How did the Anglo-Saxon wergild system compensate crime victims and their families?

The Anglo-Saxon wergild (Old English for "man payment") was a system of financial compensation designed to resolve conflicts and prevent the cycle of blood feuds between kinship groups.123

When a person was killed, the offender’s kin group contributed to the payment of wergild to the victim’s family, with contributions scaled based on the closeness of the relationship to the murderer. The received sum was similarly divided among the victim's relatives. This payment served as a legal alternative to blood vengeance, allowing the victim's family to accept financial restitution in place of further violence.23

The value of a person's wergild was determined by their social class, which defined their worth within the legal system. For example, a noble's wergild was significantly higher than that of a ceorl, or independent peasant. In some instances, a portion of the payment was also directed to the king or a lord to compensate for the loss of a subject or vassal. Additional fines, such as bot for damages or wite paid to the king, could also be required depending on the nature of the crime.13