A letter to William Folc

Translated letter:

In the name of God.  This is the agreement which count Raymond and countess Valencia made with William Folc.  Said count and countess commend Oliver Bernard to said William for that castrum of Talarno and those speluncas of Solterra so that said Oliver would be the man of said William and give him power over that castrum  and those speluncas every time [he sought it].   And said count and countess give in fief to said William in his domain the eighth part of that parish that goes to Graner, and the eighth part of those revenues of justice, except for those men who were Berengar Mir’s, and outside those men that Gidards and Raymond Mir held, and except for homicides and adulteries and ass-weights (asinas).  And they give him governance over those men, excepts Berengar’s, and divide that service in half between Sunyer Raymond and said William, and make both warden for all time day and night for that one speluncas of Solterra.  And by all this said agreement of said William to his said lords, that he would be the commended man of Sunyer Raymond; and that William receives  all this from his hand, saving his fidelity to the count and countess.  And again, said William agrees to said count and countess that he would be their man commended and solid, and do fidelity and oath to them according to their will;  and every time they wished and requested, he would give them power over that castrum of Talarn and those speluncas of Solterra and that castrum of Liminiana; and he would do military service and cavalry commands and assemblies and other services which a man should do for his higher and solid lord always without any evil trick.  Said William agreed to the count and countess that if said Sunyer died or in any way there were a break (inobertura), that he would make another lord for Talarn and Solterra according to the will and order of said count and countess.  And if there were a break in any way with Oliver, another castellan whom the count and countess sent to Talarn and Solterra would be the commended man to said William, and he would give power to him over said castros always.  If, however, death took said count and countess, said William agreed that he would similarly hold and keep this agreement to their son or daughters or to him whom they designated and passed said castros of Talarn and Solterra on to, and he would do fidelity to him or them similarly in faith without deception; and he would give him or them similarly power over said castros without deception and without any payment.  Enacted this nones of December in the 20th year of king Philip. +Raymond count. +Valencia countess. +William Folc, we who made this agreement and signed it and had it signed by witnesses.  +Raymond Girbert. +Arnau Sanla. +Berengar Madex. Raymond, clerk, wrote it as asked on the day and year affixed.

Original letter:

In Dei nomine. Hec est conveniencia que faciunt Raimundus comes et Valencia comitissa apud Guillelmo Folcho. Comandat iam dicto comite vel comitissa ad predicto Guillelmo Olivero Bernardo apud ipsum castrum de Talarno et cum ipsas speluncas de Sots terras, ita ut sit suo homine comendatus predicto Olivero de iam dicto Guillelmo, et que donet potestatem ad illum per totas vices de ipso castro et de ipsas spe­luncas. Et donant per fevum iam dictus comes et comitissa ad predicto Guillelmo ad suam dominicaturam ipsam octavam partem de ipsa parrochia que vadit ad Graner, et octavam partem de ipsos placitos, exceptus hoc de ipsos homines qui fuerunt de Berenger Mir, et extra ipsos homines quos tenebant in dominico Gidards et Ramon Mir, et exceptis homicidiis et adulteriis et asinas. Et donant ei uno admiramento de ipsos homines, sine ipsos qui fuerint de Berenger, et dividant eum per medietatem ipsum servicium inter Sugnario Raimundo et iam dicto Guillelmo, et illi ambo faciant guardare omni tempore de die et nocte ipsam unam speluncam de Sots terras. Et per ista omnia iam dicta convenit iam dicto Guillelmo ad predictos suos seniores quod sit homine comendatus de Sugnario Rai­mundo; et apprehendat ipse Guilelmus hec omnia per suam manum, salva fidelitate de illo comite et comitissa. Et iterum, convenit predictus Guillelmus ad predicto comite et comitissa quod sit eorum homine comen­datus et illorum solidus, et faciat ad illos fidelitatem et sacramentum secundum illorum voluntatem; et per omnes vices quas illi voluerint et requisierint, done(n)t ad illos potestatem de ipso castro de Talarn et de ipsas speluncas de Sots terras et de ipso castro de Liminiana; et faciat ad illos hostes et cavagaltas et placitos et cunctos sevicios quos homo debet facere ad suum meliorem et solidum seniorem omni tempore sine ullo malo ingenio. Convenit iam dicto Guillelmo ad comite et comitissa quod, si obierit iam dicto Sugnario aut ullo modo venerit de eo inobertura, quod faciat alium seniorem per Talarn et Sots terras secundum voluntatem et mandamentum de predictos comite et comitissa. Et, si ullo modo venerit eciam inobertura de Oliver, aliud castellanum que mittant comes et comitissa in Talarn et in Sots terras, sit homine comen­datus de iam dicto Guillelmo, et donet potestatem per totas vices ad illum de ipsos castros iam dictos. Si, autem, mors advenit ad predictos comite et comitissa, convenit predictus Guillelmus quod similiter teneat et attendat ista conveniencia predicta ad eius filium aut filiabus aut ad illum cui illi dubitaverint aut dimiserint prediictos castros Talarn et Sots terras, et faciat ad illum aut ad illos similiter fidelitatem per fidem sine enganno; et donet ad illum aut ad illos similiter potestatem de supra dictos castros sine enganno et sine ullo lucro. Actum est hoc nonas decembris anno XX regis Philippi. +Raimundus comes.  +Valencia comitissa.  +Guillelmo Fulcho, qui hanc convenienciam fecimus et firmavimus et ad testibus firmare fecimus. +Raimundi Girberti.  +Arnallo Sanla.  +Berenger Madex. Raimundus clericus rogatus scripsit sub die et annoque prefixo.

Historical context:

Agreement between the count and countess* and William Folc over castrum of Talarn and the speluncas of Solterra, which is high in the mountains.   The word can mean caves, covered passages, tombs, but probably involves fortifications, which are specified in #74 in Solterra.  A castrum is an administrative district including a castle, a fortification.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior,  1.87-88, #73. 

Date: