Medieval Ordeals: Eucharist and Bier Test

Medieval Trial by Ordeal

• The Test of the Eucharist was used to determine guilt or innocence among clergy and monks.
• In this trial, the suspect was given the host (communion wafer) and if guilty, God would strike them with sickness or death, while an innocent person would be protected by Angel Gabriel.

Ordeal of the Bier

• This trial was used to identify a murderer.
• In England, the wounds of the victim were observed to see if they began to bleed again when the murderer was near.

Ordeal of the Needle

• Practiced in Wanaka, Eastern Africa, this trial involved piercing the lower lip of the accused with a red-hot needle.
• If blood flowed from the wound, the person was deemed guilty, while no bleeding indicated innocence.

Ordeal by Heat and Fire

• The accused walked barefoot over red-hot coals or through fire to determine guilt or innocence.
• If the accused remained unburned, they were considered innocent.

Trial of the Cross

• In this trial, the accuser and accused stood under a cross with arms extended or crosswise.
• The first person to move their hands or let them fall was deemed guilty.
• A variation of this trial also existed.

Test your knowledge on medieval ordeals such as the Eucharist and Bier Test used among clergy and monks. Learn about the beliefs where God would punish the guilty with sickness or death, or how the wounds of a slain victim were observed to identify their killer.