Wergild was a monetary compensation paid by the perpetrator of a crime to the victim or the victim's family. The amount of wergild varied depending on the severity of the crime and the social status of the victim. For example, the wergild for killing a nobleman was much higher than the wergild for killing a peasant. Wergild was a way to settle disputes and avoid further violence between the victim's family and the perpetrator's family.
Ordeal was a method of determining guilt or innocence in a criminal case. The accused person was subjected to a physical test, such as walking through fire or holding a hot iron, and the outcome was interpreted as a sign of guilt or innocence. If the accused person passed the ordeal, they were considered innocent. If they failed the ordeal, they were considered guilty. Ordeals were often used in cases where there was no other evidence to determine guilt or innocence.
Wergild and ordeal were both important legal practices in medieval Europe. Wergild was a way to settle disputes and avoid further violence, while ordeal was a method of determining guilt or innocence. Both practices were based on the belief that God would intervene to protect the innocent and punish the guilty.