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Germanic law
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Germanic law Article

Germanic law summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Germanic law.

Germanic law, Law of the various Germanic peoples from ancient times to the Middle Ages. It was essentially unwritten tribal custom, which evolved from popular practice and moved with the tribe. With the spread of Christianity, ecclesiastical law, derived from Roman law, gained importance, especially in matters of marriage and succession. A mercantile law, developed by the 12th century to meet the needs of traders, further eroded the power of local law.

Domesday Book
Anglo-Saxon law Summary
Anglo-Saxon law, the body of legal principles that prevailed in England from the 6th century until the Norman Conquest (1066). In conjunction with Scandinavian law and the so-called barbarian laws (leges barbarorum) of continental Europe, it made up the body of law called Germanic law. Anglo-Saxon