Law Code of the 1st Dynasty

Laws of the ɥnehɨʈ͡ʂɨk

The Code of Laws of the ɥnehɨʈ͡ʂɨk cover principally crimes, and the associated retribution and recompense. The rights of the classes are outlined but implicit through the differences in punishment. The document is written in the Old Wajahic Script, in a pre-classical form of the Wajahe language. Though the Wajahe cities have established this law for the entire ɥnehɨʈ͡ʂɨk, this is in name only and in practice is only enforced by the Wajahe cities.

The document translates as follows:

The cities were rife with crime, and escalation of revenge brought death to many that could fight. Aiokkais was enraged, and for 12 days and 12 nights, the sun did not rise. When his anger was mollified by the priests, he presented the councils of the clans with the following document, his word inscribed on paper for all to read:

1. If a person is able to complete a circuit of the city walls upon horseback without mistake before their 15th Winter, they will be declared həɭə (True Wajahe).
2. If a person is unable to complete a circuit of the city walls upon horseback without mistake before their 15th Winter, they will be declared hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk (False Wajahe).
3. If a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk rides a horse, a fine of 1 silver mark will be paid to the clan.
4. If a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk rides a horse during a battle, he will be killed by the Clan Chief himself in a public execution. However, if a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk captures an enemy horse during a battle and while riding upon its back kills an enemy soldier, he will instead be declared həɭə.
5. If a foreigner fighting for a clan has 3 witnesses saying he killed an enemy soldier while riding horseback and the support of 3 clan elders, he will be declared həɭə.
6. If a theft occurs, the victim may commit a revenge killing upon the thief without fear of retribution.
7. If a murder occurs, the victim’s sibling or his likik may commit a revenge killing upon the murderer and any of his siblings without fear of retribution.
8. If a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk is to sleep with a həɭə as the dominant partner, the həɭə will be given 18 lashes and the hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk will be exiled. The family of the hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk may take retribution upon the family of the həɭə.
9. If a person sleeps with the child of a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk without permission from the birthparent, a fine of 6 silver marks will be paid to the birthparent, who will out of the goodness of his heart give 1 silver mark to the clan.
10. If a person sleeps with the child of a həɭə without permission from the birthparent or likik, a fine of 24 silver marks will be paid, who will out of the goodness of his heart give 4 silver marks to the clan.
11. If a person strikes a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk, they must give 3 marks of silver to the victim, but will be free from retribution from the victim’s family. But if a həɭə strikes a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk who is agreed to work for him and another həɭə can verify this hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk did not execute his duties well, then the fine shall be reduced to 1 mark of silver to the victim.
12. If a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk strikes a həɭə, they must give 12 marks of silver to the victim, but will be free from retribution from the victim’s family.
13. If a həɭə strikes a həɭə, they must give 9 marks of silver to the victim, but will be free from retribution from the victim’s family.
14. If a strike should break a tooth, cause loss of function of a limb, or pierce the eye, then the fine due shall be increased by 6 marks of silver.
15. If a person strikes a likik who is not his own, then they will owe the victim 15 marks of silver. But if a person strikes their own likik, then it is the responsibility of the likik and their family to kill the offender, and they will be free from any retribution.
16. If a person strikes a clan elder, they shall be killed by the clan chief himself in a public execution.
17. If a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk is agreed to work for a person but does not fulfill his duties for 1 day, he will forfeit all payment for 1 week.
18. If a hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk is agreed to work for a həɭə but does not fulfill his duties for 1 week, he will lose his position, return to the həɭə silver marks equal in value to 1 week of payment, and receive 12 lashings. But if he is agreed to work for another hʷt͡sʷɥœt͡sk, then he will receive only 3 lashings.
19. If a horse is to lose the function of a limb or lose its coat of hair, it is to be declared impure.
20. If a goat is to witness the death of its goatherd, it is to be declared impure.
21. If an animal breeds with an impure animal, it is to be declared impure, and any children from the union are to be declared impure.
22. If a person sleeps with a horse or other livestock, the clan chief themselves must execute this person, and the animal shall be declared impure.
23. If a person allows an impure animal to breed with the livestock of the clan under their watch, they must give twice the value of that animal in silver marks to the clan.
24. If a person consumes the flesh of an impure animal, they will receive 12 lashings. But if this person convinces a foreigner to purchase an impure animal, acting on behalf of the clan, they shall receive half the value of the purchase for their service.
25. If a person cultivates the field of a neighbor and takes the worth of these crops without permission, he must return the value of these crops in silver marks to the owner of the field, and in addition, must give an equal amount to the clan.
26. If a person cultivates the field of a neighbor with permission, he may take for himself the full value of the crops, but must give to the owner of the field 1 mark for every 12 marks that he collects in value.
27. If a person agrees to cultivate the field of a neighbor but does not fulfill this obligation, the owner of the field may commit a revenge killing upon the offender, without fear of retribution.
28. If a person is unable to pay a debt or fine that is due that exceeds 12 marks of silver, a revenge killing is allowed in recompense.
29. If a person who is unable to pay a debt or a fine dies, their family will take the responsibility of the debt or fine. But if the person is killed in a revenge killing by the person or the family of the one who is owed the amount, then the debt or the fine shall be declared fulfilled through blood.
30. If a revenge killing is committed for some offense that Aiokkais did not see fit to include, and this complaint is brought to the clan elders, then all those participating in the revenge killing shall be killed together by the clan chief himself in a public execution.