Ordeal Info

The most infamous of these was the Ordeal by Water . In this ritual, the accused was bound and lowered into a body of water. If they sank (purity), they were pulled out, hopefully before drowning, and declared innocent. If they floated (impurity), the water—seen as a holy element—had rejected them, and they were deemed guilty. Similarly, the Ordeal by Iron required the accused to carry a red-hot iron bar for a set distance. Their wounds were bandaged, and after three days, they were inspected. If the wound was healing cleanly, God had intervened, and the person was innocent; if the wound festered, guilt was pronounced.

But looking back, an ordeal compresses the most growth into the shortest calendar span. Ordeal

First, it lasts. Ordeals are not fleeting pains; they are prolonged winters of the spirit. Second, they strip you of agency. During the climax of an ordeal, you often cannot fight back or run away. You can only endure. Third, and most critically, an ordeal changes you. It leaves a scar. When you walk through an ordeal, the person who enters is never the same as the person who exits. The most infamous of these was the Ordeal by Water