ísen-ordál

Old English Dictionary Entry

ísen-ordál

Old English Dictionary Entry

Part of speech: es; Related words: 6; Th. i. 224, 12-16.

Definitions

1 ísen-ordál

n. The ordeal by hot iron, in which the accused who wished to clear himself had to bear, on the naked hand, a piece of red hot iron. The passages from which the following extracts are taken will illustrate this mode of trial :-- Gif hit sý ýsenordál beón þreó niht ǽr man ða hand undó if it be the ordeal by hot iron, let it be three days before the hand be undone, L. Ath. i. 23; Th. i. 212, 3. Wé cwǽdon . . . ðæt man . . . myclade ðæt ordálýsen ðæt hit gewege þrý pund . . . and hæbbe se teónd cyre swá wæterordál swá ýsenordál swá hwæðer him leófre sý we have ordained that the ordeal-iron be increased so that it weigh three pounds . . . and let the accuser have the choice of ordeal by water or by iron, whichever he prefer, iSee too, Dóm be hátan ísene, 7 ; Th. i. 226, 7, sqq ; and Schmid A. S. Gesetz. p. 419. [Cf. Icel. bera járn, járn-burðr in Cl. and Vig. Dict. and see Grmm. R. A. 915, sqq.]

Runic Inscription

ᛁᛋᛖᚾ-ᚩᚱᛞᚪᛚ

Possible runic inscription in Anglo-Saxon futhorc

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