<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>One of the evidentiary means used in medieval legal procedure was the so-called judgment of God, judicium dei, also known as ordeal, from the Latin term ordalium. <italic>Ordeals were characteristic of all peoples in their various stages of development. They were based on the belief that divinity could intervene and perform miracles, disregarding the laws of nature, in order to prove one’s innocence. In the Middle Ages ordeals were widespread on the territory of Transylvania, too, the ordeal of fire being one of the most commonly used means of proof. In this paper I will try to show the characteristics of this evidence in relation to others that were used at that time, looking at them through the lenses of the documents of the time and of personal research.</italic></p></abstract>

One of the evidentiary means used in medieval legal procedure was the so-called judgment of God, judicium dei, also known as ordeal, from the Latin term ordalium. Ordeals were characteristic of all peoples in their various stages of development. They were based on the belief that divinity could intervene and perform miracles, disregarding the laws of nature, in order to prove one’s innocence. In the Middle Ages ordeals were widespread on the territory of Transylvania, too, the ordeal of fire being one of the most commonly used means of proof. In this paper I will try to show the characteristics of this evidence in relation to others that were used at that time, looking at them through the lenses of the documents of the time and of personal research.

Evidentiary means in feudal Transylvania. Ordeal By fire (holding a red-hot iron)

Journal of Legal Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

One of the evidentiary means used in medieval legal procedure was the so-called judgment of God, judicium dei, also known as ordeal, from the Latin term...

Evidentiary means in feudal Transylvania. Ordeal By fire (holding a red-hot iron)

Published Online: Feb 09, 2018

Page range: 97 - 100

Received: Nov 01, 2017

Accepted: Dec 01, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jles-2017-0020

Keywords
Red-hot iron, trial by ordeal, oath, evidence, trial

© 2017 Dr. Moldovan Iosif Florin, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Evidentiary means in feudal Transylvania. Ordeal By fire (holding a red-hot iron)

Published Online: Feb 09, 2018

Page range: 97 - 100

Received: Nov 01, 2017

Accepted: Dec 01, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jles-2017-0020

KeywordsRed-hot iron, trial by ordeal, oath, evidence, trial

© 2017 Dr. Moldovan Iosif Florin, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Red-hot iron, trial by ordeal, oath, evidence, trial