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The Medieval System of Justice: A Look at Trials and Punishments
A survey of how accused people were tried and sentenced in medieval Europe, from oaths and ordeals to juries, church courts, fines and executions.
Power and Work
Justice, Trials and Punishments
How medieval courts judged crimes, from ordeals and duels to fines and executions.
The Medieval System of Justice: Trials and Punishments
How medieval courts punished crime, from fines and public shaming to mutilation, imprisonment and execution, and how penalties differed by offense and rank.
The Medieval System of Law: Trials and Punishments
The legal rules behind medieval trials: local custom, written law codes, Roman law and canon law, and how they differed across regions of Europe.
The Medieval System of Trial by Combat
How the judicial duel worked in medieval Europe: who could demand it, how it was fought, the belief that God would favor the right, and why it faded.
The Use of Torture in Medieval Justice
When and how medieval courts legally used torture, the rules meant to limit it, and how practice differed between England, the Continent and church courts.
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Feudalism and Knighthood How feudal ties and the knightly code organized medieval rule. Farming and Trade Fields, guilds, markets and the hardship of famine. Heraldry and Coats of Arms Shields, symbols and the heralds who kept track of them. Knights and Warfare The knightly code, honor and how medieval battles were fought. Kingship and Law How kings ruled and how law and justice worked. Battles and Campaigns Famous battles and what they changed. Tournaments and Chivalry Mock battles, jousts, knightly orders and the ideals behind them. Sieges and Weapons How castles and towns were attacked and defended, and the arms used. Kings and Rulers Profiles of medieval monarchs and nobles and the politics around them. Norman and Angevin Kings Rulers from William the Conqueror to the Angevin kings. Late Medieval Monarchs English and French kings of the later Middle Ages. Magna Carta The charter of 1215, its clauses and its legacy. Chivalry and Honor The ideals of knightly conduct, honor and loyalty, and how they changed. Feudal Society and Estates Feudalism, the manor and the three estates of medieval society. Economy and Commerce Trade, guilds, money and the movement of news and goods. Manor, Serfdom and Tithes The rural system of manors, unfree peasants and church dues. Peasants Revolts Rural risings and what they demanded, with the real dates and places. Ireland, Scotland and Wales Medieval life and politics on the Celtic fringe of Britain and Ireland. Crafts and Workshops The trades that made cloth, metal, bread and books in medieval towns.