See also:

• ORDEAL (O.Eng. ordal, ordael, judgment)

ORDEAL (O.Eng. ordal, ordael, See also:

• JUDGMENT

judgment)  , a See also:

• TERM

term corresponding to See also:

• MODERN

modern Ger . Urteil, but bearing the See also:

• SPECIAL

special sense of the See also:

• MEDIEVAL

medieval See also:

• LAT

Lat . Dei judicium, a miraculous decision as to the truth of an See also:

• ACCUSATION (Lat. accusatio, accusare, to challenge to a causa, a suit or trial at law)

accusation or claim . The word is adopted in the See also:

• LATE

late Lat. ordalium, Fr. ordalie . The See also:

• ORDEAL (O.Eng. ordal, ordael, judgment)

ordeal had existed for many ages before it was thus named in See also:

• EUROPE

Europe . In principle, and often in the very forms used, it belongs to See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient culture, thence flourishing up to the medieval See also:

• EUROPEAN

European and modern See also:

• ASIATIC

Asiatic levels, but dying out before modern See also:

• CIVILIZATION

civilization . Some ordeals, which possibly represent See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early stages of the practice, are simply magical, being processes of See also:

• DIVINATION
• DIVINATION, OMEN, ASTROLOGY

divination turned to legal purpose . Thus in See also:

• BURMA

Burma suits are still determined by See also:

• PLAINTIFF

plaintiff and See also:

• DEFENDANT

defendant being each furnished with a See also:

• CANDLE (Lat. candela, from candere, to glow)

candle, equal in See also:

• SIZE

size and both lighted at once—he whose candle outlasts the other being adjudged, amid the acclamations of his See also:

• FRIENDS, SOCIETY
• FRIENDS, SOCIETY OF

friends, to have won his cause (Shway Yoe, The Burman, ii . 254) . Even quainter is a Dyak ordeal in See also:

• BORNEO

Borneo, where the two parties are represented by two See also:

• SHELL
• SHELL (O. Eng. scell, scyll, cf. Du. sceel, shell, Goth. skalja, tile; the word means originally a thin flake,. cf. Swed. skalja, to peel off; it is allied to " scale " and " skill," from a root meaning to cleave, divide, separate)

shell-See also:

• FISH (O. Eng. fist, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch visch, Ger. Fisch, Goth. fisks, cognate with the Lat. piscis)
• FISH, HAMILTON (1808-1893)

fish on a See also:

• PLATE

plate, which are irritated by pouring on some See also:

• LIME
• LIME (O. Eng. lim, Lat. limes, mud, from linere, to smear)

lime-juice, and the one first moving settles the See also:

• GUILT

guilt or innocence (as has. been before arranged) of its owner (St See also:

• JOHN
• JOHN (1167–1216)
• JOHN (1290-c. 1320)
• JOHN (1296-1346)
• JOHN (1371–1419)
• JOHN (1468-1532)
• JOHN (1801-1873)
• JOHN (Heb. llni')
• JOHN (ZAPOLYA) (1487-1540)
• JOHN, 4TH MARQUESS OF TWEEDDALE (c. 1695-1762)
• JOHN, DON (1545-1578)
• JOHN, DON (1629–1679)
• JOHN, GOSPEL OF ST
• JOHN, or HAYS (1513–1571)
• JOHN, THE APOSTLE
• JOHN, THE EPISTLES OF

John, Forests of the Far See also:

• EAST
• EAST, ALFRED (1849- )

East, 1.89), The See also:

• ADMINISTRATION (Lat. administrare, to serve)

administration of ordeals has been much in the hands of priests, and they are more often than not worked on a theological basis, the intervention of a deity being invoked and assumed to take See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place even when the See also:

• PROCESS

process is in its nature one of symbolic magic .. For instance, an ancient See also:

• DIVINING

divining See also:

• INSTRUMENT (Lat. instrumentum, from insincere, to build up, furnish, arrange, prepare)

instrument consisted of a See also:

• SIEVE (O.E. sife, older sibi, cf. Dutch zeef, Ger. Sieb; from the subst. comes O.E. siftan, to sift)

sieve held suspended by a See also:

• THREAD (0. Eng. praed, literally, that which is twisted, prawan, to twist, to throw, cf. " throwster," a silk-winder, Ger. drehen, to twist, turn, Du. draad, Ger. Draht, thread, wire)

thread or by a pair of See also:

• SHEARS

shears with the points See also:

• STUCK, FRANZ (1863— )

stuck into its rim, and considered to move at the mention of the name to be discovered, &c . Thus girls consulted the " sieve-See also:

• WITCH

witch " (KOO'KbvollavTCS) about lovers (Theocr., Idyll. iii .

31) . This coscinomancy served in the same way to discover a thief: when, with See also:

• PRAYER (from Lat. precari, entreat; Ital. pregaria, Fr. priere)
• PRAYER, BOOK OF COMMON

prayer to the gods for direction, the names of the suspected persons were called over to it (See also:

• POTTER, ALONZO (1800-1865)
• POTTER, HENRY CODMAN (1835–1908)
• POTTER, J
• POTTER, JOHN (c. 1674-1747)
• POTTER, PAUL (1625—1654)
• POTTER, PHILIP CIPRIANI HAMBLEY (1792—1871)

Potter, See also:

• GREEK
• GREEK, ETRUSCAN AND

Greek Antiquities, i . 352) . When a suspended See also:

• HATCHET (adapted from the Fr. hachette, diminutive of hache, axe, hacker, to cut, hack)

hatchet was used in the same way to turn to the guilty, the process was called axinomancy . The sieve-ordeal remained popular in the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle ages (see the description and picture in See also:

• CORNELIUS
• CORNELIUS, CARL AUGUST PETER (1824-1874)
• CORNELIUS, PETER VON (1784–1867)

Cornelius See also:

