What is the cycle of retaliatory violence called?

• A. Beot
• B. Wergild
• C. Wyrd
• D. Blood feud

Answer: (D)

A blood feud is the pattern of retaliatory violence in which one killing triggers a cycle of revenge killings, leading to ongoing hostilities between families or groups. This concept captures how vengeance can escalate and persist across generations or extended disputes, especially in societies with kin-based justice and honor codes. Wergild, by contrast, is the monetary payment designed to prevent further killings and stop the cycle, not the cycle itself. Beot is a boast or vow, not related to feuding, and wyrd refers to fate guiding events rather than describing a retaliatory sequence. So the term that best describes the endless loop of revenge is blood feud.