Legal Definitions - ordeal

Ordeal is a primitive form of trial that was used in the past to determine if someone was guilty or innocent of a crime. It involved subjecting the accused person to a dangerous or painful physical test, which was believed to be a divine revelation of their guilt or innocence.

• Ordeal by fire: The accused person was forced to hold a piece of hot metal or walk barefoot across a hot surface. If their hands or feet healed quickly and cleanly, they were considered innocent. Otherwise, they were guilty.
• Ordeal by water: There were two types of water ordeal. In the first, the accused person was submerged in cold water, and if they sank, they were innocent. If they floated, they were guilty. In the second, the accused person's arm was placed in boiling water, and if it healed quickly, they were innocent. Otherwise, they were guilty.
• Ordeal of the morsel: The accused person was given a piece of bread or cheese that a priest had charged to stick in the throat of the guilty. If they choked, they were guilty. If they did not, they were innocent.

These examples illustrate how the ordeal was believed to reveal the truth about a person's guilt or innocence through divine intervention. The accused person had to undergo a dangerous or painful test, and the outcome was considered a sign from God. If they were innocent, they would be protected from harm, but if they were guilty, they would suffer the consequences.