WERGILD, or WEREGILD, old Eng. law. The price which in a barbarous age, a
person guilty of homicide or other enormous offence was required to pay,
instead of receiving other punishment. 4 Bl. Com. 188. See, for the
etymology of this word, and a tariff which was paid for the murder of the
different classes of men, Guizot, Essais sur l'Histoire de France, Essai
4eme, c. 2, Sec. 2.