Law of Wihtred facts for kids

The Law of Wihtred is an important set of rules from early England. It was created by King Wihtred of Kent, who ruled until 725 AD. This law book was written around the end of the 7th century.

It is the last of three old Kentish law books. The others are the Law of Æthelberht and the Law of Hlothhere and Eadric. Wihtred's Law mostly deals with rules for the church and religious matters. It also covers crimes like theft.

Where Did the Law of Wihtred Come From?

The introduction to the Law of Wihtred says it was made by King Wihtred. He was the king of Kent from about 690 to 725 AD. The text suggests he announced these laws in the year 695.

This law, like other old Kentish laws, exists in only one copy. This copy is part of a larger book called the Textus Roffensis. This book is a collection of old English history and laws. It was put together around 1120 by Ernulf, who was the bishop of Rochester. Wihtred's Law can be found on pages 5 to 6 of this book.

How the Law Was Made

The introduction to the law says that important people in Kent created these rules. They did this at a large meeting of Kentish people. King Wihtred was in his fifth year as king at the time. The meeting happened on September 6, 695, in a place called Berghamstead. This is the only Kentish law book that gives an exact date.

Brihtwald, who was the archbishop of Britain (a very important church leader), was there. Gebmund, the bishop of Rochester, was also present. This makes sense because Wihtred's Law focuses on the church and religious topics. It is different from the two earlier Kentish laws in this way. Some parts of Wihtred's Law are similar to the Law of Ine. Both laws might have used ideas from older church rules written in Latin.

What Rules Are in the Law of Wihtred?

A modern expert named Lisi Oliver has divided the law into different parts. Here is a simple breakdown of what each part covers:

The way the law is divided into chapters was done by later editors. Lisi Oliver divided it into 22 chapters. An earlier editor, Frederick Attenborough, divided it into 28 chapters.

The Law of Wihtred states that a bishop's word is as strong as a king's. It means a bishop did not need to swear an oath to prove something. However, other church members had to swear an oath in front of an altar to prove they were innocent. Rule number 1 said that the church did not have to pay taxes to the king. But it also said that church members must pray for and respect the king.

A document from King Wihtred around 699 has a similar rule. It says that important churches (called minsters) did not have to pay taxes. In return, they had to respect the king's power. Some rules about wrong marriages and the power of bishops are like decisions made at a church meeting in 672. This meeting was led by Theodore of Tarsus.

The law also punished other religious offenses. These included eating meat during Christian fasting periods. It also punished giving gifts to statues of gods that were not Christian (called pagan idols). The law also punished important people who made their enslaved workers work on Sunday (the Sabbath). If they were forced to work, those enslaved people would be set free. Working on the Sabbath was also a concern in another old church book. This book was called Paenitentiale Theodori and was linked to Archbishop Theodore.

The rules about theft in the law allowed people to kill thieves caught in the act. If the thief was not killed, the person who caught them could get half of the money if the thief was later set free by paying a ransom. The king could also choose to kill the thief or have them sent away to be enslaved "across the sea." This was in addition to the ransom. The last part of the law says that any foreigner or stranger who leaves the main path and does not make noise (like blowing a horn) could be killed or captured.