WATER ORDEAL Meaning and
Definition
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Water ordeal is a term used to describe a traditional method of determining innocence or guilt by subjecting the accused individual to a dangerous trial or test involving water. This practice was commonly employed during the medieval period and was based on the belief that water had special mystical properties, capable of either protecting or condemning the accused.
In a water ordeal, the accused person is exposed to some form of water-based challenge or trial that is believed to be a manifestation of divine judgment. There were various types of water ordeals, but some of the most well-known include the water dunking or ordeal by cold water and ordeal by boiling water. In the former, the accused's hands and feet are bound, and they are thrown into water; if the person floats, it signifies guilt, while sinking is seen as a sign of innocence. The latter involves the accused having to retrieve an item from a cauldron of boiling water with their bare hands; if they escape unharmed, they are considered innocent, but if they sustain burns or injuries, it is interpreted as evidence of guilt.
Water ordeals were considered an arcane form of judgment and a means of invoking divine intervention. However, these practices were based on superstitions rather than rational evidence, making them highly unreliable and inherently unjust. Consequently, they have long been abandoned as a method of determining guilt or innocence in modern legal systems, which emphasize the importance of fair and objective trials.
Common Misspellings for WATER ORDEAL
- qater ordeal
- aater ordeal
- sater ordeal
- eater ordeal
- 3ater ordeal
- 2ater ordeal
- wzter ordeal
- wster ordeal
- wwter ordeal
- wqter ordeal
- warer ordeal
- wafer ordeal
- wager ordeal
- wayer ordeal
- wa6er ordeal
- wa5er ordeal
- watwr ordeal
- watsr ordeal
- watdr ordeal
- watrr ordeal
Etymology of WATER ORDEAL
The term "water ordeal" does not have a specific etymology as it is a combination of two separate words: "water" and "ordeal".
The word "water" originates from the Old English word "wæter", which has Germanic roots. It is directly related to similar words in other Germanic languages such as German "Wasser" and Dutch "water".
The word "ordeal" has a more complex etymology. It ultimately traces back to the Old English word "ordal", which meant "judgment" or "trial". This word was derived from Old Norse "ordǫl" or "orðǫl", which also meant "judgment". The Old Norse term itself originated from the Proto-Germanic word "uzdailą", meaning "division" or "sharing out".
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