Welcome To Our Middle Ages Crime And Punishment Blog!
Here We Will Be Telling You About Crime And Punishment In The Middle Ages.
Monday, 16 June 2014
Sunday, 15 June 2014
What Crimes Did They Do?
In the ‘Middle Ages’, crimes no matter how big or small were
always an offence to the king. Crimes were categorised into groups of who is
offended. There were crimes against the king and crimes against God. The crimes
against God were exceptionally bad because the peasants were living in fear of
God and offending him because of the horror of hell. The king took crimes
against him in a serious matter and could result in a public hanging ceremony.
Crimes against God included lying or blasphemy and sorcery
or heresy. Because people were more religious in the ‘Middle Ages’, the Catholic
Church was very strict about following and worshiping God, therefore if you
had another religion or you were against God, you would be guilty of heresy,
which was a deadly sin. If you lied about something that you did, you would be
accused of one, lying to your friends, and two, lying to God, hence, you would
be told that you were going straight to hell.
Crimes against the king involved plotting to kill him,
plotting to overthrow him or assaulting his royal officials. Even though every assault or crime disturbed
the king’s peace, some crimes were specifically directed at him. Plotting to
overthrow or kill the king was normally organised in groups so you had a bigger
chance of undertaking the crime. Peasants, who mostly committed this crime,
would sneak around in the king’s roof, then find an entry and try to kill him.
Assaulting the king’s royal officials was also another offence. If you
assaulted the king’s officials you were questioning the king’s power and also
the stability of the monarchy.
Assault between peasants included debt, theft and public drunkenness. Peasants could be in debt to the church or their lord. They would have to pay tax to the church called a tithe, which was 10% of what the peasant had farmed. Even though 10% is not a lot, it could break a peasant family. They also had to pay taxes to the lord for the rent of their land. There were two different ways of paying tax in the medieval period. You could pay in cash or in kind, which was in the peasants crops, farming or equipment. You could be accused of a thief the Middle Ages, for doing something as simple as stealing a vegetable or a coin. Nowadays, you could easily get away with stealing a vegetable or a coin. Public drunkenness was also an assault and resulted in communal humiliation. If you were caught drunk outside and accusing other peasants, you would be put on the stocks, and rotten food and harsh words would be thrown at you.
Who Decided What Punishments People Got?
In
the ‘Middle Ages’ period, is was believed that the only way to keep the
peasants in-line was to make them scared of the punishments that they could
receive if they committed a crime. So, for this reason if they did happen to fall out
of line, they would receive harsh and brutal punishments. The punishment that
you were received rested on what crime you did. Also, what crime you did,
determined who chose your punishment.
If you
organised a crime that was offensive to the village or to the king, you would
receive exile or banishment. The king would be the one to decide the banishments,
and the common period of time would be at least 10 years of exile.
Closely related to exile was confiscation. Confiscations of estates or
properties were not only a harsh loss for the individual but also for the
family.
Minor crimes such as stealing or spitting, would be dealt
with by the medieval lords in the local courts, and major crimes such as murder
would be prescribed to the king amongst his officials and qualified lawyers.
In every village there would be a sheriff or constable. This
position was not paid and anyone could be appointed for a year, therefore this
job was not performed as well. The sheriff or constable had the job of arresting
every victim of crime and had to report them to the king or the lords. They
also had the job of confining the victim in gaol until their time in court.
Who Decided The Punishment People Got Pictures.
Medieval Lord.
Medieval King.
Medieval Constable.
Medieval Peasant. What Punishments Did They Receive?
There were many different punishments that people in
the middle ages could receive. People in the middle ages were generally not
kept in prisons as a punishment. Prisons were used to hold the accused until
their trial. Only people who owed large amounts stayed in prison after their
trial until their families could pay off their debts.
There were many different types of prisons, an
oubliette prison was a narrow, tube-shaped prison, and it had no windows. The
only way to enter an oubliette was through a trapdoor at the top; prisoners
were lowered down on a rope and left the rot, water could also seep in the
bottom and they would drown. A bottle dungeon was an underground prison in the
shape of a bottle, a tall stone tower was another prison, and both of these
prisons were made so that prisoners couldn't escape. A ‘little ease’ was a tiny
room where prisoners could not move or do anything comfortably because the room
was so small.
To force prisoners to confess to crimes jailers
tortured the prisoners. Some common tortures were red-hot irons, which burned
them; the rack, which stretched the prisoners and made their joints pop out;
the boots, which crushed prisoner’s legs; and the thumbscrews, which squeezed
prisoner’s fingers until their fingernails fell off.
Thieves were generally locked in a pillory which was a
device where the hands and heads of the prisoners were trapped while the public
threw garbage at them; they could also be put in the stocks, where their legs
were trapped in a device and people could pelt them with mud and rotten food.
