Eric

Under the Brehon laws, various crimes were compounded for by a fine termed “Eiric;” and this mostly consisted of cattle reckoned by “Cumhals,” each cumhal being equal to three cows. These Erics varied from three to three hundred cows; and sometimes even a thousand cows, or more, were exacted as an eric for homicides, robberies, and other crimes. Instances, however, are recorded where criminals did not always get off on paying an eric; for, some malefactors were mutilated, hanged, and beheaded, by order of the Irish chiefs, for murders, sacrilege, etc. This practice of paying only a certain fine for murder, manslaughter, etc., also prevailed amongst various ancient nations, as the Greeks, Romans, Gauls, Germans, Franks, Saxons, and ancient Britons, as well as amongst the Irish. It may be stated that the eric or fine for homicide, etc., under the Brehon laws, was paid to the father, brother, wife, or other relatives of the persons killed or injured; and, according to Ware, the Brehon had for his fee the eleventh part of the fine. Amongst the Anglo-Saxons, by the laws of King Athelstan, according to Blackstone, a fine, denominated “Weregild” was paid for homicide, and this fine varied according to the rank of the person slain, from a king to a peasant. The weregild for killing a “Ceorl,” that is a churl or peasant, was 266 Thrysmas; and even the killing of a King, according to Blackstone, might be compounded for by a fine of thirty thousand Thrysmas; each “thrysma” being equal to about a shilling of our money: the weregild for killing a subject was paid to the relatives of the person slain, but that for the death of a king was payable—one half to the public, and the other to the royal family.