Video version of this article
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How was the legal system like in the past? Let's find out....
MYFAROG: https://www.amazon.com/MYFAROG-Mythic-Fantasy-Role-playing-Game/dp/1522969586/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466966877&sr=8-2&keywords=myfarog
The current legal system is based on Roman law, not on Germanic law. And I'm going to explain to you the difference, or rather I'm going to explain to you what Germanic law was about. I have written about it and included what I found in this roleplaying game, so I'm actually just going to read from this.
There were slight variations from area to area, but by and large, this is what Germanic law was about.
The purpose of outlawing was to make the person improve himself, give him a chance to become better. And he had to do that away from the tribe because they didn't want his negative influence on the society in the meanwhile until he had improved. Then when you had improved, you could return.
I can also add that when they had duels in the past, it was very, very rarely to the death. And normally you would only have a fight until first blood or until one of the persons had left the dueling arena, which was made up of a circle basically or a little islet or something. And the first person to start bleeding, the first person to leave the arena would be declared the loser. A duel was not necessarily a combat at all. You could also have swimming contests or word contests and so forth, like a poetry contest. So it was not just about brute force, and the person who was challenged could choose his method of dueling.[7]So you couldn't just be a big strong guy and go around and challenge people because then the other ones would probably pick something like a climbing duel or a poetry duel or a knowledge duel, and then you would, well, probably lose.
MYFAROG is an RPG, designed to enable players to experience a more European worldview. Although based on real world Europe, MYFAROG is a fantasy game though. MYFAROG and several supplements are available from Amazon.
There were slight variations from area to area, but by and large, this is what Germanic law was about.
- If you murdered somebody, you had to pay compensation to the family of the victim.[1]
- If you murdered someone a second time, you would be executed.
- If you murdered two people, you would be executed right away.
- If you murdered a woman, you would have to pay a fine that was twice as large as normal.[2]
- If you killed somebody, you had to pay compensation to the family of the person you killed.[3]
- Homosexuality. If you engaged in any homosexual interaction, you would be executed. And your body would be thrown into a bog, because they didn't want that these despicable degenerates would return to life.
- If you stole something or vandalized something, you had to pay compensation, equal to the value of the object or the item or whatever you vandalized or stole. If you stole a horse though, you would be executed.
- If you committed adultery, you would be outlawed for one year and a day. The second time you committed adultery, you would be executed.
- If you run away from battle, you would be executed. Some places you would probably only be executed if you did that a couple of times. And of course this only applies to males. Women don't get executed for running away from battle.
- If you had debt, you would have to serve as a thrall to the person you had debt to for some time.[4]
- If you were a thrall and you were disobedient, you could be executed.
The purpose of outlawing was to make the person improve himself, give him a chance to become better. And he had to do that away from the tribe because they didn't want his negative influence on the society in the meanwhile until he had improved. Then when you had improved, you could return.
I can also add that when they had duels in the past, it was very, very rarely to the death. And normally you would only have a fight until first blood or until one of the persons had left the dueling arena, which was made up of a circle basically or a little islet or something. And the first person to start bleeding, the first person to leave the arena would be declared the loser. A duel was not necessarily a combat at all. You could also have swimming contests or word contests and so forth, like a poetry contest. So it was not just about brute force, and the person who was challenged could choose his method of dueling.[7]So you couldn't just be a big strong guy and go around and challenge people because then the other ones would probably pick something like a climbing duel or a poetry duel or a knowledge duel, and then you would, well, probably lose.
MYFAROG is an RPG, designed to enable players to experience a more European worldview. Although based on real world Europe, MYFAROG is a fantasy game though. MYFAROG and several supplements are available from Amazon.
- I forgot to say that if you murdered somebody, you were also outlawed for one year and a day.
- In addition to being outlawed or (the second time) executed.
- You had to pay such a compensation, even if you were challenged to a duel and in that duel killed the person who challenged you.
- But of course if you were unable to pay that debt normally.
- If you could not pay the fine, your family had to do it for you.
- And restore balance.
- Women could duel too.