Wergild

A payment of reparation for a death. It was part of a warrior code. There is money to be paid for loss of life to the family of the victim.

Example: King Hrothgar pays the Geats a wergild (also spelled weregild and wergeld) for Grendel's murder of one of their party.

"And compensation,

a price in gold, was settled for the Geat

Grendel had cruelly killed earlier--

as he would have killed more, had not mindful God

and one man's daring prevented that doom."

-Beowulf (Seamus Heaney translation)