Weregild

Amount The size of the weregild was largely conditional upon the social rank of the victim.

During the reign of Charlemagne his missi dominici required three times the regular weregild should they be killed whilst on a mission from the king.

If property was stolen, or someone was injured or killed, the guilty person would have to pay weregild as restitution to the victim's family or to the owner of the property.

In the Völsungasaga or Saga of the Volsungs, the Æsir (Odin, Loki and Hœnir) are asked to pay weregild for killing Otr, son of Hreidmar.

Similarly, among the Alamanni the basic weregild for a free man was 200 shillings, and the amount could be doubled or tripled according to the man's rank.

Technically this amount cannot be called a weregild, because it was more akin to a reimbursement to the owner for lost or damaged property.

The social hierarchy is not only reflected in the weregild due in the case of the violent or accidental death of a man, but also in differences in fines for lesser crimes.

The weregild for a Welshman was 220 shillings if he owned at least one hide of land and was able to pay the king's tribute.

Unfree serfs did not command a weregild, and the recompense paid in the event of their death was merely for material damage, 15 shillings in the case of the Alamanni, increased to 40 or 50 if the victim had been a skilled artisan.