• AGRIPPA
• AGRIPPA, HEROD, I
• AGRIPPA, HEROD, II
• AGRIPPA, MARCUS VIPSANIUS

Agrippa, De Occ . Phil.); it is mentioned in Hudibras (ii . 3): th' See also:

• ORACLE (Lat. oraculum, from ora' to pray; the corresponding Greek word is uavreiov or Xpnuri7pwov)

oracle of sieve and shears That turns as certain as the See also:

• SPHERES, MUSIC OF THE

spheres." From this ancient ordeal is evidently derived the modern See also:

• CHRISTIAN
• CHRISTIAN, WILLIAM (1608-1663)

Christian See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of the See also:

• KEY
• KEY (in O. Eng. tang; the ultimate origin of the word is unknown; it appears only in Old Frisian kei of other Teutonic languages; until the end of the 17th century the pronunciation was kay, as in other words in O. Eng. ending in aeg; cf. daeg, day; clang
• KEY (the phraseograms being indicated by hyphens)
• KEY, SIR ASTLEY COOPER (1821-1888)
• KEY, THOMAS HEWITT (1799-1875)

key and See also:

• BIBLE
• BIBLE, ENGLISH

Bible, where a Psalter or Bible is suspended by a key tied in at See also:

• PSALM (from the Gr. word * hXAew, to play the harp)

Psalm 1 . 18: " When See also:

• THOU, JACQUES AUGUSTE DE [THUANUS] (1553-1617)
• THOU, NOM

thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him "; the See also:

• BOW (pronounced " bo ")

bow of the key being balanced on the fingers, and the names of those suspected. being called over, he or she at whose name the See also:

• BOOK

book. turns or falls is the See also:

• CULPRIT

culprit (see See also:

• BRAND, JOHN (1744-1806)
• BRAND, SIR JOHN HENRY (1823-1888)

Brand, Popular Antiquities, ed . See also:

• BOHN, HENRY GEORGE (1796-1884)

Bohn, in . 351) . One of the most remarkable See also:

• GROUPS
• GROUPS, THEORY

groups of divination passing into ordeals are those which See also:

• APPEAL

appeal to the See also:

• CORPSE (Lat. corpus, the body)

corpse itself for See also:

• DISCOVERY

discovery of its murderer . The See also:

• IDEA (Gr. Ibia, connected with i&eiv, to see; cf. Lat. species from specere, to look at)

idea is rooted in that See also:

• PRIMITIVE

primitive See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state of mind which has not yet realized the full effect of See also:

• DEATH

death, but regards the See also:

• BODY

body as still able to hear and See also:

• ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

act .

Thus the natives of See also:

• AUSTRALIA

Australia will ask the dead See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man carried on his bier of boughs, who bewitched him; if he has died by See also:

• WITCHCRAFT

witchcraft he will make the bier move See also:

• ROUND (O. Fr. rond, Lat. rotundus, the Fr. is the source also of Du. rond; Ger., Swed., Dan. and Nor. rond)

round, and if the sorcerer who killed him be See also:

• PRESENT

present a bough will See also:

• TOUCH (derived through Fr. toucher from a common Teutonic and Indo-Germanic root, cf. " tug," " tuck," O. H. Ger. zucchen, to twitch or draw)

touch him (See also:

• EYRE, EDWARD JOHN (1815-1901)
• EYRE, SIR JAMES (1734-1799)

Eyre, Australia, ii . 344) . That this is no isolated See also:

• FANCY (a shortened form, dating from the 15th century, of " fantasy," which is derived through the O. Fr. fantasie, modern fantaisie. from the Latinized form of the Gr. cbavraoia, Oavrai'ecv, Oat Pais, to show)

fancy is shown by its recurrence among the negroes of See also:

• AFRICA
• AFRICA, ROMAN

Africa, where, for instance, the corpse causes its bearers to dash against some one's See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

house, which accuses the owner of the See also:

• MURDER

murder (J . L . See also:

• WILSON, ALEXANDER (1766-1813)
• WILSON, HENRY (1812–1875)
• WILSON, HORACE HAYMAN (1786–1860)
• WILSON, JAMES (1742—1798)
• WILSON, JAMES (1835— )
• WILSON, JAMES HARRISON (1837– )
• WILSON, JOHN (1627-1696)
• WILSON, JOHN (178 1854)
• WILSON, ROBERT (d. 1600)
• WILSON, SIR DANIEL (1816–1892)
• WILSON, SIR ROBERT THOMAS (1777—1849)
• WILSON, SIR WILLIAM JAMES ERASMUS
• WILSON, THOMAS (1663-1755)
• WILSON, THOMAS (c. 1525-1581)
• WILSON, WOODROW (1856— )

Wilson, Western Africa, p . 231; Waltz, ii . 193) . This somewhat resembles the well-known ordeal of the bier in Europe in the middle ages, which, however, seems founded on a different principle, the See also:

• IMAGINATION

imagination that a sympathetic See also:

• ACTION

action of the See also:

• BLOOD

blood causes it to flow at the touch or neighbourhood of the murderer . Apparently the liquefaction of the blood which in certain cases takes place after death may have furnished the ground for this belief . On See also:

• TEUTONIC
• TEUTONIC (GERMANIC) LANGUAGES

Teutonic ground, this ordeal appears in the See also:

• NIBELUNGENLIED, or DER NIBELUNGE NOT

Nibelungenlied, where the murdered Siegfried is laid on his bier, and See also:

• HAGEN
• HAGEN, FRIEDRICH HEINRICH VON DER (178o-1856)

Hagen is called on to prove his innocence by going to the corpse, but at his approach the dead See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief's wounds bleed afresh . The typical instance in See also:

• ENGLISH

English See also:

• HISTORY

history is the passage of See also:

• MATTHEW, GOSPEL OF ST
• MATTHEW, ST (MaOOaior or MarOaIos, probably a shortened form of the Hebrew equivalent to Theodorus)
• MATTHEW, TOBIAS

Matthew See also:

