A person who took an oath to support the credibility or innocence of an accused person in medieval court proceedings.
From Medieval Latin 'compurgator', from Latin 'compurgare' (to purge or cleanse together), from 'com-' (together) + 'purgare' (to purify). These oath-helpers literally testified to 'purify' someone's reputation.
Compurgators reveal how medieval justice worked: instead of evidence, you'd bring character witnesses to swear oaths supporting you—essentially making perjury worse because it implicated more people, creating a chain of accountability.
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