Penance

The highest fine was reserved for a person found guilty of the murder or manslaughter of a free Gotlander. The man price (penance, blood money) in such a case was 24 marks in silver. This would be the equivalent in modern day terms of approximately 4.5 kg of silver, an amount which doubtless very few perpetrators would have had the means to pay. It would require, for example, 44 fairly heavy silver objects in the shape of armlets, rings and brooches. The objects are parts of a hoard find from 25 parishes on Gotland.

Image rights: Ola Myrin, Historiska museet/SHM (CC BY 4.0)

Object number: 106925_HST

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