Punishment 1A

• For some crimes, the Church advised maiming: causing physical harm like having an ear cut off.
• Murder was sometimes punished by fine’s paid to the victim’s family, a system known as wergild. The higher your social status, the higher the fine.
• Treason and arson were punished by execution – usually hanging.
• Public punishments like the stocks or pillory, which were usually placed outdoors in a public place, might be given for physical assaults or public disorder.
• Theft could be punished with fines.
• Over time, punishments were increasingly decided by the King, rather than local communities.
• The use of punishment in this period increased, which was intended to boost the visible power of the King across the land.