Weregild

Skeldic compensation for a killing, set by the lord and roughly reckoned by the dead person’s rank.

Weregild

Weregild is the compensation paid to the kin of a person killed, restoring balance publicly. It is the usual Skeldic settlement of such a wrong, and is customarily paid in silver bracelets.

Setting the weregild

A lord sets the weregild. It is roughly calculable from the dead person’s social rank, but the tribal lord can change that. The weregild on a despised or dishonored thane could be set to a nominal value, at the lord’s discretion.

Non-Skelds

If a non-Skeld has to pay weregild, it might even be stipulated that payment is in bracelets, even though he has the means to pay in some other way.