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1Medieval Law and Order

Use the information below to answer the following questions:

1. What is crime?

2. Medieval crimes included treason, witchcraft, heresy, stealing and murder. Provide a definition for each of these types of crime.

3. What did each accused person have to go through?

4. Describe each stage of the ordeal in your own words.

5. Do you think these 'ordeals' were fair? Why/Why not?

Medieval Law and Order

Law and order was very harsh in Medieval England. It was believed that people would only learn how to behave properly if they feared what would happen to them if they broke the law. Even the ‘smallest’ offences had serious punishments.

Each accused person had to go through an ordeal. There were three ordeals:

• Ordeal by fire. An accused person held a red hot iron bar and walked three paces. His hand was then bandaged and left for three days. If the wound was getting better after three days, you were innocent. If the wound had clearly not got any better, you were guilty.

• Ordeal by water. An accused person was tied up and thrown into water. If you floated you were guilty of the crime you were accused of.

• Ordeal by combat. This was used by noblemen who had been accused of something. They would fight in combat with their accuser. Whoever won was right. Whoever lost was usually dead at the end of the fight.

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