In the days of Medieval Europe, people were punished for minor offences, such as stealing food, as well as severe offences, for example witchcraft or murder. People were punished in all sorts of horrible ways, for the crimes they committed, and they had all sorts of odd ways of proving if people were either innocent or guilty.
Some of the different crimes included:
· Witchcraft (witches were blamed for natural disasters, as they were believed to be the devils followers).
· Criticising the Church’s teachings (called the crime of heresy)
· Working on Sundays and Holy Days (this was the rule of the Catholic Church/Canon Law).
· Gossiping
· Stealing firewood from the Lord's forest
· Murder
· Trespassing
Some of the ways that they proved they were innocent or guilty was an
"ordeal by water", which the accused had their hands and feet tied together and
then they were thrown into a river. If they sank then they were innocent and
if they floated they were guilty. Another way that they proved they were
innocent or guilty was an "ordeal by fire", where the accused would hold a red hot
iron bar in their hands, then walk a couple of steps. Their hands would be bandaged and left
for 3 days. Their bandages would then be removed and if their hands were beginning
to heal, they would be innocent and if their hands hadn’t started to heal then
they were guilty.
A person in the middle ages, who was found guilty of breaking the law,
was served an awfully harsh punishment. The most common types of punishments
were:
· Mutilation (cutting off a part of the accused person’s body)
· Fines
· Being placed in stocks for shaming
· Death
There were no policemen in the middle ages, so punishment was up to the
citizens of the community.
Some of the different crimes included:
· Witchcraft (witches were blamed for natural disasters, as they were believed to be the devils followers).
· Criticising the Church’s teachings (called the crime of heresy)
· Working on Sundays and Holy Days (this was the rule of the Catholic Church/Canon Law).
· Gossiping
· Stealing firewood from the Lord's forest
· Murder
· Trespassing
Some of the ways that they proved they were innocent or guilty was an
"ordeal by water", which the accused had their hands and feet tied together and
then they were thrown into a river. If they sank then they were innocent and
if they floated they were guilty. Another way that they proved they were
innocent or guilty was an "ordeal by fire", where the accused would hold a red hot
iron bar in their hands, then walk a couple of steps. Their hands would be bandaged and left
for 3 days. Their bandages would then be removed and if their hands were beginning
to heal, they would be innocent and if their hands hadn’t started to heal then
they were guilty.
A person in the middle ages, who was found guilty of breaking the law,
was served an awfully harsh punishment. The most common types of punishments
were:
· Mutilation (cutting off a part of the accused person’s body)
· Fines
· Being placed in stocks for shaming
· Death
There were no policemen in the middle ages, so punishment was up to the
citizens of the community.