ABSTRACT
From the Old Norse skuld (“shoulders”) and Old English scyld, corresponding to German Schuld, the lexical meaning of the Danish term is debt to a person or persons, which the debtor is obligated to recompense. It can mean the responsibility a person has when something has gone wrong for which the offender can be criticized. The term is usually understood as a violation of religious or moral standards, exposing the bearer to punishment, penalty, or condemnation. In a legal context, it is criminal culpability, incurred by the attempt to commit an offense for which the offender is civilly or criminally liable. The judgment of an individual as guilty is meant to lead that person to a feeling of remorse for having made a mistake, having not lived up to certain responsibilities, or for having failed or violated another person.1