• PARIS
• PARIS (also called ALEXANDROS)
• PARIS, ALEXIS PAULIN (1800-x881)
• PARIS, BRUNO PAULIN GASTON (1839-1903)
• PARIS, FRANCOIS DE (169o-1727)
• PARIS, LOUIS PHILIPPE ALBERT
• PARIS, TREATIES OF (1814-1815)

Paris, that after See also:

• HENRY
• HENRY (1129-1195)
• HENRY (c. 1108-1139)
• HENRY (c. 1174–1216)
• HENRY (Fr. Henri; Span. Enrique; Ger. Heinrich; Mid. H. Ger. Heinrich and Heimrich; O.H.G. Haimi- or Heimirih, i.e. " prince, or chief of the house," from O.H.G. heim, the Eng. home, and rih, Goth. reiks; compare Lat. rex " king "—" rich," therefore " mig
• HENRY, EDWARD LAMSON (1841– )
• HENRY, JAMES (1798-1876)
• HENRY, JOSEPH (1797-1878)
• HENRY, MATTHEW (1662-1714)
• HENRY, PATRICK (1736–1799)
• HENRY, PRINCE OF BATTENBERG (1858-1896)
• HENRY, ROBERT (1718-1790)
• HENRY, VICTOR (1850– )
• HENRY, WILLIAM (1795-1836)

Henry II.'s death at See also:

• CHINON

Chinon his son See also:

• RICHARD
• RICHARD (d. 1184)
• RICHARD, FRANCOIS MARIE BENJAMIN (18,9-1908)
• RICHARD, HENRY (1812-1888)
• RICHARD, ST

Richard came to view the body, " Quo superveniente, confestim erupit sanguis ex naribus regis mortui; ac si indignaretur spiritus in adventu ejus, qui ejusdem mortis causa. esse credebatur, ut videretur sanguis clamare ad Deum." In See also:

• SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM (1564-1616)

Shakespeare (See also:

• RICH, BARNABE (c. 1540-1617)
• RICH, CLAUDIUS JAMES (1787-1821)
• RICH, JOHN (1692-1761)
• RICH, PENELOPE, LADY (c. 1562–1607)
• RICH, RICHARD, 1ST BARON RICH (1490?-1567)

Rich . III., act 1, sc .

2) : " O gentlemen, see, see! dead Henry's wounds Open their congeal'd mouths, and bleed afresh!" At See also:

• HERTFORD
• HERTFORD, EARLS AND MARQUESSES OF

Hertford assizes (1628) the deposition was taken as to certain suspected murderers being required to touch the corpse, when the murdered woman thrust out the See also:

• RING (O.E. hring; a word common to Teutonic languages; and probably cognate with the Lat. circus, Gr. KtpKOS or KpLKOS, Skt'. chakra, wheel, circle, cf. also " harangue "); in art, a band of circular shape of varying sizes, made of any material and used f

ring See also:

• FINGER

finger three times and it dropped blood on the grass (Brand, iii . 231); and there was a See also:

• CASE
• CASE, JOHN (d. 1600)

case in the Scottish High See also:

• COURT
• COURT (from the O. Fr. court, Late Lat. cortis, curtis, a popular form of class. Lat. cohors, gen. cohortis; the mod. Fr. form tour is due to the influence of the Lat. curia, the word used in medieval documents to translate " court " in the feudal sense)
• COURT, ANTOINE (1696-176o)

Court of See also:

• JUSTICIARY, HIGH COURT OF

Justiciary as late as 1668 (T . F . Thiselton See also:

• DYER, JOHN (c. 1700-1758)
• DYER, SIR EDWARD (d. 1607)
• DYER, THOMAS HENRY (1804-1888)

Dyer, See also:

• FOLKLORE

Folklore of Shakespeare, p . 487) . See also:

• DURHAM
• DURHAM, JOHN GEORGE LAMBTON, 1ST EARL OF (1792–1840)

Durham Peasants, apparently remembering the old belief, still expect those who come to look at a corpse to touch it, in token that they See also:

• BEAR
• BEAR, BLACK
• BEAR, BROWN
• BEAR, GRIZZLY
• BEAR, ISABELLINE
• BEAR, WHITE

bear no See also:

• ILL

ill-will to the departed (W . See also:

• HENDERSON
• HENDERSON, ALEXANDER (1583-1646)
• HENDERSON, EBENEZER (1784-1858)
• HENDERSON, GEORGE FRANCIS ROBERT (1854-1903)
• HENDERSON, JOHN (1747-1785)

Henderson, Folklore of See also:

• NORTHERN

Northern Counties, p . 57) . Certain ordeals are closely related to oaths, so that the two shade into one another . Let the curse which is to fall on the See also:

• OATH (0. Eng. ddh)

oath-breaker take effect at once, it then becomes a sign condemning the swearer— in fact, an ordeal . Thus the drinking of See also:

• WATER

water on which a curse or magical See also:

• PENALTY (Lat. poena, punishment)

penalty has been laid is a See also:

• MERE
• MERE, ADALBERT (1838-1909)

mere oath so See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long as the See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time of fulfilment is unfixed (see OATH) . But it becomes an ordeal when, as in Brahmanic See also:

• INDIA
• INDIA, FRENCH

India, the accused drinks three handfuls of water in which a sacred See also:

• IMAGE (Lat. imago, perhaps from the same root as imitari, copy, imitate)

image has been dipped; if he is See also:

• INNOCENT (INNOCENTIUS)
• INNOCENT (POPES)

innocent nothing happens, but if he is guilty sickness or misfortune will fall on him within one to three See also:

• WEEKS, EDWIN LORD (1849-1903)

weeks (for accounts of these and other See also:

• HINDU

Hindu ordeals see All See also:

• IBRAHIM

Ibrahim See also:

• KHAN (from the Turki, hence Persian and Arabic Khan)

Khan in Asiatic Researches, i .

