In medieval Europe, proving one’s innocence often meant enduring painful trials—walking across burning plowshares, retrieving objects from boiling water, or being submerged in rivers.
These "divine judgments" were based on the belief that God would intervene to protect the innocent, as stated in a recent article by Historie.
However, not all ordeals were equally brutal.
In England and France, one of the mildest trials was the bread-and-cheese test—a strange yet deadly serious method for identifying criminals.
Swallow It or Choke—God Will Decide
Dating back to at least the 10th century, the bread-and-cheese ordeal was a relatively simple test.
A priest would bless the food, carve the Lord’s Prayer into it, and place a poplar cross under the accused’s right foot. Then, while reciting a prayer, the priest forced the accused to eat the bread and cheese.
The belief was that an innocent person would swallow the food with ease, aided by divine intervention.
A guilty person, however, would struggle to swallow—the bread and cheese would supposedly rise back up their throat, causing them to choke.
Superstition Meets the End
Although popular for centuries, the bread-and-cheese ordeal, like many other “divine judgments,” began to lose credibility.
By the 13th century, church leaders dismissed it as superstition, leading to its eventual ban.
Still, its influence lingered in everyday language.
The phrase "May this piece of bread choke me!" became a common way to swear honesty, a lasting echo of a bizarre legal practice from medieval times.
