The anonymous law known as Ordal [ Ordeal ]: Textus Roffensis, ff. 32r-32v Translated from Old English and edited Dr Chris Monk

Transcription

1 Published online by Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Homepage: The anonymous law known as Ordal [ Ordeal ]: Translated from Old English and edited Abstract: And with this ordeal, we are commanding the command of God and the archbishop and all bishops: No one may come into the church except the mass-priest and the one who shall undertake the ordeal after the one who carries in the fire, who heats up the ordeal. Literally, the one who shall go thereto ; a similar phrase is used in the next paragraph... To cite this report: Monk, C. (2017) The anonymous law known as Ordal [ Ordeal ]: ; Translated from Old English and edited. Rochester: Rochester Cathedral Research Guild. To link to this article: Published online: 1 st August 2017 General Queries: jacob.scott@rochestercathedralresearchguild.org Produced by permission of. All rights reserved to the author. Any views and opinions expressed in this work are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of either the Research Guild or the Dean and Chapter.

2 Textus Roffensis, Rochester, Cathedral Library, MS A. 3. 5, f. 32r Published online by the Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 2 of 5

3 Textus Roffensis, Rochester, Cathedral Library, MS A. 3. 5, f. 32v Published online by the Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 3 of 5

4 The anonymous law known as Ordal [ Ordeal ]: Textus Roffensis, ff. 32r-32v Translated from Old English and edited by Dr Christopher Monk 2017 JUDGEMENT BY HOT IRON OR WATER And with this ordeal, we are commanding the command of God and the archbishop and all bishops: No one may come into the church except the mass-priest and the one who shall undertake the ordeal 1 after the one who carries in the fire, who heats up the ordeal. And, there, measure nine feet from the stake to the finish mark, 2 according to the measure of the foot of the one who undertakes the ordeal. And, then, if it be water, heat it until it rapidly boils; and the cooking pot may be iron or brazen, leaden or earthen. And if it be a single accusation, he should plunge his hand after the stone, as far as the wrist. And if it be threefold, up to his elbow. And when the ordeal is prepared, then from each side two men go in; 3 and they shall reach agreement that it be as hot as we first said; and let equally as many persons of either side go in and stand on both sides of the ordeal, along the church. And all should have fasted and should abstain from their wife for the night. And the mass-priest shall sprinkle holy water over them all; and each of them shall taste of the holy water; and he shall give them the book 4 to kiss and make the sign of the cross of Christ. And no one may strengthen nor lengthen the fire when once the hallowing 5 commences; but lay the iron upon the coals until they die down. Put it afterwards upon the post, and there let not anyone speak within, except that he beseech God Almighty earnestly, so that He the truth may reveal. And let the accused 6 go forth; and seal his hand; and let it be determined over on the third day, whether it be fully clean inside the seal. 7 And whoever shall break this law, the ordeal on [account of] him shall be void, and he shall render the king 120 shillings as punishment. 8 1 Literally, the one who shall go thereto ; a similar phrase is used in the next paragraph. 2 i.e. the starting and finishing points the accused must walk between with the piece of hot iron in his hand. 3 i.e. from among the supporters of the defendant and plaintiff. 4 i.e. the Bible or a Gospel book. 5 or sanctification. 6 him. 7 It was determined if there was present any infection in the hand (e.g. visible puss): infection was the mark of the guilty; cleanness, the innocent. 8 The so-called disobedience fine : this seems to suggest that if the rules of the ordeal are not followed, then the ordeal is void and a fine must also be paid to the king. Published online by the Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 4 of 5

5 The Old English text, edited directly from Textus Roffensis N.B. The digital facsimile of this text can be found by going to: Then type n71 into the page search box; the text begins on the right-hand folio and continues overleaf. Editorial notes: Italics indicate my expansion of a scribal abbreviation; > < indicates a scribal insertion; [ ] indicates my amendment of the scribe s text; punctuation has been modernised; 7 represents the Tironian nota (equivalent to & ); red font represents red ink in the manuscript; emboldened letters represent large display letters in the manuscript. Dom Be haten isene, an[d] wætere. And of þam ordale we be>be<odað godes bebodum, 7 þæs arcebiscopes, 7 ealra bisc>e<opa, þæt nan mann ne cume innon þære ciricean siððan man þæt fyr inbyrð, þe man þæt ordal mid hætan sceal, buton se mæssepreost, 7 se ðe þarto gan sceal, 7 beo þær gemeten nygon fet, of þam stacan to þære mearce, be þæs mannes fotan þe þarto gæð. 7 gif hit þonne wæter sy, hæte man hit oð hit hleope to wylme, 7 sy þæt alfæt isen, oððe æren, leaden oððe læmen. 7 gif hit anfeald tyh[t]le sy, dufe seo hand æfter þam stane, oð þa wriste. 7 gif hit þryfeald sy, oð þæne elbogan. 7 þonne þæt ordal geara sy, þonne gan twegen menn inn of ægðre healfe, 7 beon hig anræde þæt hit swa hat sy, swa we ær cwædon, 7 gan inn emfela manna of ægðre healfe, 7 stande on twa healfe þæs ordales andlang þære cyricean, 7 þa beon ealle fæstende, 7 fram heora wife gehealdene þære nyhte, 7 sprænge se mæssepreost halig wæter ofer hig ealle, 7 heora ælc abyrige þæs halig wæteres, 7 sylle heom eallu[m] cyssan boc, 7 cristes rode tacn, 7 na bete nan man þæt fyr na læng>[e]< þonne man þa halgunge onginne, ac licge þæt isen uppan þam gledan, oð þæt þa æftemestan collan, lecge hit man syððan uppan þam stapelan, 7 ne sy þær nan oðer spæc inne buton þæt hig biddan god ælmihtig georne, þæt he þæt soðeste geswytelie, 7 ga he to, 7 inseglige man þa hand, 7 sete man ofer þæne þriddan dæg, swa hwæðer, swa heo beo ful swa clæne binnan þam insegle, 7 se þe þas lage abrece, beo þæt ordal on him forad, 7 gilde þam cyninge cxx scillinga to wite. Published online by the Rochester Cathedral Research Guild Page 5 of 5