Buzz
In ancient civilizations, the legal systems were extremely severe. Unlike modern courts, they didn't rely on facts or evidence to determine guilt or innocence. Instead, the accused's fate was often decided by grueling and dangerous trials.
One such practice was the trial by ordeal, where the accused was subjected to life-threatening tasks. If they survived, it was believed to prove their innocence. Here are some of the most unusual and shocking trials by ordeal from history.
10. Trial by the Host
In the medieval period, if a priest was accused of wrongdoing, he could attempt to clear his name by approaching the altar and loudly praying that God would choke him. He would then eat a piece of the host, also known as the altar bread. If he managed to do so without any issues or signs of discomfort, he would be considered innocent.
However, if the priest choked on the host, it was considered evidence of his guilt. This method may not have been as absurd as it seems at first glance, as there could have been a psychological element at play—perhaps the priest's own guilt could have caused him to choke.
9. Trial by Combat
When two individuals had a dispute, the way to determine who was guilty and who was not was through trial by combat. The two would fight in a duel, and the winner was believed to be innocent, not by their own strength but because divine intervention was thought to have favored them. God was seen as supporting the righteous.
If the defeated combatant survived, they would face execution by hanging or burning for their crime. For lesser offenses, they would have their hands severed and their property taken away.
8. Trial by Fire
This type of ordeal was predominantly used for women accused of adultery. The accused would be forced to walk barefoot over nine red-hot plowshares or carry a piece of red-hot iron while walking nine paces. In rare instances, their innocence was considered proven if they were not harmed in any way.
More commonly, the accused would be bandaged for three days before being inspected by a priest. If she was innocent, divine intervention would have healed the wound. If she was guilty, the injury would become infected. Those found guilty would be exiled or stoned to death.
7. Trial by Boiling Water
If the defendant sought to prove their innocence through this ordeal, a priest would sanctify a cauldron of water, transforming it into holy water. This water would then be heated to just below boiling point. A stone would be placed inside, with its depth indicating the seriousness of the crime—up to the wrist for minor offenses and up to the elbow for more severe ones.
The accused would then be required to grab the stone from the heated water. This entire process took place in a church, where it was believed that God's presence would reveal the truth. Three days later, the priest would check the wound. If it had healed, the accused was considered innocent; if it had become infected, they were deemed guilty.
6. Trial by Cold Water
In this variation of the ordeal, the accused would be bound with rope and thrown into a body of water believed to be pure and capable of rejecting evil. Typically, they would be cast into a pit filled with water that had been blessed by a priest. If the accused floated, the water was thought to have rejected them, indicating guilt. If they sank, it meant the water had accepted them, and they were innocent.
This method was widely used during witch trials. Another variation of this ordeal involved binding the hands and feet of the accused and lowering them into the water with a rope tied around their middle. A knot was also tied on the rope. If both the person and the knot sank, the accused was considered innocent. If both floated, they were deemed guilty.
5. Trial by Ordeal Bean
In some West African tribes, to determine if a woman was a witch or under the influence of an evil spirit, she would be forced to swallow a calabar bean (also known as an ordeal bean), which is a highly poisonous seed. It was believed that if she was innocent, a miracle would occur and she would vomit the seed back up.
However, if the woman swallowed the calabar bean, she was assumed to be guilty. The poison from the bean would likely cause her death, as it releases chemicals that interfere with the communication between the muscular and nervous systems, ultimately leading to asphyxiation when the diaphragm fails to function.
4. Trial by Diving
This ordeal was most commonly practiced in Southeast Asia and India to resolve disputes related to cockfights, which were very popular in those regions.
Two poles were placed at the bottom of a clear pond. The parties involved would each send a representative to dive into the water and grasp the poles. The individual who could stay submerged the longest was considered the truthful one and would win whatever was at stake, typically money.
3. Trial by Bitter Water
If a woman was suspected of adultery, she would undergo this ordeal to prove her innocence. This process is described in the book of Numbers in the Bible.
The husband would take his wife to the priest, who would begin the ritual by offering ground barley at the altar. The priest would then untie the woman's hair and make her swear an oath, written on a scroll, affirming that she had not had relations with anyone other than her husband.
The priest would then wash the scroll in a cup of water, mixing dirt into it. The woman would drink this concoction, known as the bitter, curse-causing water. If she was guilty, the mixture was supposed to render her infertile by damaging her reproductive organs. However, if she remained fertile, her innocence would be proven.
+ Trial by Turf
In this form of trial, the defendant could demonstrate their innocence by passing under a strip of turf raised to form an arch, with each end resting on the ground. If the turf fell on the accused's head while they passed beneath it, they would be presumed guilty. If they passed through unharmed, their innocence would be confirmed.
2. Trial by Snake
This trial by ordeal was typically used when the defendant was accused of making a false accusation or lying to have someone else punished, a crime similar to perjury.
In this trial, a cobra was placed inside a clay pot with a ring. The accused had to retrieve the ring from beneath the snake without getting bitten. If they succeeded, they were declared innocent.
1. Trial by Cross
This trial by ordeal was designed to replace trial by combat. In this version, both the accuser and the accused would enter a church and stand before a cross, holding out their arms in the shape of a cross. The person who lowered their arms first lost the trial, and the other party was declared the winner.
++ Trial by Blood
In this trial, the victim's corpse was placed on a small platform. Each of the suspected murderers would touch the body. It was believed that the true murderer would cause the wound on the body to bleed fresh blood. If the wound remained dry when touched, that person was declared innocent.
