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Anglo-Saxon

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wer-gild

  • noun [ neuter ]
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Grammar
wer-gild, were-gild, es; n. [The word seems interchangeable with wer (q. v.), which in the later laws is the more frequent form.]
The price set upon a man according to his degree
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when a person was wrongfully slain the
wergild of the slain man could be claimed from the slayer. Cf. wer, I
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in case of certain crimes the criminal's wergild was exacted as a penalty, v. wer, III
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the wergild served as a standard by which other matters might be regulated, v. wer, IV
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instances of the payment of wergild are the following. The two young princes Æþelred and Æþelbriht were slain by Thunor, and to their sister eighty hides of land was given as wergild, Lchdm. iii. 424-6. In the war between Ecgfriþ and Æþelred the former's brother was slain. Theodore brought about peace between them 'ðæt nǽniges mannes feorh tó lore wearþ, ne máre blódgyte wæs for ðam ofslægenan cyninges bréðer, ac hé mid feó wiþ hine geþingode, ðæt heora sib wæs,' Bd. 4, 21; S. 590, 24. In 687 Mul, Ceadwalla's brother, was burnt in Kent : in 694 'Cantware geþingodon wiþ Íne, and him gesaldon xxx m., for ðon ðe híe ǽr Mul forbærndon, Chr. 694; Erl. 42, 15. [O. Frs. wer-geld, -ield : O. H. Ger. wer-, weri-gelt fiscus, pretium. Cf. Icel. mann-gjöld; pl.]
Cf. leód, leód-gild; and see Kemble's Saxons in England, vol. i. c. x,
    Grmm. R. A. 650.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “wer-gild.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/35368.

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  • wer-gild, n.

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