Legal Definitions - hudegeld

Definition: Hudegeld is an old English term that refers to a payment made as compensation for assaulting a servant who was trespassing on someone's property.

Example: In medieval England, if a servant of a lord or a landowner trespassed on someone else's property, and the owner of the property assaulted the servant, the owner would have to pay hudegeld as compensation for the assault.

Explanation: The example illustrates how hudegeld was used as a means of resolving disputes between landowners and their servants. It was a way of ensuring that the rights of both parties were protected, and that justice was served. The payment of hudegeld was a way of acknowledging that the assault was wrong, and that the victim deserved compensation for the harm that was done to them.