Prof. Martha Carlin

                                                                            Week 12: Tuesday
 
 

                                                                       LORDSHIP AND JUSTICE
 

Essential qualities of a "good king" or "good lord":
        Keeping the peace
        Maintaining justice
        Protecting the weak

Limitations of Germanic jurisprudence include reliance on forms of judgement by God:
        Compurgation (oath-helping by compurgators/co-jurors)
        Ordeal (e.g., hot iron or hot or cold water)
                Click here for a depictions of ordeal by  hot iron (Bamberg Cathedral, 1513) and by cold water (chronicle, 1513)
        Battle/judicial duel
                Click here for a depiction of trial by battle (England, 1249)

Attempts by Charlemagne to centralize power and justice include:
789    Oath of loyalty to king required of males over age 12
801    Oath to uphold the law added to loyalty oath

Signs of decentralization of power after Charlemagne's death include:
    Proliferation of  guilds (mutual-assistance and religious associations)
    Proliferation of vassalage

Primary sources include:

    Laws of the Salian Franks
    Carolingian capitularies
    Formulas (instructions to clergy and judges) for the performance of ordeals
 
 
 

                                                                Thursday: THANKSGIVING (no class)