Hist. Forms: α. 3 Sc. weregeheld, 5 weregylt, 7–9 weregild, 9 -geld. β. 5 Sc. wargeld (7 vergelt), 7, 9 wergeld; 9 wehrgeld. γ. 8–9 wergild. [ad. OE. (Anglian and Kentish) werʓeld, (WSaxon) werʓield, -ʓild, -ʓyld, late wereʓild (f. wer man WERE sb.1 + ʓeld, ʓield YIELD sb.) = OFris. wergeld, -ield, OHG. wer-, werigelt (MHG. wergelt, G. wer-, wehrgeld, Du. weergeld); the equivalent ON. term is manngjǫld.
The three OE. types werʓeld, werʓild, and wereʓild are represented in the modern forms; the spelling wehrgeld is due to the incorrect German form.]
In ancient Teutonic and Old English law, the price set upon a man according to his rank, paid by way of compensation or fine in cases of homicide and certain other crimes to free the offender from further obligation or punishment.
α. a. 1214. Assise Will., c. 14, in Acts Parl. Scot. (1844), I. 375. De weregehelde furis. De unoquoque fure per totam Scociam est weregehelde xxxiiij vacc. et dimid. Ibid. (14[?]). Of þe law þat is callyt weregylt.
1614. Selden, Titles Honor, 389. Were is before deliuerd in Weregild, and is calld pretium Redemptionis in the laws of the Confessor.
1714. J. Fortescue-Aland, Pref. Fortescue’s Abs. & Lim. Mon, 32. A Payment in Money called the Veragelt; from which no Body can doubt, but our Saxon Ancestors had their Weregild.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng. (1762), I. App. I. 156. The price of the king’s head, or his weregild, as it was then called, was by law 30,000 thrimsas.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. xxiii. 308. In those times, when a private pecuniary transaction, called a weregild, was constantly paid to the party injured, or his relations.
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages, ii. II. (1819), I. 230. Such were the weregilds of the barbaric codes.
1848. Lytton, Harold, V. vi. There is no weregeld for manslaying on the head of him who smiles so in death on his old comrades in life!
1863. H. Cox, Inst., II. x. 533. The Weregild, or compensation for murder was regulated according to the rank of the person slain.
1864. Kingsley, Rom. & Teut., vii. 193. He … died, like Samson, says old Paul, having got good weregeld for the loss of his eyes.
β. a. 1250. Reg. Maj., IV. xii. in Acts Parl. Scot. (1844), I. 634. De unoquoque fure … est wargeld triginta vacce et vna iuuenca.
1609. Skene, trans. Reg. Maj., IV. xix. 70 b. The Vergelt, or Ranson of ane theif, throw all Scotland is threttie kye; and ane zoung kow.
1614. Selden, Titles Honor, 204. This wergeld or werigeld is often met with in the Salique laws.
1848. Mrs. Horrocks, trans. Menzel’s Hist. Ger., I. 33. The Wergeld or fine seems to have been introduced at a later period.
1854. Milman, Lat. Chr., III. v. I. 395. In the Burgundian law … the life of every man … is assessed … at a certain value, and the wehrgeld may be received in atonement for his blood.
1902. F. Seebohm, Tribal Custom Ags. Law, i. 1. The Anglo-Saxon wergelds were stated, with perhaps one exception, in silver scillings.
γ. 1762. M. Foster, Rep. Proc. Surry, etc., 287. The Anglo-Saxons … in Case of Homicide contented themselves with a pecuniary Compensation, which they called the Wergild, the Price of Blood.
1802. A. Ranken, Hist. France, II. 249. Culpable homicide was punished with banishment, besides the wargild [sic], or fine, paid to the nearest kin of the deceased.
1860. Hook, Lives Archbps., I. v. 243. His position in society was, according to the custom of the age, marked by the amount of his wer-gild.
1870. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (ed. 2), I. App. 629. By this treaty provision is made for wergilds.