389, and Stenzler's See also:

• SUMMARY

summary in Z . D . At . G., vol. ix.) . The earliest See also:

• ACCOUNT
• ACCOUNT (through O. Fr. acont, Late Lat. comptum, cornputare, to calculate)

account of such an ordeal is in See also:

• NUMBERS, BOOK OF
• NUMBERS, PARTITION OF

Numbers v., which describes the mode of administering to a woman charged with unfaithfulness the See also:

• BITTER, KARL THEODORE FRANCIS (1867– )

bitter water mixed with the dust of the See also:

• TABERNACLE
• TABERNACLE (Lat. tabernaculum, a hut, tent)

tabernacle See also:

• FLOOR (from O. Eng. flor, a word common to many Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch vloer, and Ger. Flur, a field, in the feminine, and a floor, masculine)

floor, with the curse laid on it to cause her belly to swell and her thigh to fall if guilty . See also:

• EWALD, GEORG HEINRICH AUGUST VON (1803-1875)
• EWALD, JOHANNES (1743-1781)

Ewald (Antiquities of See also:

• ISRAEL (Hebrew for " God strives " or " rules "; see Gen. xxxii. 28; and the allusion in Hosea xii. 4)

Israel, 236) regards the See also:

• DRAUGHT (from the common Teutonic word " to draw "; cf. Ger. 7'racht, load; the pronunciation led to the variant form " draft," now confined to certain specific meanings)

draught as in itself harm-less, and the operation of this curse on the guilty as due to the See also:

• INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence of the mind on the body . But the term " bitter " is applied to the water before it has been cursed, which suggests that it already contained some See also:

• DRUG
• DRUG (from Fr. drogue, a word common in Romance languages, cf. Span. and Ital. droga; the origin of the word is obscure, but may possibly be connected with Dutch droog, dry)

drug, as in the See also:

• POISON

poison-water ordeal still in See also:

• CONSTANT, BENJAMIN (1845-1902)

constant use over a See also:

• GREAT

great See also:

• PART

part of Africa . Thus the red water of See also:

• GUINEA

Guinea is a decoction made by pounding in a wooden See also:

• MORTAR

mortar and steeping in water the inner bark of one of the n$imosas, producing a liquor like that of a tan-vat, astringent, narcotic, and when taken in sufficient quantity emetic . The accused, with See also:

• SOLEMN (Lat. sollemnis, sollemnis, less correctly solennis, yearly, annual; from sollus = totus, whole, entire, Gr. Mos., and annus, year)

solemn ceremony and invocation, drinks freely of it; if it nauseates him and he throws it up he is triumphantly acquitted, but if he becomes dizzy he is guilty, and the See also:

• ASSEMBLY, UNLAWFUL

assembly fall on him, pelt him with stones and even See also:

• DRAG (from the Old Eng. dragan, to draw; the word preserves the g which phonetically developed into w)

drag him over the rocks till he is dead . Here the result of the ordeal depends partly on the patient's constitution, but more on the sorcerer who can prepare the proper dose to prove either guilt or innocence . Among the various drugs used in different parts of Africa are the mbundu See also:

• ROOT (late O.E. rot, adopted from Scand., cf. Norw. and Swed. rot, Dan. rod; the true O.E. word was wyrt, plant, represented in Ger. Wurz or Wurzel; the ultimate root is the same in both words, and is seen in Lat. radix)
• ROOT, ELIHU (1845– )

root, the See also:

• CALABAR (or OLD CALABAR)

Calabar See also:

• BEAN (a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Bohne)

bean, the tangena See also:

• NUT
• NUT (0. Eng. knutu, cf. Dutch noot, Ger. Nuss; allied with Gael. cno; it is not of the same form as Lat. nux)

nut (Tanghinia veneniflua, a strong poison and emetic) . The sorcerers who administer this ordeal have in their hands a See also:

• POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power of inflicting or remitting judicial murder, giving them boundless influence (details in J .

L . Wilson, Western Africa, pp . 225, 398; See also:

• BURTON, JOHN HILL (1809–1881)
• BURTON, ROBERT (1577-1640)
• BURTON, SIR FREDERICK WILLIAM (1816–f goo)
• BURTON, SIR RICHARD FRANCIS (1821-1890)
• BURTON, WILLIAM EVANS (1804-1860)

Burton, See also:

• LAKE
• LAKE, GERARD LAKE, 1ST VISCOUNT (1744-1808)

Lake Regions of Central Africa, ii . 357; Bosman, " Guinea," in See also:

• PINKERTON, ALLAN (1819–1884)
• PINKERTON, JOHN (1758–1826)

Pinkerton's Voyages, xvi . 398, &c.) . The poison-ordeal is also known to Brahmanic See also:

• LAW
• LAW (0. Eng. lagu, M. Eng. lawe; from an old Teutonic root lag, " lie," what lies fixed or evenly; cf. Lat. lex, Fr. loi)
• LAW, JOHN (1671—1729)
• LAW, WILLIAM (1686-1761)

law, decoction of See also:

• ACONITE (Aconitum)

aconite root being one of the poisons given, and the accused if not sickening being declared See also:

• FREE

free (Stenzler, l.c.) . Theoretically connected with the ordeal by cursed drink is that by cursed See also:

• FOOD
• FOOD (like the verb " to feed," from a Teutonic root, whence O. Eng. foda; cf. " fodder "; connected with Gr. lrareicOae, to feed)

food, which is, however, distinguished among this See also:

• BLACK
• BLACK, ADAM (1784-1874)
• BLACK, JEREMIAH SULLIVAN (1810–1883)
• BLACK, WILLIAM (1841-1898)

black See also:

• CATALOGUE (a Fr. adaptation of the Gr. KaraXoyos, a register, from Karalyety, to enrol or pick out)

catalogue by being sometimes an effectual means of discovering the truth . The ordeal by See also:

• BREAD

bread and See also:

• CHEESE (Lat. caseus)

cheese, practised in See also:

• ALEXANDRIA
• ALEXANDRIA (Arab. Iskenderia)

