Wergild

Wergild is the value set in Anglo-Saxon and Germanic law upon a life in accordance with rank, and paid as compensation for the loss of that person's life and/or freedom. It is also, in part, a matter of repaying lost honor.
The setting of wergild is done by the person most injured by the action, but who is still alive and cognizant. It should be noted that there is a belief central to this that none can tell a person how much they've lost in such a situation. A lot of leeway is given to the injured person.
There are social pressures and understandings that keep the injured person from taking too great an advantage when setting the wergild, and a Völva may step in if they still go too far. This seldom happens as the culture was rather focused on the idea that generosity and need are cyclical, and one who takes advantage of others may find themselves ostracized.