英语词汇ordeal of battle的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

ordeal of battle; ordeal of fire, etc. Ordeal here comes from the Anglo-Saxon ordel, “to judge.” In these ancient practices, outlawed since the 13th century, guilt or innocence was sup- posed to be left to supernatural decision: God would defend the just, even by miracle if necessary. In ordeal of battle the accused (if a noble) was allowed to fight his accuser, with the winner pre- sumed right. Ordeal of the bier consisted of the accused touching a corpse, whose blood would start to flow if he was guilty. In the ordeal of the eucharist the eucharist would choke a guilty person trying to swallow it. Ordeal of fire had the accused holding his hand over red-hot irons or walking barefooted and blindfolded among nine red-hot ploughshares, his innocence established if he emerged unharmed. Ordeal of water consisted of ordeal by hot water and ordeal by cold water. In the former the accused plunged his arms to the elbow in boiling water—if his skin wasn’t injured, he was innocent. In the latter the accused was bound and thrown into a river—if he floated he was a witch; if he sank he was innocent and lived, that is if he survived the sinking. No- bles, incidentally, could use stand-ins for their ordeals! See alsowhipping boy.

词汇	ordeal of battle
词源	ordeal of battle; ordeal of fire, etc. Ordeal here comes from the Anglo-Saxon ordel, “to judge.” In these ancient practices, outlawed since the 13th century, guilt or innocence was sup- posed to be left to supernatural decision: God would defend the just, even by miracle if necessary. In ordeal of battle the accused (if a noble) was allowed to fight his accuser, with the winner pre- sumed right. Ordeal of the bier consisted of the accused touching a corpse, whose blood would start to flow if he was guilty. In the ordeal of the eucharist the eucharist would choke a guilty person trying to swallow it. Ordeal of fire had the accused holding his hand over red-hot irons or walking barefooted and blindfolded among nine red-hot ploughshares, his innocence established if he emerged unharmed. Ordeal of water consisted of ordeal by hot water and ordeal by cold water. In the former the accused plunged his arms to the elbow in boiling water—if his skin wasn’t injured, he was innocent. In the latter the accused was bound and thrown into a river—if he floated he was a witch; if he sank he was innocent and lived, that is if he survived the sinking. No- bles, incidentally, could use stand-ins for their ordeals! See alsowhipping boy.
随便看	engine engineer england england expects every man will do his duty english english letters english sparrow enjoy enjoy every sandwich enlightenment enoch arden enough already enough to make the angels weep ensign entangling alliances entertain enter the lists entire horse entre nous entropy environment eon eospermatopteris epicure epiphany