Alexandria about the 2nd See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century, was practically the same as that known to English law five to ten centuries later as the corsnaed or " trial slice " of consecrated bread and cheese which was administered from the See also:

• ALTAR (Lat. altare, from alias, high; some ancient etymological guesses are recorded by St Isidore of Seville in Etymologiae xv. 4)

altar, withthe curse that if the accused were guilty See also:

• GOD

God would send the See also:

• ANGEL

angel See also:

• GABRIEL (Heb. SKns, man of God)

Gabriel to stop his See also:

• THROAT (O. Eng. protu, prote or }Prota, possibly from preotan, to press, whence threat, or, with loss of initial s, connected with strut, to swell)

throat, that he might not be able to See also:

• SWALLOW (A. S. swalewe, Icel. svala, Du. zwaluw, Ger. Schwalbe)

swallow that bread and cheese . In fact, if guilty and not a hardened offender he was See also:

• APT

apt to fail, dry-mouthed and choking through terror, to get it down . The remembrance of this ancient ordeal still lingers in the popular phrase, " May this See also:

• BIT (from the verb " to bite," either in the sense of a piece bitten off, or an act of biting, or a thing that bites or is bitten)

bit choke me if I See also:

• LIE, JONAS LAURITZ EDEMIL (1833—1908)
• LIE, MARIUS SOPHUS (1842–1899)

lie ! " In India the corresponding trial by See also:

• RICE (Greek 6p6 a, Latin oryza, French riz, Italian riso, Spanish arroz, derived from the Arabic)
• RICE, EDMUND IGNATIUS (1762-1844)
• RICE, JAMES (1843-1882)

rice is prescribed in the old See also:

• LAWS

laws to be done by suspected persons chewing the consecrated grains of rice and spitting them out, moist and untinged with blood, on a See also:

• BANYAN, or BANIAN (an Arab corruption, borrowed by the Portuguese from the Sanskrit vanij, " merchant ")

banyan See also:

• LEAF (O. Eng. leaf, cf. Dutch loof, Ger. Laub, Swed. lof, &c.; possibly to be referred to the root seen in Gr. Ma-eta, to peel, strip)

leaf; this or the mere chewing and swallowing of a mouthful of rice-grains is often used even by the English as a means of detecting a thief . A classical mention of the ordeals by carrying hot See also:

• IRON [symbol Fe, atomic weight 55.85 (0=16)]

iron in the hands and by passing through the See also:

• FIRE (in O. Eng. f j'r; the word is common to West German languages, cf. Dutch vuur, Ger. Feuer; the pre-Teutonic form is seen in Sanskrit pu, pavaka, and Gr. irup; the ultimate origin is usually taken to be a root meaning to purify, cf. Lat. purus)

fire is made more interesting by the See also:

• GUARDS, AND HOUSEHOLD TROOPS

guards who offer to prove their innocence in this way offering further to take oath by the gods, which shows the intimate connexion between oaths and ordeals (Soph., See also:

• ANT
• ANT (O. Eng. aemete, from Teutonic a, privative, and maitan, cut or bite off, i.e. " the biter off "; aemete in Middle English became differentiated in dialect use to (mete, then amte, and so ant, and also to emete, whence the synonym " emmet," now only u

Ant .

264, see also Aeschyl., fr . 284) . i LEY S' groI4 or . Ka2 n &povs aipew xepoZv Kai AUp aapnELv, Kai BEOUS dpKwOpoTELY Td See also:

• AIRE

Aire Sp Q/O~at Aare r tvv€ & Ya Td racy/la 13ovXe6o-avrt /o i' E2p"yacrsskvue The passing through the fire is described in the Hindu codes of Yajnavalkya and others, and is an incident in Hindu See also:

• POETRY

poetry, where in the Rdmayana the virtuous Sita thus proves her innocence to her jealous See also:

• HUSBAND

husband Rama (Stenzler, p . 669; Pictet, Origines Indo-Europeennes, part ii. p . 457) . It was not less known to European law and See also:

• CHRONICLE (from Gr. Xpovos, time)

chronicle, as where Richardis, wife of See also:

• CHARLES
• CHARLES (1270-1325)
• CHARLES (1421-1461)
• CHARLES (1525-1574)
• CHARLES (c. 1319-1364)
• CHARLES (Fr. Charles; Span. Carlos; Ital. Carlo; Ger. Karl; derived from O.H.G. Charal,latinized as Carolus, meaning originally " man ": cf. Mod.Ger., Kerl," fellow," A.S. ceorl, Mod. Eng. " churl ")
• CHARLES (KARL EITEL ZEPHYRIN LUDWIG; in Rum. CAROL)
• CHARLES [KARL ALEXANDER] (1712-1780)
• CHARLES, ELIZABETH (1828-1896)
• CHARLES, JACQUES ALEXANDRE CESAR (1746-1823)
• CHARLES, THOMAS (1755-1814)

Charles the See also:

• FAT (O.E. fdett; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch vet, Ger. Fett, &c., and may be ultimately related to Greek Irian, and =apos, and Sanskrit pivan)

Fat, proves her innocence by going into a fire clothed in a waxed shift, and is unhurt by the fire (See also:

• GRIMM, FRIEDRICH MELCHIOR, I
• GRIMM, JACOB LUDWIG CARL (1785-1863)
• GRIMM, WILHELM CARL (1786-1859)

Grimm, Deutsche Rechtsalterthumer, p . 912) . Yet more minutely prescribed in the Hindu ordeal-books is the rite of carrying the glowing hot iron seven steps, into the seven or nine circles traced on the ground, the examination of the hands to see if they show traces of burning, and the binding them up in leaves . The See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close See also:

• HISTORICAL

historical connexion of the Hindu ordeal laws with the old European is shown by the See also:

• CORRESPONDENCE
• CORRESPONDENCE (from med. scholastic Lat. correspondentia, corrcspondere, compounded of Lat. cum, with, and respond ere, to answer; cf. Fr. correspondance)

correspondence of See also:

• MINUTE
• MINUTE (Lat. minutes, small; minuere, to make less)

minute details, as where in a Scandinavian law it is prescribed that the red-hot iron shall be carried nine steps (Grimm, op. cit., p . 918) . In Anglo-Saxon laws the iron to be carried was at first only one See also:

• POUND
• POUND (2)—(a)

pound See also:

• WEIGHT

weight, but See also:

• ATHELSTAN (c. 894-940)

Athelstan's law (in Ancient Laws and Institutes of See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England, iv .

