Weregild

wergild, weregelt, were.

s in old English law, a pecuniary satisfaction paid to a party injured, or to his relatives, to expiate an enormous offense, most commonly homicide.'" The custom originated with the ancient Germans. For homicide, Athelstan (and other rulers) graded the "2 Bancroft, Const. 208 (1882), abr. ed. 368 (1884), quoting Washington. "United States v. Cruikshank, 92 U. S. 649 (1876), Waite, C. J.; 1 Story, Const. §§ 497-506. 3 Johnson v. Eayner, 6 Gray, 110 (1856), Bigelow, J. See Mixer v. Reed, 25 Vt. 257 (1863). • Chesley v. King, 74 Me. 170-71 (1882), cases; Buckingham V. Elliott, 62 Ga. 296 (1884). » Trowbridge v. Brookline, 144 Mass. 141 (1887), cases; Ballard v. Tomlinson (Eng.), 24 Am. Law Rev. 634, 638- 40 (1885), cases. « 91 U. S. 536; 2 Black, 523. ' 14 Wall. 83. » 7 Pa. 530. » Were'-glld. A. S. were, a man; geld, money: the amount according to the rank of the deceased, from peasant to kingi In the time of Henry I, other offenses were made redeemable. A private process seems to have been allowed for recovering the amount. See Appeal, 3; Caput, ^stimatlo.

or W^ERGILD. This was the price of homicide, or other atrocious personal offence, paid partly to the king for the loss of a subject, partly to the lord for the loss of a vassal, and partly to the next of kin of the injured person. In the Anglo- Saxon laws, the amount of compensation varied with the degree or rank of the party slain. Brown.