> There were several cultures (such as Viking era Iceland) where
> wergild was a fixed legal value, no matter who was killed.
Um, not in Iceland, at least not in the Saga period. Offhand I can't find any instances where Viking/A-S geld *wasn't* differentiated by class and gender and circumstance. Anyone have an instance?
In Njal's Saga, Njal and Gunnar pass the same geld purse of 200 ounces of silver back and forth between them (Chs 36-45) . Later, as the bloody back-and-forth killing escalates, the Allthing decides on a value of 600 ounces of silver! (Ch 123).
In fact weregild inflation is one of the problems of the Icelandic system
cited by David Friedman at
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html. It collapsed
under its own weight after 300 years.
Freidman gives the following table:
Normal Price of Male thrall - 12 ounces (of silver) or 72 ells (of cloth)
Manumission price of thrall - 12 ounces, 72 ells
Wergeld for thrall - 12 ounces, 72 ells
Wergeld for free man - 100 ounces, 600 ells
Wergeld for free man (*) - 400 ounces, 2400 ells
Wergeld for important man - 200 ounces, 1200 ells
Wergeld for important man (*) - 800 ounces, 4800 ells
Definitely a sliding scale.
John
nysalor_at_iprimus.com.au John HughesQuestlines: http://home.iprimus.com.au/pipnjim/questlines/
The Father is the Void.
The Wife Waves
Their child is Matter.
Matter makes it with his mother
And their child is Life,
A daughter.
The Daughter is the Great Mother
Who with her father/brother Matter
As her lover
Gives Birth to the Mind.
--__--__--
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