Legal Definitions - hinegeld

Hinegeld is a historical legal term that refers to a payment made to compensate for an offense or wrongdoing committed by a servant.

In historical contexts, this payment would typically be made to the injured party or their family to avoid further punishment or retribution against the servant or their master. It essentially served as a form of ransom or compensation to settle a dispute arising from a servant's actions.

• Example 1: Theft by a Household Servant

  Imagine a scenario in medieval England where a household servant, employed by a local lord, steals a valuable piece of jewelry from a visiting dignitary. To prevent a diplomatic incident, maintain his household's honor, and protect his servant from severe punishment, the lord offers the dignitary a substantial sum of money along with a replacement item. This payment, made to compensate for his servant's theft and to resolve the conflict, would historically be considered hinegeld.

• Example 2: Accidental Damage by an Apprentice

  Consider a young apprentice working for a master craftsman in a bustling guild town. While transporting a finished, custom-made piece of furniture to a wealthy client, the apprentice accidentally drops and severely damages it. To preserve his reputation, avoid a costly lawsuit, and ensure future business, the master craftsman offers the client a payment to cover the cost of repairs and the inconvenience, in addition to promising to deliver a new, perfect piece. This compensatory payment for the apprentice's mistake functions as hinegeld.

• Example 3: Injury Caused by a Farmhand

  During a harvest festival, a farmhand employed by a landowner gets into a heated argument with a commoner from a neighboring estate, resulting in the commoner sustaining an injury. To prevent a wider feud between the two estates or a formal complaint to the local authorities, the landowner provides the injured commoner with a payment to cover medical expenses and as compensation for the harm caused by his farmhand. This payment, made on behalf of the servant's offense to settle the matter, exemplifies hinegeld.