6) enacts that it be increased to weigh three pounds . Another form well known in old See also:

• GERMANY
• GERMANY (Ger. Deutschland)

Germany and England was the walking barefoot over glowing ploughshares, generally nine . The law-codes of the early middle ages show this as an See also:

• ORDINARY (med. Lat. ordinarius, Fr. ordinaire)

ordinary criminal See also:

• PROCEDURE (Fr. procedure, from Lat. procedere, to go for-ward)

procedure (see the two See also:

• WORKS

works last referred to), but it is perhaps best remembered in two non-historical legends . The See also:

• GERMAN
• GERMAN, DUTCH AND SCANDINAVIAN

German See also:

• QUEEN
• QUEEN (O.E. cwen, wife, related to "quean," O.E. cwene, a hussy; cf. Gr. yvvi7: from root gan-, to produce; cf. genus, " kin," &c.)

queen Kunigunde, " haec dicens stupentibus et flentibus universis qui aderant, vomeres candentes nudo vestigio calcavit et sine adustionis molestia transiit ".(Vista Henrici, ap . Canisium, Vi . 387) . Queen Emma, See also:

• MOTHER

mother of See also:

• EDWARD

Edward the See also:

• CONFESSOR

Confessor, accused of familiarity with Alwyn See also:

• BISHOP (A.S. bisceop, from Lat. episcopus, Gr. irio-Korros, " overlooker " or " overseer ")
• BISHOP, ISABELLA (1832-1904)
• BISHOP, SIR HENRY ROWLEY (1786-1855)

bishop of See also:

• WINCHESTER
• WINCHESTER, EARLS AND MARQUESSES OF

Winchester, triumphantly purges herself and him by the help of St Swithin—each of the two thus acquitted giving nine manors to the See also:

• CHURCH
• CHURCH (according to most authorities derived from the Gr. Kvpcaxov [&wµa], " the Lord's [house]," and common to many Teutonic, Slavonic and other languages under various forms—Scottish kirk, Ger. Kirche, Swed. kirka, Dan. kirke, Russ. tserkov, Buig. cerk
• CHURCH, FREDERICK EDWIN (1826-1900)
• CHURCH, GEORGE EARL (1835–1910)
• CHURCH, RICHARD WILLIAM (1815–189o)
• CHURCH, SIR RICHARD (1784–1873)

church of Winchester, in memory of the nine ploughshares, and the See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

king being corrected with stripes (John Bromton, see See also:

• FREEMAN
• FREEMAN, EDWARD AUGUSTUS (1823-1892)

Freeman's Norm . Conq., vol. ii . App.) . To See also:

• DIP (Old Eng. dyppan, connected with the common Teutonic root seen in " deep ")

dip the See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand in boiling water or oil or melted See also:

• LEAD
• LEAD (pronounced iced)

lead and take cut a See also:

• STONE
• STONE (0. Eng. shin; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Stein, Du. steen, Dan. and Swed. sten; the root is also seen in Gr. aria, pebble)
• STONE, CHARLES POMEROY (1824-1887)
• STONE, EDWARD JAMES (1831-1897)
• STONE, FRANK (1800-1859)
• STONE, GEORGE (1708—1764)
• STONE, LUCY [BLACKWELL] (1818-1893)
• STONE, MARCUS (184o— )
• STONE, NICHOLAS (1586-1647)

stone or ring is another ordeal of this class . The traveller may find some of these fiery trials still in use, or at least in See also:

• RECENT

recent memory, in barbaric regions of Africa or further See also:

• ASIA

Asia—the See also:

• NEGRO (from Lat. eager, black)

negro plunging his See also:

• ARM (a common Teutonic word; the Indo-European root is ar, to join or fit; cf. the Lat. armus, shoulder, and the plural word arma, weapons, Gr. apphs, joint, and the reduplicated apapilKSV, to join)

arm into the caldron of boiling oil, the Burman doing feats with melted lead, while the Bedouin will See also:

• SETTLE
• SETTLE, ELKANAH (1648–1724)

settle a conflict of See also:

• EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence by the opposing witnesses licking a glowing hot-iron See also:

• SPOON (O. Eng. span, a chip or splinter of wood, cf. Du. spoon, Ger. Spahn, in same sense, probably related to Gr. r4 v, wedge)

spoon (See also:

• BURCKHARDT, JAKOB (1818–1897)
• BURCKHARDT, JOHN LEWIS [JOHANN LUDWIG] (1784-1817)

Burckhardt, Arabien, pp . 98, 233) .

This latter feat may be done with safety by any one, provided the iron be clean and thoroughly See also:

• WHITE
• WHITE, ANDREW DICKSON (1832– )
• WHITE, GILBERT (1720–1793)
• WHITE, HENRY KIRKE (1785-1806)
• WHITE, HUGH LAWSON (1773-1840)
• WHITE, JOSEPH BLANCO (1775-1841)
• WHITE, RICHARD GRANT (1822-1885)
• WHITE, ROBERT (1645-1704)
• WHITE, SIR GEORGE STUART (1835– )
• WHITE, SIR THOMAS (1492-1567)
• WHITE, SIR WILLIAM ARTHUR (1824--1891)
• WHITE, SIR WILLIAM HENRY (1845– )
• WHITE, THOMAS (1628-1698)
• WHITE, THOMAS (c. 1550-1624)

white hot, while if only red-hot it would touch and See also:

• BURN, RICHARD (1709-1785)

burn the See also:

