What was crime thought of as in the Middle Ages?
Crime, in the Middle Ages was very harsh and unforgiving. Some punishments could be limb cutting or beheading. It was a form of torture that we would never think of doing today.
Even the Catholic Church would give severe punishments to people. Citizens lived in fear because they thought that they would be the next victim.
There was no police department so the citizens had to learn to live by the laws themselves.
What type of crime could there be?
Some types of crime could be stealing, murdering, illegal hunting and even saying illegal words. More type of crime could be rape and economic crime such as frauds.
Crime, in the Middle Ages was very harsh and unforgiving. Some punishments could be limb cutting or beheading. It was a form of torture that we would never think of doing today.
Even the Catholic Church would give severe punishments to people. Citizens lived in fear because they thought that they would be the next victim.
There was no police department so the citizens had to learn to live by the laws themselves.
What type of crime could there be?
Some types of crime could be stealing, murdering, illegal hunting and even saying illegal words. More type of crime could be rape and economic crime such as frauds.
What types of punishments could be given?
Some punishments could be beheading, imprisonment, cutting of body parts, and a death sentence (hanging or being burnt alive). Thieves would have to pay high fines. A term that comes from the middle ages is Trial by Ordeal.
Ordeal by fire: punishment to carry a hot iron bar and walk a few steps. Another way could be sticking one hand into boiling was to retrieve a stone. For each, the hand was then bandaged for three days. If the wound was healing, then they were innocent.
Ordeal by water: The punishment to tie up the persons body and throw them into water. If the body sank, they were innocent.
Ordeal by combat: The accused noble has to fight with the accuser. If they won, they were proven innocent.
Some punishments could also be castrating, dislocating, ripping out teeth and nails, bone breaking and tongue removal. They would even boil people. If a women does something wrong, they get the scold’s bridle, which is a form of torture and public humiliation where an iron helmet which enclosed the head. There was a part that went into the mouth making it impossible to speak. If you spoke you would get shocked by the iron helmet.
Some punishments could be beheading, imprisonment, cutting of body parts, and a death sentence (hanging or being burnt alive). Thieves would have to pay high fines. A term that comes from the middle ages is Trial by Ordeal.
Ordeal by fire: punishment to carry a hot iron bar and walk a few steps. Another way could be sticking one hand into boiling was to retrieve a stone. For each, the hand was then bandaged for three days. If the wound was healing, then they were innocent.
Ordeal by water: The punishment to tie up the persons body and throw them into water. If the body sank, they were innocent.
Ordeal by combat: The accused noble has to fight with the accuser. If they won, they were proven innocent.
Some punishments could also be castrating, dislocating, ripping out teeth and nails, bone breaking and tongue removal. They would even boil people. If a women does something wrong, they get the scold’s bridle, which is a form of torture and public humiliation where an iron helmet which enclosed the head. There was a part that went into the mouth making it impossible to speak. If you spoke you would get shocked by the iron helmet.
Hanging
Hanging the guilty involved 4 steps:
1. Hang
2. Cut them down while he is still alive
3. Rip out his intestines in front of them
4. Cut body into four pieces
Hanging the guilty involved 4 steps:
1. Hang
2. Cut them down while he is still alive
3. Rip out his intestines in front of them
4. Cut body into four pieces
What instruments/tools are used to punish?
Some punishment tools could be the torture devices, which inflicted pain. An example of a torture device could be water torture. A gibbet was used for hanging people. For the easy punishments, such as starvation, they did not need any tools. They might also use beating equipment and equipment strong enough to dislocate the accused.
Some punishment tools could be the torture devices, which inflicted pain. An example of a torture device could be water torture. A gibbet was used for hanging people. For the easy punishments, such as starvation, they did not need any tools. They might also use beating equipment and equipment strong enough to dislocate the accused.
