Diët (Gayo: diöt, Alas: diat, Arabic dijah) was the Atjèhnese blood money (zoengeld) — the composition sum paid as the non-bloody form of revenge for manslaughter or wounding, in contrast to bila (the violent blood revenge). Tariffed by adat and dependent on the parties’ rank, diët was one of the four types of Atjèhnese debt (oetang), specifically the oetang njawöng (life debt from murder).
Tariffs
The diët tariffs varied by region and rank:
- In Atjèh: 500 dollars for a free person, half for a slave
- In Gajö: 400–600 dollars
- In Alas: 120 dollars for a commoner, more for a head
The four types of debt
The four types of Atjèhnese debt (oetang) were:
- Oetang meuïh — money debt
- Oetang djandji — debt from promise
- Oetang darah — blood debt from wounding (a lesser form)
- Oetang njawöng — life debt from murder (the diët)
Tjo ripè
The diët was collected through the tjo ripè — the collection of contributions from kawöm-genooten (clan members) to pay fines imposed by the administration, but above all to pay diët. This collective responsibility for blood-money payment was a key function of the kawöm (clan) system.
Comparison with bila
Diët was the peaceful alternative to bila (blood revenge). Where bila demanded the “blood-debt sacrifice” (bila göb) — the killing of the offender or a clan member — diët allowed the matter to be settled through payment. The choice between bila and diët depended on the wishes of the wronged party and the ability of the offender’s kawöm to pay.
See Also
Source
Atjèh. Algemeen samenvattend overzicht van land en volk van Atjèh en onderhoorigheden, door J. Kreemer, Archivaris van het Atjèh Instituut. Tweede Deel. Leiden: N.V. Boekhandel en Drukkerij voorheen E.J. Brill, 1923.
Identifier: Delpher MMKB02B:000001798; PPN 395084288. Koninklijke Bibliotheek.