A historical tax in medieval England used to pay off or buy peace from Viking raiders (Danes), especially during the 10th-11th centuries.
From Old English 'Dane' plus 'geld' (payment or tribute), literally meaning 'payment to the Danes.' The word perfectly preserves the historical practice of appeasement.
Danegeld is the original 'paying protection money'—medieval English leaders kept throwing gold at Vikings to avoid invasion, and the word became synonymous with futile appeasement (some say this influenced foreign policy thinking for centuries).
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