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A judicial system is a key feature that shapes a well-ordered society. When a crime is committed, citizens seek justice through the authorities, rather than taking matters into their own hands. Over time, however, some truly peculiar trials have occurred as the concept of justice evolved. In certain cases, the accused were not even human.
Examining the history of law, here are ten curious moments when unexpected creatures and objects stood trial before a judge.
10. Buphonia
In Ancient Athens, a city-state renowned for its advanced legal system, a strange annual ritual occurred in which a weapon was put on trial. Known as Buphonia, the ritual involved the sacrifice of an ox in honor of Zeus on the Acropolis. A sharp ax was prepared, and grain was laid out before a herd of oxen. The first one to approach and eat the grain was struck in the head by the ax. Once the act was done, the person who wielded the ax would quickly discard it and flee the scene.
Animal sacrifices were a common practice in the Classical world, but one major issue arose—an ancient law prohibited the killing of animals that were used for labor. Following each sacrifice, a trial was held to determine who was responsible for violating the law. The accused would point fingers at each other until only the ax remained, now the sole suspect.
The accounts of this ritual trial vary regarding its conclusion. Some reports claim the ax was acquitted, while others suggest that it was actually a knife on trial, which was found guilty. The convicted knife was then cast into the sea to cleanse the city of its guilty presence.
9. The Trial of a Javelin
In ancient Greece, the concept of religious pollution was deeply ingrained. A crime left unpunished could provoke the gods' wrath upon the entire community. Once a person was killed, it became crucial to identify the perpetrator and expel them from the city. But what if the crime was committed by an inanimate object?
Antiphon, a 5th-century BC orator from Athens, has left us with a collection of legal arguments he crafted. One such argument centers on a legal case following the accidental death of a boy in the gymnasium. While practicing javelin throwing, one of the youths threw a javelin that struck and killed the boy. The trial had to determine who was at fault: the boy who threw the javelin, the boy who was in its path, or the javelin itself?
Sadly, the outcome of this case remains unknown, and it is unclear who, if anyone, was ultimately punished.
8. The Bronze Bull
Committing a crime within the sacred precincts of a temple was considered one of the most severe offenses in ancient Greece. Anything that desecrated a holy site could disrupt the bond between the gods and humanity, with humans invariably suffering the consequences. When a murder occurred at Olympia, it became imperative to find someone to hold accountable.
Within the temple's sacred boundaries stood a bronze bull, created by Philesius of Eretria as an offering to the gods. One day, a child wandered into the temple while playing and crouched beneath the bull. When the child stood up, he struck his head on the bull's belly, causing a fatal injury.
The local citizens were faced with a difficult choice. Should they drag the statue out and punish it? But could they desecrate an object given to the gods? The bull was therefore put on trial, with the gods as the judges. They consulted Apollo through his oracle at Delphi, who advised that the bull remain where it stood, but a live bull should be sacrificed to purify the area of its pollution.
7. A Hungry Pig
Pigs are generally not picky eaters. While it's often just a nuisance when they trample crops or dig through dirt to find something to eat, there are occasions when their behavior becomes truly terrifying. Today, pigs are mostly confined to farms, but in the Middle Ages, it was not unusual for pigs to roam freely through the streets. If they encountered a defenseless person, it was not unheard of for them to attack. Numerous historical records detail incidents where pigs devoured babies and small children, leading to trials for murder.
In 1457, in the French town of Savigny, a sow killed and ate a five-year-old boy. Both the pig and its owner were brought before a judge. Witnesses were called to testify about the events. It was determined that the owner was at fault for failing to secure the pig, but the sow was found to be fully responsible for the death. She was sentenced to be hanged.
At the time of the murder, the sow had six piglets, and while they might have been involved in the incident, their young age led the judge to show them mercy.
6. Weevils
The legal procedures for putting animals on trial were highly intricate. Domestic animals, like pigs, were considered the responsibility of secular courts, while wild animals were believed to fall under divine authority. Pests such as locusts and other insects were tried in ecclesiastical courts.
In 1545, the vineyards of St. Julien in France faced a devastating infestation of weevils. The winemakers brought the insects before Francois Bonivard, who listened to the arguments regarding the weevils' guilt. Instead of punishing the creatures, the court concluded that the infestation was a divine retribution for the winemakers' sins. Bonivard ordered them to settle their debts with the church and attend mass in atonement.
