
Episode 23: Tacitus and Germanic Society
The History of English Podcast
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The Germanic Ordeal and Its Influence on Language and Culture
This chapter discusses the practice of ordeal or dell in Old English as a method of determining guilt or innocence, involving painful or life-threatening tests. It also mentions the continuation of this practice into Anglo-Saxon England and the Salem witch trials, and hints at exploring Germanic religion and mythology in the next episode.
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