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Corsned, The Snack That Used To Determine Guilt Or Innocence And Could Save Your Life
In the past, food could sometimes play a prominent role in justice systems
In the search for truth and justice, humanity has utilized many different methods throughout history. Unfortunately, most of them were ineffective superstitions and misunderstood phenomena. One of the most egregiously made up practices was corsned, a special morsel of food that had the reputed ability to determine guilt or innocence — and by association had the power to determine if you lived or not.
The term corsned dates back to before 1,000 AD, appearing in the documented laws of English King Ethelred II. Linguistically, it combines the Old English words of “cor” (trial, investigation) and “snǽd” (bit, piece).
Also known as the “accursed morsel” or “morsel of execration,” this practice was once ingrained in Old English legal proceedings.
The corsned ritual was terrifyingly simple. A priest blessed a small piece of bread and/or cheese on which he had written the Lord’s Prayer. The bread was supposed to be made from unleavened barley, and the cheese from ewe’s milk that specifically had to be gathered during the month of May. This was no meal, only weighing about ten pennyweights (or one ounce). The…
