ordeal of the bier
legal process
Quick Summary
The "ordeal of the bier" was a medieval legal process used to determine guilt in murder accusations. This ordeal was based on the belief that a corpse would react, specifically by bleeding, if touched or approached by its murderer. This was not intended as a punishment but rather as a supernatural judgment to reveal the truth. If the accused was alive after the ordeal, the loser might face severe consequences, such as hanging or property confiscation.12
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.