Final answer:
The legal customs of the Germanic tribes greatly influenced the development of common law legal systems, which stemmed from a blend of Germanic and Roman legal traditions that emphasized clan honor, reciprocity, and the use of precedent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The legal customs of the Germanic tribes influenced the development of common law legal systems. Originally, Germanic legal traditions were based on clan honor and reciprocity, contrasting the Roman law's codification and use of precedent. As Germanic rulers mixed with Roman populations, Roman law gave way to traditions of feudal law that incorporated rights and privileges granted by rulers, marking a shift from clan loyalty to a more hierarchical, class-based social structure.
Over time, the Germanic concepts blended with the existing Roman customs, leading to a fusion of legal practices. The Roman legal principles such as the use of precedent and the notion of innocence until proven guilty further influenced the evolving legal systems. Eventually, this blend of Germanic and Roman practices laid the foundation for the common law traditions, particularly in England, where legal decisions were often based on custom and judicial precedents, diverging from the codified Roman law that continued to influence the rest of Europe.