Changes

==Etymology==

==Etymology==

[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] ordal, from [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English] ordāl; akin to Old High German urteil [[judgment]], Old English dāl division  

[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._1100-1500_.09THE_MIDDLE_ENGLISH_PERIOD Middle English] ordal, from [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English] ordāl; akin to Old High German urteil [[judgment]], Old English dāl division  

*Date: before [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_Century 12th century]

*Date: before [http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_Century 12th century]

==Definitions==

==Definitions==

In medieval Europe, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_by_combat trial by combat], trial by ordeal was considered a ''judicium Dei'': a [[procedure]] based on the premise that [[God]] would help the [[innocent]] by [[performing]] a [[miracle]] on their behalf. The [[practice]] has much earlier [[roots]] however, being attested as far back as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi Code of Hammurabi] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Ur-Nammu Code of Ur-Nammu], and also in animist [[tribal]] [[societies]], such as the trial by ingestion of "red water" ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabar_bean calabar bean]) in Sierra Leone, where the intended [[effect]] is [[magical]] rather than invocation of a [[deity]]'s [[justice]].

In medieval Europe, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_by_combat trial by combat], trial by ordeal was considered a ''judicium Dei'': a [[procedure]] based on the premise that [[God]] would help the [[innocent]] by [[performing]] a [[miracle]] on their behalf. The [[practice]] has much earlier [[roots]] however, being attested as far back as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi Code of Hammurabi] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Ur-Nammu Code of Ur-Nammu], and also in animist [[tribal]] [[societies]], such as the trial by ingestion of "red water" ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calabar_bean calabar bean]) in Sierra Leone, where the intended [[effect]] is [[magical]] rather than invocation of a [[deity]]'s [[justice]].

In pre-[[modern]] [[society]], the ordeal typically ranked along with the [[oath]] and [[witness]] accounts as the central means by which to reach a [[judicial]] [[verdict]]. Indeed, the term ordeal itself, [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English] ordǣl, has the [[meaning]] of "[[judgment]], [[verdict]]" (German Urteil, Dutch oordeel), from Proto-Germanic *uzdailjam "that which is dealt out".

In pre-[[modern]] [[society]], the ordeal typically ranked along with the [[oath]] and [[witness]] accounts as the central means by which to reach a [[judicial]] [[verdict]]. Indeed, the term ordeal itself, [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=English#ca._600-1100.09THE_OLD_ENGLISH.2C_OR_ANGLO-SAXON_PERIOD Old English] ordǣl, has the [[meaning]] of "[[judgment]], [[verdict]]" (German Urteil, Dutch oordeel), from Proto-Germanic *uzdailjam "that which is dealt out".

According to one [[theory]], put forward by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Leeson Peter Leeson],'' trial by ordeal'' was surprisingly [[effective]] at sorting the [[guilty]] from the [[innocent]]. Because defendants were believers, only the truly innocent would [[choose]] to [[endure]] a [[trial]]; [[guilty]] defendants would [[confess]] or settle cases instead. Therefore, the [[theory]] goes, [[church]] and [[judicial]] [[authorities]] would routinely rig ordeals so that the [[participants]]—presumably innocent—could pass them. If this [[theory]] is correct, medieval [[superstition]] was actually a useful [[motivating]] [[force]] for [[justice]].

According to one [[theory]], put forward by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Leeson Peter Leeson],'' trial by ordeal'' was surprisingly [[effective]] at sorting the [[guilty]] from the [[innocent]]. Because defendants were believers, only the truly innocent would [[choose]] to [[endure]] a [[trial]]; [[guilty]] defendants would [[confess]] or settle cases instead. Therefore, the [[theory]] goes, [[church]] and [[judicial]] [[authorities]] would routinely rig ordeals so that the [[participants]]—presumably innocent—could pass them. If this [[theory]] is correct, medieval [[superstition]] was actually a useful [[motivating]] [[force]] for [[justice]].