Legal Definitions - wergild

Definition: Wergild is a historical term that refers to the fixed value of a person's life. It is the amount of money that the family or kindred of a person who has been killed must pay to the family or kindred of the person who was killed in order to avoid a blood feud. Wergild was a common practice in many ancient societies, including Germanic and Anglo-Saxon cultures.

Examples:

• In Anglo-Saxon England, the wergild for a freeman was typically 200 shillings.
• In Germanic societies, the wergild for a person varied depending on their social status. For example, the wergild for a nobleman was higher than that of a commoner.

These examples illustrate how wergild was used in different societies to establish a monetary value for a person's life. The payment of wergild was seen as a way to prevent blood feuds and maintain peace within a community. The amount of wergild varied depending on the person's social status and the circumstances of their death.