A letter from Gerall Alaman

Translated letter:

I Gerall Alaman, son of the woman Sicard, swear to you lady Almodis, countess, daughter of the late Amelia, countess, that from this hour forwards I shall be faithful to you without fraud or evil artifice or any deception.  I said Gerall from this hour forwards shall not decive/deprive you, said countess Almodis, of your life or your members which are held in your body, nor of those cities, nor of those counties, nor of those bishoprics nor of those abbacies, nor of those towns or castles, cliffs or hills, developed or undeveloped, nor of those lands nor of those parias[1] which count Raymond, my lord, son of the late contess Sancia, gave you said countess Almodis, at a time past, or from this hour forward, or should have or will have ordered in his life or at his death in whatever way he will have done it.  And I, said Gerall, will not take from you all the above named, nor take anything of them from you, said Almodis, not I nor any man or men, woman or women, by my counsel or by my artifice.  And I, said Gerall will be an aid to you to hold all the aforesaid and to have and defend, countess Almodis, all the above against all men or man, women or woman, who took or wished to take all the aforementioned from you, said Almodis, or anything from them, when you, countess Amodis, will call upon me, said Gerall, by name or in the name of this oath by yourself or your messengers or messenger; and that messenger will not meet delay there. And I said Gerall will not refuse to be called on and will give said help to you without deception for that town of Monte Acuto or that of Querol, or that of Pinnana, or that of Puntils, as long as I have it.  I shall not refuse power over said towns to you, but will give you power over said towns without deception as often as you ask me for that power over said towns, by yourself or or your messengers or messenger, while my lord count Raymond is alive.  And over said town Pontils, I shall give you power solidly and freely, as long as you live, while I hold it and after your death, I shall give power to that son whom you designate by testament or words and after the death of said count similarly I shall attend to this oath; and I shall give you power over said towns without deception as long as said count Raymond has given you tutelage over his son Peter Raymond.  If, indeed, said Peter Raymond dies, I shall similarly keep that oath to you and give you power over said towns without deception as long as you are alive, as often as you ask me by yourself or by your messengers or messenger; and I may not refuse to be called upon, and he who should call upon me for you, will not meet delay there.  And I shall not say those words[2] which you have told me and ordered me to conceal, if you do not release me by your gracious spirit.  As is written above, so I said Gerall will hold this and keep it without deception.  By God and these holy things.

Original letter:

Iuro ego Gerallus Alamanni, filius qui sum Sicardis, femine, tibi, domne Almodi, comitisse, filia que fuisti Amelie, comitisse, quod ab hac hora et deincebs fidelis ero tibi sine fraude et malo ingenio et sine ulla decepcione. Et ego predictus Gerallus ab hac ora et deincebs no dezebrei te, predictam Almodem comitissam, de tua vita neque de tuis membris que in corpore tuo se tenent, neque de ipsas civitates, neque de ipsos comitatos, neque de ipsos episcopatus, neque de ipsas abbacias, neque de ipsos castros vel castellos, rocas vel puios, condirectos vel discondirectos, neque de ipsas terras, neque de ipsas parias quas Reimundus, comes, se­nior meus, filius qui fuit Sancie, comitisse, tibi, Almodis, comitisse, suprascripta transacto tempore dedit aut de ista hora in antea dederit aut debitaverit aut comandaverit in vita sua sive ad obitum suum qualicumque modo hoc fecerit. Et ego predictus Gerallus ista omnia su­prascripta vobis prenominata no la t tolrei, ne t en tolrei ad te, Almodem, comitissam suprascriptam, nec ego nec homo neque homines, nec femina neque feminas, per meum consilium neque per meum ingenium. Et ego predictus Gerallus adiutor ero ista omnia suprascripta ad tenere et ad abere et defendere ad te, Almodem comitissam, predicta omnia contra cunctos homines vel hominem, feminas vel feminam, que ad te, Almodis iam dicta, tulerint aut tollere voluerint ista omnia supradicta aut de his omnibus suprascriptis, unde tu, Almodis comitissa, me, Geirallum suprascriptum, comonueris per nomen aut in nomine de isto sacramento per te ipsam aut per tuos missos vel missum; et ipse missus reguardum non abebit ibi.  Et ego predictus Geirallus cumunir no m en devedare et predictum adiutorium sine tuo engan lo fare de ipso castro de Mont Agud neque de ipso de Cerol neque de ipso de Pinnana neque de ipso de Puntils quandiu eum abuero. Neque vetabo tibi potestatem de predictis castris, set dabo tibi potestatem de predictis castris sine tuo engan per quantas vices requisieris ad me ipsam potestatem de predictis castris per te aut per tuos missos vel missum, dum predictus senior meus Reimundus, comes, vivus fuerit. Et de predicto castro Pontils dabo tibi potestatem solide et libere, quandiu viva fueris, dum ego tenuero eum, et post obituum tuum dabo tibi potestatem illi filio cui tu dimiseris eum testamento vel verbis et post obitum iam dicti comitis similiter attendam tibi istum sacramentum; et dabo tibi potestatem de predictis castris sine tuo engan, tanto tempore, quanto dimiserit tibi dam dictus comes Reimundus baiuliam Petri Reimundi, filii sui. Si, vero, iam dictus Petrus Reimundi obierit, similiter attendam tibi istud sacramentum et dabo tibi potestatem de predictis castris sine tuo engan, dum viva fueris, per quantas vices eam requisieris ad me per te aut per tuos missos vel missum; et cumunir no m en devedare, et ipse qui me inde comonuerit per te, reguardum non habehit ibi. Et non dixero ipsas parabolas quod dixeris mihi et mandaveris ad me ut celem eas, si tu non absolveris me tuo gradienti animo. Sicut superius scriptum est, ego predictus Gerallus si o tenre et o atendre sine tuo engan. Per Deum et hec sancta.

Historical context:

Oath taken to the countess by Gerall Alaman for Monte Acuto, Querol, Pinnana and Pontils.

Scholarly notes:

Printed source:

LFM 1.315-16, #290.  

Date: