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]]. |