A medieval legal ordeal where someone would be subjected to a test (such as touching hot iron or immersion in water) to prove innocence or guilt, particularly in Anglo-Saxon law.
From Old English 'ælfæt' or related to 'ordeal.' The word has uncertain etymology but may relate to 'elf' or magical forces, reflecting pre-Christian Germanic beliefs that divine intervention would reveal truth. The practice disappeared after the 12th century when the Church banned it.
An alfet was genuinely terrifying—if your hand didn't blister after touching hot iron, you were innocent, but if it did, God was supposedly saying you were guilty! People actually believed in these tests for hundreds of years, and the word reminds us how different medieval justice was from ours.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.