Legal Definitions - purgation

Purgation refers to the act of cleansing or exonerating oneself of a crime or accusation by taking an oath or undergoing an ordeal. There are two types of purgation:

• Canonical purgation: This involves purgation by oath-helpers in an ecclesiastical court.
• Vulgar purgation: This involves purgation by means other than by oath-helpers, such as by fire, hot irons, battle, or cold water. It was called "vulgar" because it was not sanctioned by the church after 1215.

An example of canonical purgation would be if someone accused of a crime in a church court could prove their innocence by taking an oath and having others vouch for their character.

An example of vulgar purgation would be if someone accused of a crime had to undergo a trial by combat or walk across hot coals to prove their innocence.

These examples illustrate how purgation was used in the past as a way to determine guilt or innocence. It was believed that if someone was truly innocent, they would be able to undergo the ordeal without harm, while someone who was guilty would be punished.