• TONGUE (O. Eng. lunge)

tongue . Probably the administerers of the ordeal are aware of this, and of the possibility of dipping the hand in melted See also:

• METAL
• METAL (through Fr. from Lat. metallum, mine, quarry, adapted from Gr. µATaXAov, in the same sense, probably connected with ,ueraAAdv, to search after, explore, µeTa, after, aAAos, other)

metal; and there are stories of arts of protecting the skin (see the See also:

• RECIPE

recipe in Albertus See also:

• MAGNUS, HEINRICH GUSTAV (1802-1870)

Magnus, De Mirabilibus) , though it is not known what can be really done beyond making it horny like a See also:

• SMITH
• SMITH, ADAM (1723–1790)
• SMITH, ALEXANDER (183o-1867)
• SMITH, ANDREW JACKSON (1815-1897)
• SMITH, CHARLES EMORY (1842–1908)
• SMITH, CHARLES FERGUSON (1807–1862)
• SMITH, CHARLOTTE (1749-1806)
• SMITH, COLVIN (1795—1875)
• SMITH, EDMUND KIRBY (1824-1893)
• SMITH, G
• SMITH, GEORGE (1789-1846)
• SMITH, GEORGE (184o-1876)
• SMITH, GEORGE ADAM (1856- )
• SMITH, GERRIT (1797–1874)
• SMITH, GOLDWIN (1823-191o)
• SMITH, HENRY BOYNTON (1815-1877)
• SMITH, HENRY JOHN STEPHEN (1826-1883)
• SMITH, HENRY PRESERVED (1847– )
• SMITH, JAMES (1775–1839)
• SMITH, JOHN (1579-1631)
• SMITH, JOHN RAPHAEL (1752–1812)
• SMITH, JOSEPH, JR
• SMITH, MORGAN LEWIS (1822–1874)
• SMITH, RICHARD BAIRD (1818-1861)
• SMITH, ROBERT (1689-1768)
• SMITH, SIR HENRY GEORGE WAKELYN
• SMITH, SIR THOMAS (1513-1577)
• SMITH, SIR WILLIAM (1813-1893)
• SMITH, SIR WILLIAM SIDNEY (1764-1840)
• SMITH, SYDNEY (1771-1845)
• SMITH, THOMAS SOUTHWOOD (1788-1861)
• SMITH, WILLIAM (1769-1839)
• SMITH, WILLIAM (c. 1730-1819)
• SMITH, WILLIAM (fl. 1596)
• SMITH, WILLIAM FARRAR (1824—1903)
• SMITH, WILLIAM HENRY (1808—1872)
• SMITH, WILLIAM HENRY (1825—1891)
• SMITH, WILLIAM ROBERTSON (1846-'894)

smith's, which would serve as a See also:

• DEFENCE
• DEFENCE (Lat. defendere, to defend)

defence in stepping on hot coals, but not in serious trials like that of carrying a heavy red-hot iron . The fire-ordeals are still performed by mountebanks, who very likely keep up the same means of trickery which were in See also:

• OFFICIAL (Late Lat. QJicialis, for class. Lat. apparitor, from officium, office, duty)

official use when the accused was to be acquitted . The actual practice of the fire-ordeal contrasts shamefully with its theory, that the fire rather than harm the innocent restrained its natural action . Thus it stands in the Hindu See also:

• CODE (Lat. codex)

code of Manu (viii . 115): " He whom the See also:

• FLAME (Lat. flamma; the root flag- appears in flagrare, to burn, blaze, and Gr. d, XEryew)

flame does not burn, whom the water does not See also:

• CAST (from the verb meaning " to throw "; the word is Scand. in origin, cf. Dan. kaste, and Swed. kasta; " cast " in Middle Eng. took the place of the A.S. weor pan, cf. Ger. werf en)

cast up, or whom no harm soon befals, is to be taken as truthful in his oath." The water-ordeal here referred to is that well known in Europe, where the accused is thrown See also:

• BOUND, or BOUNDARY (from O. Fr. bonde, Med. Lat. bodena or butina, a frontier line)

bound into the water, which receives him if innocent, but rejects him if guilty . The manner of carrying out this test is well explained in the directions given by See also:

• ARCHBISHOP (Lat. archiepiscopus, from Gr. apxceatorcoros)

Archbishop See also:

• HINCMAR (c. 805-882)

Hincmar in the 9th century: he who is let down into the water for trial is to be fastened by a rope, that he may not be in danger if the water receives him as innocent, but may be pulled out . In the later middle ages this ordeal by " See also:

• SWIMMING (from " swim," A.S. swimman, the root being common in Teutonic languages)

swimming " or " fleeting " became the most approved means of trying a suspected witch: she was stripped naked and See also:

• CROSS

cross bound, the right thumb to the See also:

• LEFT

left toe, and the left thumb to the right toe . In this state she was cast into a See also:

• POND
• POND, JOHN (c. 1767-1836)

pond or See also:

• RIVER

river, in which it was thought impossible for her to sink (Brand iii . 21) . The cases of " See also:

• DUCKING

ducking " witches which have occurred in England within the last few years are remains of the ancient ordeal . If there is one thing that may be predicated of man in a state of nature it is that two disputants tend to fight out their See also:

• QUARREL

quarrel .

