Council of Worms:
On the Murder of Slaves, 876
To prevent the murder of slaves severe penances were inflicted by the Council of
Worms. In the second instance below, female serfs or slaves were given some protection
against the jealousy of suspicious wives.
38. If any one shall kill his own slave without the knowledge of the
judges---a slave who has committed such thing as may be worthy of death---he shall emend
the guilt of blood by excommunication or by a penance for two years.
39. If any woman incensed by a fit of jealousy should beat her slave, so that
within three days she [the slave] should die in torment, so that it be uncertain whether
she killed her intentionally or by accident, she shall do lawful penance for five years,
if it be by chance, but for seven years if she do it intentionally.
Source:
J. D. Mansi, ed., Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio, (Paris: H.
Welter, 1902), Vol. XV, p. 876; reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H. Coulson, A
Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936;
reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), p. 285.
Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by
Prof. Arkenberg.
This text is part of the Internet
Medieval Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and
copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.
Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright.
Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational
purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No
permission is granted for commercial use.
© Paul Halsall, October 1998
halsall@fordham.edu
The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is located at the History Department of Fordham University, New York. The Internet
Medieval Sourcebook, and other medieval components of the project, are located at
the Fordham University Center
for Medieval Studies.The IHSP recognizes the contribution of Fordham University, the
Fordham University History Department, and the Fordham Center for Medieval Studies in
providing web space and server support for the project. The IHSP is a project independent of Fordham University. Although the IHSP seeks to follow all applicable copyright law, Fordham University is not
the institutional owner, and is not liable as the result of any legal action.
© Site Concept and Design: Paul Halsall created 26 Jan 1996: latest revision 4 October 2024 [CV]
|