Were

The name of a fine among the Saxons imposed upon a murderer.

The life of every man, not excepting that of the king himself, was estimated at a certain price, which was called the were, or vestimatio capitis. The amount varied according to the dignity of the person murdered. The price of wounds was also varied according to the nature of the wound, or the member injured.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.