lot like a war. The wergild system emphasized the extended family and loyalties between people.
What is the extra family alliance in Beowulf?
Whether or not it actually occurred, key actions in Beowulf are founded on the extra-family alliance formed when someone of one kinship group paid wergild on behalf of someone in another kinship group. Nevertheless, the rights and responsibilities connected with wergild are a central element of the poem.
What happens if a wergild isn't paid?
And, if the wergild wasn't paid, the family had the right to begin a feud, which gave the right to kill any member of the killer's kin group. Gold coins from Sutton Hoo courtesy of IH on Flickr.
What is the line in Beowulf's speech before he fights the dragon?
There's another reference to wergild in Beowulf's speech before he fights the dragon (line 2443). Beowulf tells of how one of King Hrethel's sons accidentally shot another of his sons with a bow and arrow. This death was left unredeemed because the victim and the killer shared kin: who could pay and who receive the wergild ?
Why was the custom of Wergild important?
The custom of wergild, using payment to compensate for injury or death, was important in medieval society and plays a role in 'Beowulf.' Read this lesson to understand more about the importance of wergild.
Who pays Wergild for the Geat?
But, Hrothgar also pays wergild for the Geat, one of Beowulf's men, who was killed during the night Beowulf fought Grendel (line 1052). Grendel may have been the killer, but the Geats were Hrothgar 's guests, and were there to assist him. So, he takes on the responsibility.
Summary
Amount
The size of the weregild was largely conditional upon the social rank of the victim. There used to be something of a "basis" fee for a standard "free man" that could then be multiplied according to the social rank of the victim and the circumstances of the crime. The weregild for women relative to that of men of equal rank varied: among the Saxons half that of men.
In the Migration period, the standard weregild for a freeman appears to have been 200 solidi (shill…
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.
The weregild was codified, for example, under Frankish Salic Code.
Weregild payment was an important legal mechanism in early Germanic society; the other comm…
Etymology and related concepts
The word weregild is composed of were, meaning "man", and geld, meaning "payment or fee", as in Danegeld. Geld or Jeld was the Old English and Old Frisian word for "payment"; in numerous modern Germanic languages such as Dutch, Frisian, German and Afrikaans, it survives as the word for "money." The Danish word gæld and Norwegian gjeld both mean "debt". "-Gäld" is also a constituent of some Swedish words, having the same meaning: e.g. återgälda (retribute, return f…
In literature
A classic example of a dispute over the weregild of a slave is contained in Iceland's Egil's Saga.
In the Völsungasaga or Saga of the Volsungs, the Æsir (Odin, Loki and Hœnir) are asked to pay weregild for killing Otr, son of Hreidmar. Otr is a "great fisherman" and resembles an otter. He is 'eating a salmon and half dozing' on the river banks of Andvari's Falls when Loki kills him by throwing a stone at him. Later that evening, the Æsir visit Hreidmar's house where they are seize…
See also
• Anglo-Saxon law
• Beot
• Blood feud
• Blood law
• Blood libel
Sources
• Byock, Jesse L. (1990) Saga of the Volsungs. University of California Press. ISBN 0140447385.
• Rabin, Andrew, The Political Writings of Archbishop Wulfstan of York (Manchester, 2015).