When in the warfare of Greeks and Trojans, of See also:

• JEWS
• JEWS (Heb. Y8hudi, man of Judah; Gr. 'Iovbaiot; Lat. Judaei)

Jews and See also:

• PHILISTINES

Philistines, of See also:

• VANDALS (Lat. Vandili or Vandilii)

Vandals and Alamans, heroes come out from the two sides and their combat is taken to See also:

• MARK
• MARK, CARL (1858– )
• MARK, GOSPEL OF ST
• MARK, ST

mark the See also:

• POWERS, HIRAM (1805-1873)

powers of the opposing See also:

• WAR
• WAR (O. Eng. werre, Fr. guerre, of Teutonic origin; cf. O.H.G. werran, to confound)

war-gods and decide the victory, then the principle of the ordeal by See also:

• BATTLE

battle has been practically called in . Among striking instances of the Teutonic See also:

• CUSTOM (from O. Fr. costume, costume or coustume; Low Lat. costuma, a shortened form of consuetudo)

custom which influenced the whole of medieval Europe may be cited the custom of the See also:

• FRANKS
• FRANKS, SIR AUGUSTUS WOLLASTON (1826-1897)

Franks that the princes, if they could not quell the strife, had to fight it out between themselves, and Wipo's account of the quarrel between the Christian See also:

• SAXONS

Saxons and the See also:

• PAGAN
• PAGAN (Lat. paganus, of or belonging to a pagus, a canton, county district, village, commune)

Pagan Slays as to which See also:

• BROKE, or BROOKE, ARTHUR (d. 1563)
• BROKE, SIR PHILIP BOWES VERE, BART

broke the See also:

• PEACE
• PEACE, BREACH OF THE

peace, when both sides demanded of the See also:

• EMPEROR (Fr. empereur, from the Lat. imperator)

emperor that it should be settled by See also:

• DUEL (Ital. duello, Lat. duellum—old form of bellum-from duo, two)

duel, which was done by choosing a See also:

• CHAMPION (Fr. champion, Late Lat. campio from campus; a field or open space, i.e. one " who takes the field " or fights; cf. Ger. Kampf, battle, and Kampfer, fighter)

champion on each See also:

• SIDE
• SIDE (mod. Eski Adalia)

side, and the Christian See also:

• FELL
• FELL, JOHN (1625-1686)

fell . The Scandinavian term " holmgang " refers to the See also:

• HABIT (through the French from Lat. habitus, from habere, to have, hold, or, in a reflective sense, to be in a certain condition; in many of the English senses the French use habitude, not habit)

habit of fighting duels on an See also:

• ISLAND (O.E. ieg =isle, +land')

island . A passage from old German law shows the single combat accepted as a See also:

• REGULAR

regular legal procedure: " If there be dispute concerning See also:

• FIELDS, JAMES THOMAS (1817-1881)

fields, vineyards, or See also:

• MONEY

money, that they avoid See also:

• PERJURY (through the Anglo-Fr. perjurie, modern parjure, Lat. perjurium, a false oath, perjurare, to swear falsely)

perjury let two be chosen to fight, and decide the cause by duel " (Grimm, Rechtsaltert., p . 928) . In England, after the See also:

• CONQUEST

Conquest, trial by combat superseded other legal ordeals, which were abolished in the time of Henry III . Among famous instances is that of Henry de See also:

• ESSEX
• ESSEX, ARTHUR CAPEL
• ESSEX, EARLS OF
• ESSEX, KINGDOM OF
• ESSEX, ROBERT DEVEREUX
• ESSEX, ROBERT DEVEREUX, 2ND2 EARL OF (1566-1601)
• ESSEX, WALTER DEVEREUX, IST2 EARL OF (1541–1576)

Essex, hereditary See also:

• STANDARD
• STANDARD, BATTLE OF THE

standard-See also:

• BEARER

bearer of England, who fled from a battle in See also:

• WALES (Cymru, Gwalia, Cambria)

Wales, in 1158, threw from him the royal standard, and cried out that the king was slain . See also:

• ROBERT
• ROBERT (1275—1343)
• ROBERT, HUBERT (1753-1808)
• ROBERT, LOUIS LEOPOLD (1794-1835)

Robert de See also:

• MONTFORT
• MONTFORT, SIMON DE, EARL OF LEICESTER (d. 1265)

Montfort afterwards, accusing him of having done this with treasonable See also:

• INTENT (from Lat. intend ere, to stretch out, extend, particularly in the phrase intendere animum, to turn one's mind to, purpose)

intent, offered to prove his accusation by combat, and they fought in presence of Henry II. and his court, when Essex was defeated, but the king spared his See also:

• LIFE

life, and, his See also:

• ESTATE (through O. Fr. estat, mod. flat, from Lat. status, state, condition, position, stare, to stand)

estate being confiscated, he became a See also:

• MONK (O.Eng. munuc; this with the Teutonic forms, e.g. Du. monnik, Ger. Witch, and the Romanic, e.g. Fr. moine, Ital. monacho and Span. monje, are from the Lat. monachus, adaptedfrom Gr. µovaXos, one living alone, a solitary; Own, alone)
• MONK (or MONCK), GEORGE
• MONK, JAMES HENRY (1784-1856)
• MONK, MARIA (c. 1817—1850)

monk in See also:

• READING

Reading See also:

• ABBEY (Lat. abbatia; from Syr. abba, father)
• ABBEY, EDWIN AUSTIN (1852– )

Abbey . A Iord often sent his man in his See also:

• STEAD, WILLIAM THOMAS (1849– )

stead to such combats, and priests and See also:

• WOMEN

women were ordinarily represented by champions . The See also:

• WAGER (derived, through Fr. wagier, gagier, from Lat. vadiunz, a pledge)

wager of battle died out so quietly in England without being legally abolished that in the court of king's See also:

• BENCH (an O.E. and Eng. form of a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Bank, Dan. baenk and the Eng. doublet " bank ")

bench in 1818 it was claimed by a See also:

• PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

person charged with murder, which led to its formal abolition (See also:

• ASHFORD

Ashford v . See also:

• THORNTON, HENRY (1760—1815)
• THORNTON, ROBERT (1623-1678)
• THORNTON, WILLIAM THOMAS (1813-188o)

Thornton in Barnewall and Alderson 457; see details in H . C .

See also:

• LEA, HENRY CHARLES (1825–1909)

Lea, Superstition and Force, ii.) . A distinct connexion may, however, be traced between the legal duel 'and the illegal private duel, which has disappeared from England, but still flourishes in See also:

• FRANCE
• FRANCE, ANATOLE (1844– )

France and Germany (see DUEL) . (E . B .