There were three types of ordeals — ordeal by fire, ordeal by water, and ordeal by combat. The goal of these ordeals was to subject the accused to extreme circumstances, and if able to survive, they were seen as innocent in the eyes of God.
Ordeal by fire required the accused to carry a red hot iron 9 feet and then have their hands bandaged. After three days, they were required to show up in court and show their hands.
If the wounds had started to heal, they were considered innocent. If their condition hadn’t improved, they would be found guilty.
There were two different types of ordeal by water. If they were subjected to a cold water ordeal, their hands and feet were tied and thrown into the water. If they began to float, they were considered innocent. But if they sank, they were guilty.
For hot water ordeals, those accused had to retrieve a stone from the bottom of a kettle of boiling water. Similarly to ordeal by fire, if their hands had begun to heal after three days, they were found innocent.
Lastly, ordeal by combat was used to help two parties solve a dispute. This was mostly used when there were no witnesses or confessions to a crime. Two individuals would fight in combat, and the winner would be declared innocent.
While brutal, these ordeals were used to justify God’s will in the criminal justice system. If the accused could survive or be found innocent after their ordeals, it was believed they had been given power from God.
