Wergild, Wergild, Or Weregild

WERGILD - Obs.Ger. Monetary compensation paid by a murderer to the relatives of the victim.

WERGILD, or WEREGILD, old Eng. law. The price which in a barbarous age, a person guilty of homicide or other enormous offence was required to pay, instead of receiving other punishment.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.