Law of Hlothhere and Eadric facts for kids
The Law of Hlothhere and Eadric is a very old set of rules from Anglo-Saxon England. It's like a rulebook for how people should behave and what happens if they don't! These laws are named after two kings of Kent, Hlothhere (who died in 685) and Eadric (who died in 686). Because of this, historians believe the laws were written in the late 600s. It's one of three important old Kentish law books that still exist today. Unlike some other old laws, the Law of Hlothhere and Eadric focuses more on how legal problems should be solved, rather than just listing punishments. It also doesn't include any rules about the church.
Quick facts for kids Law of Hlothhere and Eadric |
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| Ascribed to | Hloþhere (died 685) and Eadric (died 686), kings of Kent |
| Language | Old English |
| Date | 7th century |
| Principal manuscript(s) | Textus Roffensis |
| First printed edition | George Hickes and Humfrey Wanley, Linguarum Vett. Septentrionalium Thesaurus Grammatico-Criticus et Archaeologicus (Oxford, 1703–5); see Law of Æthelberht#Manuscript, editions and translations |
| Genre | law code |
Where the Law Came From
As its name suggests, this law is linked to the kings of Kent, Hlothhere and Eadric. Hlothhere ruled from about 673 to 685. Eadric then ruled for about a year and a half until 686. The text doesn't say if they ruled together when the law was created. It's possible that rules from both their reigns were put together into one document.
Like other old Kentish laws, the Law of Hlothhere and Eadric exists in only one surviving book. This book is called Textus Roffensis, or the "Rochester Codex." It's a collection of Anglo-Saxon historical and legal writings. It was put together around the early 1120s by Ernulf, who was the bishop of Rochester. Hlothhere and Eadric's law takes up several pages in this important book.
Even though it's from a similar time, the language in Hlothhere and Eadric's law seems more modern than other laws from that period. This might mean that this particular law was used and copied more often than others. Because it was copied a lot, its language might have been updated over time. It's also possible that other old laws were updated too, but those updated versions just didn't survive.
What the Law Says
The Law of Hlothhere and Eadric is made up of a series of "dooms," which are like judgments or rules. These rules give us a peek into how people in Kent paid for damages and kept order in society. This law focuses more on the steps you had to take in a legal case, which is different from other Kentish laws that mostly listed punishments. It's interesting to note that there are no rules in this law directly about the church.
The rules are organized by the type of wrongdoing, not by a person's social status. Here are some of the things the law talks about:
- 1. Rules for paying money if a servant caused the death of a noble person.
- 2. Rules for paying money if a servant caused the death of a free person.
- 3. How to deal with accusations of kidnapping people. It also talks about how an accused person could prove their innocence using compurgation (getting others to swear they are telling the truth).
- 4. Rules for the families of free people who died. This included who would take care of children and making sure a male guardian from the father's family was assigned until a child turned 10.
- 5. How to handle stolen property and what to do with people who had it.
- 6. The steps for making a legal charge: how to make accusations, what guarantees (sureties) were needed, and how to take oaths.
- 7–9. Fines for insulting someone or causing a disturbance.
- 10. Rules about hospitality and who was responsible for the behavior of foreign guests.
- 11. How to buy property in London (which was called Lundenwic back then).
This law, especially rule number 6, is very important for historians. It helps them understand how people solved problems in Anglo-Saxon times. If someone was accused, they had to promise to accept the judge's decision or pay a fine. Both the accuser and the accused had to find an arbitrator (a neutral person to help settle the dispute) that they both agreed on. Once a decision was made, the person who lost the case had to make things right. If they refused to cooperate, they would have to pay a large fine.
The law also shows that the kingdom of Kent had control over London in the late 600s. Rule 11 states that Kentish people buying property in London had to do it publicly. They needed two or three respected free people to be present, or they had to do it in front of the king's wicgerefan (a port-reeve, like a town official for the port). This shows how important London was even back then.
