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Revision - Coggle Diagram
Revision
Anglo-Saxon
Law
The King was the main law-maker and laws were issued in his name. He had responsibility over the entire kingdom and it's safety. He had to make sure that the nobles were looked after and that violence was reduced. He also held the Witan meetings.
The nobles controlled the kingdoms of England and had complete authority within them. They were given this land by the king in return for their cooperation and assistance in times of war. They held their own shire courts and private courts.
The bishops controlled the Church and it was in the churches that people were taught about what was right and wrong through sermons. Bishops were also big landowners and needed protection. They were members of the Witan and helped to create the laws too.
The monks were under the control of the Church and took their orders from bishops. As Saxon law became more sophisticated it needed to be written down and this was the role of the monks. They were one of the few groups who could create documents.
Punishment
Wergild was a system of fines where if you injured someone the victim received money. The King set the fines and there was a system of payments:
- 12 shillings for a broken thigh
- 20 shillings for the loss of a thumb
- 50 shillings the loss of an eye
If a person killed someone they paid the wergild fine to the dead person's relatives
Trial by Ordeal is when the jury can't decide if a person was innocent or guilty then there was the option of the trial by ordeal. Examples of the ordeals were:
- walking at least 9 feet on hot coals
- putting your handing boiling water to retrieve a stone
- picking up a red hot iron
If the wounds healed cleanly after 3 days then you were considered to be innocent in the eyes of god.
Normans
Punishment
Stealing - fine payable to the king, stocks or pillory, public beating or flogging
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Repeat offences - beating, maiming, hanging
Pouching, murder, rebellion - execution (hanging or beheading)
Law
Murdurm
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If a Norman was murdered by an Anglo-Saxon and the murderer
was not captured and executed there was a special penalty – the murdrum fine.
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