To Learn more, click one of the links below:
1. Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages 2015, TheFinerTimes, accessed 20 March 2015, http://www.thefinertimes.com/Ancient-History/crime-and-punishment-in-the-middle-ages.html
This website text was intended not for everyone but for people a bit older that 12 years of age. This sight was used to get some information about crime and punishment. This sight is valuable and reliable because the text is accurate and precise.
2. Medieval Life - Crime and Punishment 2014, History on the Net, accessed 20 March 2015, http://www.historyonthenet.com/medieval_life/crimeandpunishment.htm
This text is intended for everyone. This sight was used to get information about trial by ordeal. This sight is valuable because the text is explained very deeply and accurately. This sight is reliable because it has very explained text and lots of other sites have a lot of the same information.
3. Medieval Torture and Punishment 2014, Medieval Life and Times, accessed 20 March 2015, http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-torture-and-punishment/
This text is intended for everyone. It was used to get information about crime and punishment such as the torture devices. This text is very valuable because it has a lot of very good information. This text is reliable because it has been compared to other sites and does not have any negatives.
4. Medieval Law and Order 2015, History Learning Site, accessed 20 March 2015, http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_law_and_order.htm
This text is intended for everyone. It was used to get more information about crime and punishment. This text is valuable because the information is described really well. This text is reliable because it has a lot of the same information as a lot of other sites such as Historyonthenet.
5. Crime and Punishment n.d., Meet the Middle Ages, accessed 20 March 2015, http://medeltiden.kalmarlansmuseum.se/e-niva3/2-3-6.phtml?userid=0
This text is intended for everyone. It was used to get some information about the types of crime. This sight is valuable because the information is described thoroughly. This site is reliable because a lot of other sites have said the same information.
6. Scold's Bridle 2014, Wikipedia, accessed 20 March 2015, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scold%27s_bridle
This text is intended for everyone. This text is relevant because it has information about one of the punishments in detail. This sight is valuable because the text is explained in detail. Wikipedia is now a reliable sight because it sources where it got the information and has the date published.
1. Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages 2015, TheFinerTimes, accessed 20 March 2015, http://www.thefinertimes.com/Ancient-History/crime-and-punishment-in-the-middle-ages.html
This website text was intended not for everyone but for people a bit older that 12 years of age. This sight was used to get some information about crime and punishment. This sight is valuable and reliable because the text is accurate and precise.
2. Medieval Life - Crime and Punishment 2014, History on the Net, accessed 20 March 2015, http://www.historyonthenet.com/medieval_life/crimeandpunishment.htm
This text is intended for everyone. This sight was used to get information about trial by ordeal. This sight is valuable because the text is explained very deeply and accurately. This sight is reliable because it has very explained text and lots of other sites have a lot of the same information.
3. Medieval Torture and Punishment 2014, Medieval Life and Times, accessed 20 March 2015, http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-torture-and-punishment/
This text is intended for everyone. It was used to get information about crime and punishment such as the torture devices. This text is very valuable because it has a lot of very good information. This text is reliable because it has been compared to other sites and does not have any negatives.
4. Medieval Law and Order 2015, History Learning Site, accessed 20 March 2015, http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_law_and_order.htm
This text is intended for everyone. It was used to get more information about crime and punishment. This text is valuable because the information is described really well. This text is reliable because it has a lot of the same information as a lot of other sites such as Historyonthenet.
5. Crime and Punishment n.d., Meet the Middle Ages, accessed 20 March 2015, http://medeltiden.kalmarlansmuseum.se/e-niva3/2-3-6.phtml?userid=0
This text is intended for everyone. It was used to get some information about the types of crime. This sight is valuable because the information is described thoroughly. This site is reliable because a lot of other sites have said the same information.
6. Scold's Bridle 2014, Wikipedia, accessed 20 March 2015, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scold%27s_bridle
This text is intended for everyone. This text is relevant because it has information about one of the punishments in detail. This sight is valuable because the text is explained in detail. Wikipedia is now a reliable sight because it sources where it got the information and has the date published.