Monday, October 24, 2011

The Ordeal

It would seem that the "Ordeal", the idea that boiling water or drowning could prove a man's guilt or innocence, was a Germanic custom brought to Gaul during the migrations. It was one of two methods to prove one's innocence...the other being oath taking. The ordeal won favor in the late Merovingian period as too many people were abusing the oath system.

"Yes myLord I promise I didn't do that! I double dog promise!"

2 comments:

Anthony Simeone said...

Hey Steve, what is the name of the history you are reading about the Merovingians?

Troll Lord said...

The book I am reading right now is called The Origins of France, From Clovis to the Capetians 500-1000. I finished another a week or so ago called the Merovingian Kingdoms. MK is good but very dry and he gets caught up in his sources quite a bit, this one Clovis...is a quick study, but a good read. Looking for a good bio on Clovis myself.

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