2.1 Heil

Explanation:

There are always conflicts in every society. Between males the conflict can become violent. Today one easily blames the killer for the conflict. One speaks about a 'murderer' and a 'victim' But the 'victim' goes to another world, perhaps to a better world. The 'murderer' stays behind with blood-stained hands. Who is now the perpetrator and who is the victim? When it is a robbery with murder without a relationship between perpetrator and victim, it is obvious. But in most cases victim and killer know each other very well and the victim played an active role in the conflict. In many cases the victim forced his killer to manslaughter.

The old Germanic people were less obsessed with moral blame. One had no divine law, that must be obeyed. They had no commandment: "Thou shall not kill". But if someone was damaged or killed, healing was essential. Without healing the community would be torn apart by feuds. The healing was done by paying compensation or weregild or wergild. The meaning is this is much more obvious in Dutch than in English. Geld in Dutch means money in English. Weregild means man-money or man-payment. The two white horses on the picture symbolize this payment. Paying on white horse for a man is a lot and means honor to the siblings of the victim. Paying two white horses mean a lot of honor for both the siblings as the victim himself.