Were, or _Wera_, in our old law books, signifies what was anciently paid
for _killing a man_. When such crimes were punished with pecuniary
mulets, not death, the price was set on every man's head, according to
his condition and quality.
_Werelade_, among the Saxons, was the denying of a homicide on oath, in
order to be quit of the fine, or forfeiture, called _were_. If the party
denied the fact, he was to purge himself, by the oaths of several
persons, according to his degree and quality. If the guilt amounted to
four pounds, he was to have eighteen jurors on his father's side, and
four on his mother's: if to twenty-four pounds, he was to have sixty
jurors, and this was called _werelade_.
_Weregild_, or _Weregeld_, was the price of a man's head; which was paid
partly to the king for the loss of his subject, partly to the lord whose
vassal he was, and partly to the next of kin.
"In the same manner (says Blackstone,) by the Irish brehon law, in case
of murder, the brehon or judge, compounded between the murderer and the
friends of the deceased, who prosecuted him, by causing the malefactor
to give unto them, or to the child or wife of him that was slain, a
recompense, which they called _eriach_. And thus we find in our Saxon
laws, particularly those of King Athelstan, the several _weregilds_ for
homicide, established in progressive order, from the death of the ceorl
or peasant, up to that of the king himself."
The _weregild_ of an archbishop, and of an earl, was 15,000 thrismas;
that of a bishop or alderman, 8,000; that of a general or governor,
4,000; that of a priest or thane, 2,000; that of a king, 30,000; half to
be paid to his kindred, and the other half to the public. The weregild
of a ceorl was 266 thrismas.