Legal Definitions - cenegild

Cenegild is a historical legal term referring to a payment made by an individual who committed murder to the family of the person they killed. This payment served as a form of expiation or compensation, intended to atone for the death, appease the victim's relatives, and often prevent further retaliatory violence or blood feuds.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of cenegild:

• In a medieval village, a nobleman's son, Sir Kael, accidentally kills a local farmer, Elara, during a boar hunt. To prevent a violent feud between his powerful family and Elara's grieving kin, Sir Kael's father offers a substantial sum of money and livestock to Elara's family. This payment functions as a cenegild, aiming to atone for the death and provide compensation, thereby averting further conflict.

• In a historical tribal society, a warrior named Roric kills a rival clan member, Borin, during a dispute over hunting grounds. To avoid an escalating blood feud that could devastate both clans, Roric's elders negotiate with Borin's family. They agree to pay a significant amount of silver and goods as cenegild. This payment is intended to expiate Roric's act, compensate Borin's family for their loss, and restore a fragile peace between the two groups.

• During the Anglo-Saxon period, a craftsman named Eadwig is found responsible for the death of a merchant, Cynric, after a heated argument turns violent. Under the customary laws of the time, Eadwig's family would be expected to pay cenegild to Cynric's bereaved relatives. This financial penalty, often negotiated through community elders, served as a form of restitution and a means to prevent Cynric's family from seeking violent revenge, allowing Eadwig to remain within the community rather than being declared an outlaw.