Letters from her Vassals

Translated letter:

1.  From this hour forward, I Bertrand, son of the late Pons, will be faithful to you Ermengard daughter of Rangard, as a man should be to his lord to whom he entrusted himself by the hands in right faith without deception.  From this hour forward, I the said Bertrand shall not deceive/cheat you said Ermengard of those castros of Razès, nor shall I take them from you, or forbid them to you, not those towers nor those walls and fortifications which are there today and will be built there in the future, etc.

2.  From this hour forward, I Roger and I Hugo, sons of the late Guilla, will not deceive/cheat you, Ermengard, daughter of Rangard, nor you Bernard son of Ermengard, of those castles of Carcassonne nor of those fortifications which are there today, etc.

3.  From this hour forward, I William, son of Adalaide, shall not deceive/cheat you Ermengard daughter of Rangard, nor you Bernard, son of Ermengard, of that castle of Carcassonne, nor of those fortifications which are there today, etc.

4.  From this hour forwards, I Arnal, son of Belesen, shall not deceive you Ermengard daughter of Rangard, nor Bernard son of Ermengard, of that castle of Mirepoix, nor of that tower, nor of those fortifications, etc.

5.  From this hour forward, I Peter son of Rixend shall not deceive/cheat you Ermengard daughter of Rangard of your life or your members which hold to your body, nor of that castle of Carcassonne which they call Narbonez, nor of those towers, etc.

Original letter:

1.De ista hora in antea, ego Bertrandus, filius qui fui Poncio, fidelis ero tibi Hermengardis filia Rangardis, sicut esse debet homo suo seniori cui manibus se est commendatus per rectam fidem sine inganno.  De ista hora in antea ego Bertrandus suprascriptus non decipiam te Hermengardam suprascriptam de ipsos castros de Reddas, neque tibi illos tollam neque tibi illos vetabo, ipsas turres neque ipsos muros neque ipsas fortitias quae hodie ibi sunt & in antea ibi factas erunt, &c.

2.De ista hora in antea non decebrei ego Roger ni eu Ugo, filii qui fuimus Guilla, te Hermengars filiam Rangars, ni te Bernardum filium Hermengard, de ipsos castellos de Carcassona neque de ipsas fortezas quae hodie ibi sunt, &c.

3. De ista hora in antea non decebrei ego Guillermus filius Adalaiz, te Hermengard filiam Rangard, ni te Bernardum filium Hermengard de ipso castello de Carcassona, neque de ipsas fortezas quae ibi hodie sunt, &c.

4. De ista hora in antea, non decebra Arnals filius Belesen, Ermengarz filia Rangars, neque Bernard Ermengart filium, de ipsum castellum de Mirapeis, neque de ipsa turre, neque de ipsas forticias,  &c.

5. De ista hora in antea, ego Petrus filius de Rixendis non decebrei te Hermengard filiam Rangard de tua vita neque de tuis membris quae ad tuum corpus se tenent, neque de ipso castello de Carcassona quod vocant Narbonez, neque de ipsas turres, &c.

Historical context:

After the death of the count of Barcelona (1082), Ermengard and her son took oaths of fidelity from various people, asserting their claim to be overlords.  Cheyette says the Trencavel cartulary includes oaths for twenty-five castles and towns to Ermengard alone or to her and her son (“The Sale,” 854). Note that most of the oath takers are identified by their mothers, apparently the practice in this region for oaths of fidelity (Cheyette, Ermengard of Narbonne, 189).   Some of them include phrases and proper names in Provençal.  A castrum is an administrative unit with a castle at the center.

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc 5.692-93, #363.1-5, CCXCV.  

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