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wergild
wergild (or “man-price”) The compensation that had to be paid by a murderer to the kinsmen of the victim in Anglo-Saxon England. The amount of an individual's wergild was fixed in law and varied according to his rank in society. An ordinary freeman (ceorl) was valued at 200 shillings, a nobleman (earl) at 1200 shillings, and the king at 7200 shillings. Although the unfree had no wergild, compensation for their murder was paid to their owners.
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"wergild." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "wergild." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-wergild.html "wergild." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-wergild.html |
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wergild
wergild see composition . |
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Cite this article
"wergild." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "wergild." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-wergild.html "wergild." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-wergild.html |
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