Sadly, the weevils returned to haunt the vineyards 40 years later. Another trial was convened, where the defending council for the weevils argued that God had granted wild creatures the liberty to consume leaves wherever they found them. The outcome of this trial remains a mystery, as it seems the court records were lost to the ravages of insects.
5. Exiled Bell
In Russian Orthodox folklore, bells in churches were believed to possess souls. Since these bells were thought to have a living spirit, it followed that they could be held accountable for their misdeeds and put on trial if they were thought to have done something wrong.
After the death of Ivan the Terrible in 1584, Boris Godunov was appointed as regent to govern on behalf of the new tsar. However, Godunov had a potential rival in Dmitri, who was sent into exile in Uglich to prevent any challenges to his rule. Despite these efforts, Dmitri was discovered dead with his throat slit, and the town's great bell was rung to call soldiers to defend against Godunov, who was held responsible for the assassination.
Following the quelling of the rebellion, Godunov decided to put the bell on trial. He ordered it to be removed from its place and dragged to the town square, where it was subjected to ‘torture’—its tongue was torn out, and it was violently whipped. Eventually, the bell was exiled to Siberia. It wasn't until 1892 that the bell was officially pardoned and returned to Uglich.
4. Confused Cockerel
Sometimes, an action that causes no harm to others can still offend public decency. In 1474, in Basel, Switzerland, a chicken laid an egg. This might seem trivial, but the chicken was a male. The town was thrown into chaos, and the bewildered rooster was put on trial for violating the natural order of things.
Beyond defying God's design, which dictates that only hens should lay eggs, the rooster's actions were feared to be even more dangerous for the town. It was believed that eggs laid by roosters could be used by witches to cast spells. There were also those who feared that such an egg might hatch into a deadly creature, a cockatrice or basilisk.
The cockerel was found guilty by the court and was executed in public. When the executioner cut open the bird, he discovered three more eggs developing inside. It was clear that the rooster would have continued to break the rules if he had been set free.
3. Murderous Statue
Theagenes of Thasos was one of the greatest athletes of the 5th century, having won over 1400 victories in the major Greek competitions. His strength was so renowned that, after his death, a bronze statue was erected in his honor, and he became a local hero, worshipped by the people.
Not everyone shared in the celebration of his legacy. One man, who had never managed to defeat Theagenes in a contest, would often take out his frustration by whipping the statue under the cover of night. One fateful night, the statue struck back—it toppled onto him, crushing him to death. The man’s children then brought the statue to court, seeking justice. The statue was found guilty and was dragged to a cliff, where it was thrown into the sea.
Years later, a terrible famine struck Thasos, and an oracle commanded that all exiled individuals be recalled to appease the gods. Despite the return of all exiles, the famine persisted. The oracle then revealed that they had forgotten to bring back Theagenes. The statue was recovered from the sea, and with its return, the famine ended.
2. The Sow of Falaise
In 1386, a sow wandered into a peasant's house in the village of Falaise, France. Most of the family members were out working in the fields, leaving only their infant child sleeping inside. The sow seized the opportunity for a meal and attacked the baby. When the crime came to light, the pig was arrested, put on trial, and convicted of murder. The next step was deciding the punishment.
Since the pig was found guilty of a crime usually reserved for humans, it was dressed in human clothing for its execution. The pig waddled through the streets, paraded before an eager crowd awaiting justice. The executioner began by disfiguring the pig’s face and breaking its legs to mirror the injuries it had inflicted on the baby. Finally, the pig was hanged by the neck until it died, ending its misery.
1. Beastly Bestiality
The Old Testament of the Bible makes it abundantly clear that humans engaging in sexual relations with animals is a grave sin. The Book of Leviticus (20:15) states, “He that shall copulate with any beast or cattle, dying let him die, the beast also ye shall kill.” In many cases where a human was caught with an animal, both the human and the animal were condemned to death. However, this was not always the case.
In 1647, in the American colonies, Thomas Hogg found himself accused of engaging with a sow after villagers noticed that the piglets she gave birth to bore a striking resemblance to him. Despite the accusations, Hogg refused to confess to the crime, which led to his escape from execution, while the sow was also spared.
In 1750, Jacques Ferron was charged with an unnatural act involving a female donkey, leading to a trial. Although Ferron was convicted and sentenced to hang, numerous locals, including the town priest, testified in defense of the donkey's good character. As a result, the donkey was declared the victim and released without punishment.
