Craven

CRAVENT, or CRAVANT (from Saxon crafan, to crave, beg, or implore).

In old English law

A word of obloquy and disgrace, in the ancient trial by battel, on the uttering of which by either champion, he was considered as jrielding the victory tc his opponent, and was condemned, as a recreant, amittere liberam legem, to lose his frank law, that is, to become infamous, and not to be accounted a free and lawful man, liber et legalis homo, being supposed by the court to be proved forsworn, and therefore never to be put on a jury or admitted as a witness in any cause.

3 Bl. Comm. 340; 4 Bl. Comm. 348; 4 Steph. Comm. 415.

Called verbum recreantisae, the word of recreancy. Fleta, lib.

1, c. 38, § 18.

The word is still popularly used in the same dishonorable sense. See "Battel;" "Champion;" "Recreant."