Definitions for trial by ordeal
tri·al by ordeal

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1. ordeal, trial by ordealnoun

   a primitive method of determining a person's guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused person to dangerous or painful tests believed to be under divine control; escape was usually taken as a sign of innocence

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. trial by ordealnoun

   Archaic practice by which a person accused of a crime could prove his innocence by his survival of physically painful tests.

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1. Trial by ordeal

   Trial by ordeal was an ancient judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused was determined by subjecting them to a painful, or at least an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience. In medieval Europe, like trial by combat, trial by ordeal, such as cruentation, was sometimes considered a "judgement of God" (Latin: jūdicium Deī, Old English: Godes dōm): a procedure based on the premise that God would help the innocent by performing a miracle on their behalf. The practice has much earlier roots, attested to as far back as the Code of Hammurabi and the Code of Ur-Nammu. In pre-modern society, the ordeal typically ranked along with the oath and witness accounts as the central means by which to reach a judicial verdict. Indeed, the term ordeal, Old English ordǣl, has the meaning of "judgment, verdict" (German Urteil, Dutch oordeel), from Proto-Germanic *uzdailiją "that which is dealt out". Priestly cooperation in trials by fire and water was forbidden by Pope Innocent III at the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 and replaced by compurgation. Trials by ordeal became rarer over the Late Middle Ages, but the practice was not discontinued until the 16th century. Certain trials by ordeal would continue to be used into the 17th century in witch-hunts.

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1. trial by ordeal

   Trial by ordeal is a historical judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused was determined by subjecting them to an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience. The concept was based on the idea that the outcome was determined by divine intervention, meaning if the person was innocent, then God would protect them and they would survive or pass the ordeal. This practice was common in various societies throughout history, and examples of it could include walking on hot coals or retrieving an object from boiling water.

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1. Trial by ordeal

   Trial by ordeal is a judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused is determined by subjecting them to an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience. Classically, the test is one of life or death and the proof of innocence is survival. In some cases, the accused is considered innocent if they escape injury or if their injuries heal. In medieval Europe, like trial by combat, trial by ordeal was considered a judicium Dei: a procedure based on the premise that God would help the innocent by performing a miracle on their behalf. The practice has much earlier roots, however, being attested as far back as the Code of Hammurabi and the Code of Ur-Nammu, and also in animist tribal societies, such as the trial by ingestion of "red water" in Sierra Leone, where the intended effect is magical rather than invocation of a deity's justice. In pre-modern society, the ordeal typically ranked along with the oath and witness accounts as the central means by which to reach a judicial verdict. Indeed, the term ordeal, Old English ordǣl, has the meaning of "judgment, verdict", from Proto-Germanic *uzdailjam "that which is dealt out". Priestly cooperation in trials by fire and water was forbidden by Pope Innocent III at the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 and replaced by compurgation, later by inquisition. Trials by ordeal became rarer over the Late Middle Ages, often replaced by confessions extracted under torture, but the practice was discontinued only in the 16th century.

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How to pronounce trial by ordeal?

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Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of trial by ordeal in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of trial by ordeal in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7