Crime and Punishment
The medieval times was a time of severe punishment. Many of the crimes and punishment that we today would not consider crimes and/or punishment, were easily considered so back then. In medieval times, punishments for crimes was much more strict and brutal. Some of the crimes included:
-Gossip
-Not working hard enough
-Nagging
-Murder
-Stealing/theft
As you can see, some of these crimes are still considered crimes today, however some of them aren't. For example, if you were gossiping, you would most likely not be punished depending on how bad the gossip was.
In medieval times, the punishment would often be very harsh, even for things that today would not be considered a crime. Death was not an uncommon outcome as a result of the punishments given out to the accused,. Today, depending on how severe the crime is, you would most likely be sent to jail or be fined. Some of the punishments given during medieval times for crimes included:
- Ordeal by fire: Ordeal by fire meant that you would have to carry a red hot iron bar a few steps. Then you would have your hand bandaged up. If the wound started to heal after three days, you were innocent, if the wound hadn't started to heal, you would be found guilty of committing the crime.
- Ordeal by water: Ordeal by water meant that your hands and feet would be tied together. Then you would be thrown into the water, if you floated you were guilty, and if you sank you were innocent.
- Stocks: Stocks were wooden blocks with three holes for the head and hands. The victim would be put in the stocks for a period of time. Sometimes the victim would be put on public display so that he could be humiliated. Sometimes an enemy of the victim would come along and cut off his hands, and then the victim would eventually die due to loss of blood.
-Pulled apart: The victim would be attached to a horse by a arm or a leg and then on command the horse would bolt ripping off the victims limbs. The person would quickly die.
-Burnt on stake: The victim was tied to a stake and burnt alive in front of the whole village.
-Banishment: If someone the King liked committed a crime, the King would give the victim a crime like banishment so that they wouldn't have to be killed. The victim was banished from the kingdom and was never allowed to come back. This punishment wasn't nearly as bad as other punishments, however the victim thought it was bad punishment as the victim never got to see his King again.
As you have probably gathered, crime and punishment were very different in Medieval Times compared to what it is like now. Aren't you glad that you don't live in the medieval time period?!
-Gossip
-Not working hard enough
-Nagging
-Murder
-Stealing/theft
As you can see, some of these crimes are still considered crimes today, however some of them aren't. For example, if you were gossiping, you would most likely not be punished depending on how bad the gossip was.
In medieval times, the punishment would often be very harsh, even for things that today would not be considered a crime. Death was not an uncommon outcome as a result of the punishments given out to the accused,. Today, depending on how severe the crime is, you would most likely be sent to jail or be fined. Some of the punishments given during medieval times for crimes included:
- Ordeal by fire: Ordeal by fire meant that you would have to carry a red hot iron bar a few steps. Then you would have your hand bandaged up. If the wound started to heal after three days, you were innocent, if the wound hadn't started to heal, you would be found guilty of committing the crime.
- Ordeal by water: Ordeal by water meant that your hands and feet would be tied together. Then you would be thrown into the water, if you floated you were guilty, and if you sank you were innocent.
- Stocks: Stocks were wooden blocks with three holes for the head and hands. The victim would be put in the stocks for a period of time. Sometimes the victim would be put on public display so that he could be humiliated. Sometimes an enemy of the victim would come along and cut off his hands, and then the victim would eventually die due to loss of blood.
-Pulled apart: The victim would be attached to a horse by a arm or a leg and then on command the horse would bolt ripping off the victims limbs. The person would quickly die.
-Burnt on stake: The victim was tied to a stake and burnt alive in front of the whole village.
-Banishment: If someone the King liked committed a crime, the King would give the victim a crime like banishment so that they wouldn't have to be killed. The victim was banished from the kingdom and was never allowed to come back. This punishment wasn't nearly as bad as other punishments, however the victim thought it was bad punishment as the victim never got to see his King again.
As you have probably gathered, crime and punishment were very different in Medieval Times compared to what it is like now. Aren't you glad that you don't live in the medieval time period?!