A letter from Raymond Berengar

Translated letter:

From this hour forward I Raymond son of Garsend shall not deceive/deprive Ermengard viscountess, daughter of Rangard of her life, and her members which hold to her body, nor shall I take nor kill her;  I shall not take her cities, her castles, nor her honors, nor will any man or woman by my counsel or by my trick, or by my consent.  And if any man or woman should do this, I Raymond son of Garsend shall not have peace nor association with him or her; and if you Ermengard, daughter of Rangard summon me, at the time you summon me through you or your messenger or your messengers without deceit, I Raymond son of Garsend shall help you except against Raymond, viscount son of Rangard, and William of Toulouse, and Raymond count of Rouergue (Ructhenis), and Gifred archbishop of Narbonne, and Frotar bishop,  and the count of Barcelona, and the count of Carcassonne, and Peter of Minerve, and except my men whom I could direct, if you, Ermengard, daughter of Rangard wished to accept it.  As is written in this document (parchment), and a cleric can read it, so shall I hold it and attend to it as far as I know it, in faith without deceit.  Peter Roger wrote this as asked.

Original letter:

De ista hora in antea non decebra Raymundus filius Garsendis Hermengarda vicecomitissa filia Rangars de sua vita, & de sua membra quae ad corpus suum se tenent, ni lo prendra ni l’aucira; neque civitates suas, neque castellos, neque suos honores non tolra, nec homo nec faemina per meum consilium, nec per meum ingenium, neque per meum consentimentum.  Et si homo est aut faemina qui hoc faciat, cum illo neque cum illa finem nec societatem ego Raymundus filius Garsendis non aurai; & si tu Hermengards filia Rangars me comons, per illas horas quae me comoneas ego Raymundus filius Garsendis in adjutorio t’en serai, per te, aut per tuum missum, aut per tuos missos sine inganno, exceptis Raymundo vicecomite filio Rangars, & Guillelmo de Tolosa, & Raymundo comite de Ructhenis, & Gifredo archiepiscopo de Narbona, & Froterio episcopo, & comite de Barchinona, & comite de Carcassona, & Petro de Menerba, & exceptos meos homines de quibus directum facere potuero, si tu Hermengardis filia Rangardis accipere volueris.  Sicut in isto pergameno scriptum est, & clericus legere potest, si o tenrai & o atenrai, meo sciente per fidem sine inganno.  Petrus Rogerii rogatus scripsit.

Historical context:

Raymond Berengar of Narbonne swears an oath of fidelity to Ermengard.  He swore a similar oath to her husband, Raymond.  Note that all the principals in this oath are identified by their mothers, apparently the practice in this region for oaths of fidelity (Cheyette, Ermengard of Narbonne, 189).  The mothers of both Ermengard and her husband Raymond Bernard were named Rangard.  The oath contains several phrases and proper names in Provençal.

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc 5.566, #288.2, CCXLII.  

Date: