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Medieval Sourcebook:
Ordeal Formuals
The two methods of proof used in early Germanic law were compurgation
and ordeal. In compurgation the accused swore to his own innocence
together with a group of "oath-helpers." Two typical
kinds of ordeal-in their Christianized form-are described in the
following liturgical formulas.
The Judgment of the Glowing Iron
After the accusation has been lawfully made, and three days have
been passed in fasting and prayer, the priest, clad in his sacred
vestments with the exception of his outside garment, shall take
with a tongs the iron placed before the altar; and, singing the
hymn of the three youths, namely, "Bless him all his works,"
he shall bear it to the fire, and shall say this prayer over the
place where the fire is to carry out the judgment: "Bless,
0 Lord God, this place, that there may be for us in it sanctity,
chastity, virtue and victory, and sanctimony, humility, goodness,
gentleness and plentitude of law, and obedience to God the Father
and the Son and the Holy Ghost."-After this, the iron shall
be placed in the fire and shall be sprinkled with holy water;
and while it is heating, he shall celebrate mass. But when the
priest shall have taken the Eucharist, he shall adjure the man
who is to be tried ... and shall cause him to take the communion.
Then the priest shall sprinkle holy water above the iron and shall
say: "The blessing of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghost descend upon this iron for the discerning of the right judgment
of God." And straightway the accused shall carry the iron
to a distance of nine feet. Finally his hand shall be covered
under seal for three days, and if festering blood be found in
the track of the iron, he shall be judged guilty. But if, however,
he shall go forth uninjured, praise shall be rendered to God.
Test of the Cold Water
Consecration to Be Said over the Man. May omnipotent God,
who did order baptism to be made by water, and did grant remission
of sins to men through baptism: may He, through His mercy, decree
a right judgment through that water. If, namely, thou art guilty
in that matter, may the water which received thee in baptism not
receive thee now; if however, thou art innocent, may the water
which received thee in baptism receive thee now. Through Christ
our Lord.
Afterwards He Shall Exorcise the Water Thus: I adjure thee,water,
in name of the Father Almighty, who did create thee in the beginning,
who also did order thee to be separated from the waters above,.
. . that in no manner thou receive this man, if he be in any way
guilty of the charge that is brought against him; by deed, namely,
or by consent, or by knowledge, or in any way: but make him to
swim above thee. And may no process be employed against thee,
and no magic which may be able to conceal that (fact of his guilt).
from Ernest F. Henderson, Select Historical Documents of the Middle Ages, (London: George Bell and Sons, 1910), pp. 314-317
This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.
Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use.
(c)Paul Halsall Feb 1996
halsall@murray.fordham.edu
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