WEREGILD

Among the Anglo-Saxons, the compensation paid by a delinquent to the party injured, or his relations, for offences against the person. This custom was common to all the Teutonic tribes, iind to many Celtic. It is mentioned by Tacitus in his account of the ancient Germans. The great distinction between Saxon freemen was that between the " eorls," or nobility, and " ceorls," or commonalty; and the were of the former was usually rated at six times the amount of that of the latter. [s. 1337]