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Simple English definitions for legal terms
trial by corsnaed
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A quick definition of trial by corsnaed:
Trial by corsnaed, also known as ordeal of the morsel, was a primitive form of trial in which an accused person was subjected to a dangerous or painful physical test. The test was believed to be a divine revelation of the person's guilt or innocence. The accused person was given a piece of bread or cheese that a priest had charged to stick in the throat of the guilty. If the person choked, they were declared guilty, and if they did not, they were declared innocent. This type of ordeal was used until the 13th century in Europe but was later forbidden by the Fourth Lateran Council.
A more thorough explanation:
Trial by corsnaed is a primitive form of trial where an accused person is subjected to a dangerous or painful physical test. The result is considered a divine revelation of the person's guilt or innocence.
For example, in the ordeal of the morsel, the accused person is given a piece of bread or cheese that a priest has charged to stick in the throat of the guilty. If the person chokes, they are declared guilty, and if they do not, they are declared innocent.
These ordeals were commonly used in Europe until the 13th century, but only sporadically after 1215 when the Fourth Lateran Council forbade the clergy from participating in ordeals.
The examples illustrate how trial by corsnaed was a superstitious and dangerous way of determining guilt or innocence. It relied on divine intervention and often resulted in harm to the accused person.