THE JURY AND INQUISITION. Etching diptych, hand-pulled limited edition, 7-inch x 10

THE JURY AND INQUISITION. Etching diptych, hand-pulled limited edition, 7-inch x 10 

The Jury:

Having defied the power of God,
She stands accused.
Her skin is wet, branded, and scalded,
The clenched soul of the innocent
Is consumed by the Jury

TRIAL BY COMBAT OR ORDEAL

Medieval Inquisitors and Civil Juries developed many methods for invoking spiritual aid in determining an individual's guilt. These techniques--which often cost the life of participant--are called "trials by ordeal” and “Trial by Combat”
TRIAL BY COMBAT: The knight who was in the right and honest would be the one to win the day since, in popular medieval theology, it was thought that God would favor the just. Death was likely for the looser
TRIAL OF ORDEAL: An Inquisitor or jury of 12 would solemnly announce charges. They would choose one of three possible trials by ordeal for a defendant: holding a red hot iron, being boiled alive, or being thrown into the water to see if they float or sink.
The Ravens patiently wait for their pound of flesh.

Inquisition:
The first light had not appeared on the horizon.
I fumbled through the undergrowth beneath the ravens' roost.
The sky abruptly exploded with accusations.
I stood in awe of the raven’s anger.
I was not the first to see this fury.

Inquisition (definition)- 1. An investigation that violates the privacy or rights of individuals.  2. A rigorous, harsh interrogation. 3. A tribunal formerly held in the Roman Catholic Church and directed at the suppression of heresy
"Heresy" is from the Greek "hairesis", meaning "free choice".