Cruentation

Cruentation (Latin: ius cruentationis 'law of bleeding' or ius feretri sive sandapilae 'law of the bier') was one of the medieval methods of finding proof against a suspected murderer. The common belief was that the body of the victim would spontaneously bleed in the presence of the murderer.

Cruentation was used in Germanic law systems as early as the medieval period, whence it spread to Germany, Poland, Bohemia, Scotland, and European colonies in North America.^[1] The practice is mentioned in the Germanic epic poem Nibelungenlied, which was written around 1200.^[2] It continued being used as a method to determine guilt of murder in Germany until the middle of the 18th century.^[3]

^ Nemec 1976, pp. 15–6: "70. Before 1200—The first known indication of the existence of ius cruentationis (Baarrecht; bier-right; jus feretri sive Sandapilae) among the Germanic nations appears in a poem 'Iwein', written by a German poet, Hartmann von Aue (fl. 1180-1210). ... Ius cruentationis was originally an ancient custom of Germanic tribes, often invoked by the German courts and based on the firm belief that a cadaver would start to bleed when touched by the murderer. It was applied in the courts of Germany until 1750 but was known and practiced also in other countries (e.g. Bohemia, Poland, Scotland and even the North American Continent).
^ Cite error: The named reference gory was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cohen, Barend A. J., ed. (2004). Forensische geneeskunde: raakvlakken tussen geneeskunst, gezondheidszorg en recht [Forensic medicine: interfaces between medicine, healthcare and law] (in Dutch). Assen: Koninklijke Van Gorcum. ISBN 90-232-3798-6.

[FOOTNOTENemec197615–6-1] Nemec 1976, pp. 15–6: "70. Before 1200—The first known indication of the existence of ius cruentationis (Baarrecht; bier-right; jus feretri sive Sandapilae) among the Germanic nations appears in a poem 'Iwein', written by a German poet, Hartmann von Aue (fl. 1180-1210). ... Ius cruentationis was originally an ancient custom of Germanic tribes, often invoked by the German courts and based on the firm belief that a cadaver would start to bleed when touched by the murderer. It was applied in the courts of Germany until 1750 but was known and practiced also in other countries (e.g. Bohemia, Poland, Scotland and even the North American Continent).

[gory-2] Cite error: The named reference gory was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] Cohen, Barend A. J., ed. (2004). Forensische geneeskunde: raakvlakken tussen geneeskunst, gezondheidszorg en recht [Forensic medicine: interfaces between medicine, healthcare and law] (in Dutch). Assen: Koninklijke Van Gorcum. ISBN 90-232-3798-6.

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