Wergild

From: Andrew Barton <AndrewBarton_at_compuserve.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 1999 20:29:40 -0500

The sources I've seen for Anglo-Saxon wergilds all say that they were graduated by rank. By some accounts, your wegild was also the value of your oath if you swore in support of one side in a lawsuit.

The GURPS 'Celtic Myth' book says that in brehon law a person's 'honor-price' varied according to rank and was based on what he could earn in two weeks. So, if you owed someone damages the higher his rank, the more you would pay.

Andrew

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