While regional nobles and sovereigns vied for power across Germany, the Vehmic courts alone derived their power exclusively from the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire through the Middle Ages and into the 19th century.
If someone was to be summoned to appear in court, a notice would be nailed to their door or to a nearby tree or landmark. When the accused arrived, they were sworn on a sacred relic - usually a skull similar to the one shown here. Engravings of mystical letters were written on these works. The first pair of "S" stood for Stein and Strick - it meant stone and rope. "G G" meant grass and grein; grass and sadness. An additional "S S", apparently optional (as evidenced by other skulls from this period), could represent the sacrificial sanctum, or sacred offerings.
If someone was to be summoned to appear in court, a notice would be nailed to their door or to a nearby tree or landmark. When the accused arrived, they were sworn on a sacred relic - usually a skull similar to the one shown here. Engravings of mystical letters were written on these works. The first pair of "S" stood for Stein and Strick - it meant stone and rope. "G G" meant grass and grein; grass and sadness. An additional "S S", apparently optional (as evidenced by other skulls from this period), could represent the sacrificial sanctum, or sacred offerings.