LESSON 3

EARLY METHODS OF DETECTING DECEPTION

Ordeal is a term of various meanings closely related to the medieval Latin “dei indicum”
meaning “miraculous decisions” for ancient cases were decided through several tests
usually on physical strength. Ancient method of trial in which the accused is exposed to
physical danger which was supposed to be harmless if innocent.

2. Red Hot Iron Ordeal. This is the ordeal that is practiced in the hill tribe of Rajmal
in North Bengal. The accused places his tongue to a hot iron nine times (9) unless
burned sooner. Sometimes the accused also is made to carry the metal in his hands. If
burned, the accused is put to death.

3. Ordeal by Balance. This is practiced in the Institute of Vishnu, India. This ordeal is
makes use of a scale of balance wherein he accused and accuser shall be placed in
both ends of the balance (seesaw like). The person to be adjudged lighter than the
other shall be acquitted. On the other hand, the person to be adjudged guilty is the one
heavier.

4. Ordeal by Boiling Water. This ordeal is used to point the thief in modern Africa.
The subjects plunged their right arms into the boiling pot to the elbow and step to the
other side of the fire. All are told to undergo the tests without murmuring. The one by
the time has lost some or showed blisters would prove that he or she is the thief.

5. Ordeal by Rice Chewing. The ordeal is used to determine who is telling the truth
or lying. This is practiced in India. It is formed with the kind of rice called “Sathee”,
prepared with various incantations. The person on trial eats, with his face to the east
and then spits upon a peaceful leaf. If the saliva is mixed with blood or the corner of his
mouth swells or if he trembles, he is declared to be a liar.

6. Ordeal of the Red Water. This ordeal is used in Eastern Africa. The accused shall
be required to fast for twelve hours. He shall e required to swallow small amount of
cooked rice and be given emetic red water extracted from the Sassy Tree bark. If the
accused emits or cough out the rice, he is adjudged guilty of the charge, otherwise the
accused is innocent.

7. Trial by Combat. This ordeal orders a fight between the accuser and the accused.
Whoever lost the fight will be adjudged guilty. The one who wins the fight at the same
time wins the case.

8. Ordeal by Drinking Decoction. The ordeal that requires the accused to be given a
decoction to drink by a priest. If the accused was harmless after drinking the
decoction, then he is innocent but if he dies, he is guilty. This ordeal was practiced in:
a. Nigeria
b. Brahamic India
c. India

9. Ordeal by Eating Corsnead. This ordeal is practiced in China and Alexandria,

10. Ordeal by the Eucharist. This ordeal is reserved for the clergy and administered
with pomp and ceremony in the European Countries. The accused will be given any
liquid food that may cause death to any person. If the accused is innocent, Angel
Gabriel will descend from heaven and prevent the accused from swallowing the food
given to him.

11. Ordeal of the Bier. This ordeal is applied to a mystery death of a person. The
corpse will be brought on a bier of boughs after which the natives will ask the corpse
he/she has been bewitched. If the victim died by witchcraft, the bier is supposed to
know more and if the sorcerer who killed him is present, the corpse will touch him/her.
This is practiced in countries of the continent of Australia and Europe.

12. Ordeal by Heat and Fire. In this ordeal, the accused is compelled to walk in bare
foot through the fire, if he remains unhurt then he is innocent. This ordeal was
practiced in:
a. East Germany
b. Early Scandinavian Countries
c. Early England

13. Ordeal by Boiling Oil or Water. The accused is forced to dip his hand into the
boiling water or oil and ask to pick up stone in it. If the accused picked up the stone
placed in the boiling oil/water unhurt, the accused is innocent, otherwise he is guilty.
This is practiced in Asian Countries.

14. Ordeal by Using Red Hot Needle. This is the ordeal used to determine if the
accused or any person is telling a lie or not. A red hot needle shall be drawn through
the lips of the accused. The accused will not be hurt, or the accusedʼs lips will not be
burned if he is innocent. If the accused suffered blisters and burns, he is construed to
be guilty of the offense charged. This is practiced in Wanaka, East Africa.

15. Ordeal of the Tiger. This is the ordeal that makes use of a tiger to be set loose
towards the accused and the accuser placed together. The one that spares or
untouched by the tiger is considered innocent. If both were spared, further elimination
will follow. This ordeal is practiced in Siam.

16. Ordeal by Combat. This is the ordeal that was vividly dramatized in the movie
entitled “Ivanhoe” that was based from the novel of the same title that became the only
legal ordeal that was practiced in England during the reign of Henry III. The accuser and
accused shall convene a duel or fight where the winner shall be adjudged as innocent,
the looser to be guilty of the charge. Those persons not proficient in weapons and
those who could not afford to do so could hire champions in the field to do the fighting
for them.

17. Ordeal of the Cross. The ordeal that lets the accuser and accused to stand with
arms crossed on their breasts infront of atleast 3 designated adjudicator. The one who
endures the longer is deemed to have told the truth. This is practiced in European
Countries.

18. Ordeal by Waxen Shirt. The accused is dressed with cloth covered with wax and
required to walk in barefoot over burning coals. If unhurt through the fire and the wax
did not elt, the accuse is innocent, otherwise guilty.

19. Ordeal of the Donkeyʼs Tail. As a psychological theory, a donkey is placed in a

SELECTED COUNTRIES THAT PRACTICES ORDEALS

A. BURMA OR MYANMAR. The most common ordeal that was practiced in this
country is the ordeal by candle lighting. The accuser and accused are given each
identical candle to be lighted at the same time. The person that holds the candle that
burned first ahead is guilty or a liar. The candle that burned the longest determined
which told the truth.

B. BORNEO. This is the ordeal that utilizes two shell fishes to represent the accuser
and accused. The two shell fishes shall be put in a plate and an irritating fluid was then
be poured onto them. The shellfish that represents the litigant that moves first shall be
adjudged to be innocent or the winner.

C. GREECE. The ordeal by the use of axe is used to determine the guiltiest person. A
suspended axe shall be spanned at the center of a group of suspects. When the axe
stopped, whoever was in line with the blade is the one to be most guilty among the
suspects as pointed out by the divine providence.

D. NIGERIA. The common ordeal used in Nigeria is with the use of a cockʼs feather.
The priest utilizes a cockʼs feather and pierces into the tongue of the accused. If the
feather passed through the tongue easily, the accused is deemed innocent. The other
ordeal is with the use of a corrosive fluid. It will be poured into the eyes of the accused.
If the accused was unharmed then he is innocent, if suffered bruises/blisters and
injuries, the accused shall be deemed guilty.

E. EUROPE AND EARLY USA (17TH CENTURY). Ordeal by water is the common
ordeal used in these continents. This ordeal is used on those accused of witchcraft.
The accused is bound on his hands and feet and put into the body of water. If the body
of the accused sank, he is guilty to be punished to death by burning. If he is half-drawn
or remains on the surface of the water, the accused is innocent.

F. MADAGASCAR. Legal authorities practiced trial by Ordeal. The supposed criminal

However, in some books authored by well known writers and academicians, The
Hereditary Sieve Method was mentioned by Sir Hans Gross his famous book in
Criminal Investigation in which beans are to be thrown into a sieve (bigao in vernacular)
as the name of each suspect is called. If the bean jumps out of the sieve, the owner of
the name is innocent. If the bean remains in the sieve, the person named is the thief.

The Ayur-Veda is a Hindu book of health and sciences that is believed to be the
earliest reference of the ordeals or methods of detecting deception as adopted by
several countries in the world specially Europe. It is also believed to be the basis in the
creation of a polygraph machine.