danegelt
/ˈdeɪnɡɛlt/
noun
- A tax paid in medieval England to raise money for protection against Viking (Danish) invaders, or to buy peace from them.
- Historians study records of danegelt payments to understand early English economy.
- The danegelt was deeply unpopular because it taxed ordinary people for defense.
- The king imposed a danegelt on landowners to fund the army against the Vikings.
- Any payment made to an aggressor in hopes of buying peace or avoiding conflict, often seen as ineffective or cowardly.
- Paying blackmail is like danegelt — it rarely stops the demands.
- Some critics called the ransom a modern danegelt that only encouraged more attacks.
- The company's settlement felt like danegelt, rewarding the hackers instead of stopping them.