Women
believed to be witches were tied to a ducking stool and dipped into the river. A
gossiping woman could have a scold’s bridle put on them for a specified amount
of time. A person that was guilty of selling rotten food could be forced to eat
them in public. People guilty of treason could be hung, drawn and quartered or
they could be beheaded. These are just a few of the punishments that people in
the Middle Ages could receive.
There were many different punishments that people in
the middle ages could receive. People in the middle ages were generally not
kept in prisons as a punishment. Prisons were used to hold the accused until
their trial. Only people who owed large amounts stayed in prison after their
trial until their families could pay off their debts.
There were many different types of prisons, an
oubliette prison was a narrow, tube-shaped prison, and it had no windows. The
only way to enter an oubliette was through a trapdoor at the top; prisoners
were lowered down on a rope and left the rot, water could also seep in the
bottom and they would drown. A bottle dungeon was an underground prison in the
shape of a bottle, a tall stone tower was another prison, and both of these
prisons were made so that prisoners couldn't escape. A ‘little ease’ was a tiny
room where prisoners could not move or do anything comfortably because the room
was so small.
To force prisoners to confess to crimes jailers
tortured the prisoners. Some common tortures were red-hot irons, which burned
them; the rack, which stretched the prisoners and made their joints pop out;
the boots, which crushed prisoner’s legs; and the thumbscrews, which squeezed
prisoner’s fingers until their fingernails fell off.
Thieves were generally locked in a pillory which was a
device where the hands and heads of the prisoners were trapped while the public
threw garbage at them; they could also be put in the stocks, where their legs
were trapped in a device and people could pelt them with mud and rotten food.
Women
believed to be witches were tied to a ducking stool and dipped into the river. A
gossiping woman could have a scold’s bridle put on them for a specified amount
of time. A person that was guilty of selling rotten food could be forced to eat
them in public. People guilty of treason could be hung, drawn and quartered or
they could be beheaded. These are just a few of the punishments that people in
the Middle Ages could receive.
Medieval Punishment Pictures
Medieval Thumbscrews.
Medieval Pillory
Medieval Rack.
Medieval Ducking Stool.What Laws Did They Have To Stick To?
People in the middle ages had many laws that they had
to stick to, if they didn't they were forced to endure terrible punishments. Peasants
had to pay many taxes; the death tax, the gersum and the tallage. All of these
taxes were to be payed to the lord of the manor and they could be paid using
crops, animals, household goods, or money. It was against the law for peasant
not to pay taxes just as it is now, they would be sent to prison if they didn't
pay them.
Peasants were not allowed to grow food on the lord’s
land, to collect wood in his forest, or to let their animals graze in his
pasture. Town laws also forbade people from selling goods that they knew were
stolen. Laws to do with food included that butchers couldn't sell the meat of
an animal that died of a disease, merchants had to measure goods accurately,
charge customers a fair price and sell goods of high quality. Merchants needed
to have a license to sell anything. Many
other things such as assault, spitting, being extremely violent, murder and
manslaughter were also against the law. Plotting to overthrow royalty was
treason was the most serious crime and it was punishable by death.
Some laws were laws from the church, holding beliefs
that went against Christian teachings, and gambling and dancing in the
churchyard were all outlawed by the church. The most serious crime against the
church was heresy, it was against the law. These are some of the laws in the Middle
Ages that the people had to keep and the punishments were quite severe as well.
Medieval Law Pictures.
An example
of the church law.
The king’s
court of law.
Medieval
money and law.
Medieval law makers.Bibliography
Unknown, 12/06/14, http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Italian%20Images/Single%20frames/Banking.htm
Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, 12/06/14, https://nobility.org/2014/01/13/in-the-middle-ages-law-was-found-not-made/
Michelle, 12/06/14, http://theloveforhistory.com/other/10-medieval-torture-devices/
Dr. E.L. Skip Knox, 12/06/14,
http://europeanhistory.boisestate.edu/latemiddleages/society/breakinthelaw.shtml
The Finer Times, 12/06/14,
http://www.thefinertimes.com/Ancient-History/crime-and-punishment-in-the-middle-ages.html
Heather Wheeler, 12/06/14, http://www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/crimeandpunishment.htm
Linda Alchin, June 5 2014, America, 12/06/14
http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-kings/
Dr Terry Daniels, 12/06/14,
Unknown, 12/06/14, http://www.flickriver.com/photos/mharrsch/134486812/
Leonie Isaacs, 12/06/14, http://leonieisaacs.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/character-designing-silver-of-silver.html
Unknown, 12/06/14, http://popeannalisa.com/articles/gnosticism/
Unknown,12/06/14, http://allsaintswritersblock.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/going-medieval-on-the-bible-part-ii/
Unknown, 12/06/14, http://history-world.org/middle_ages.htm
Sheets from Mrs P. Leder 12/06/14
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