A letter to Sunyer Raymond

Translated letter:

In the name of God.  This is the agreement which count Raymond and countess Valencia made with Sunyer Raymond.  Said count and countess commend William Folc to said Sunyer for that castrum of Talarn and those speluncas of Solterra, so that said William would be the commended man to said Sunyer, and give him power over said castrum and speluncas every time.  And said count and countess give said Sunyer in fief in his domain that eighth part of the parish which goes to Graner and the eighth part of those suits, except for those men who were Berengar Mir’s, and those men whom Gidards and Raymond Mir held in their domain, and except for homicides and adulteries, and weights (asinas).  And they give him one governance over those men, without those that were Berengar’s and divide in half that service between Sunyer and William Folc, and they make him warden always day and night at that one spelunca of Solterra.  And for all these said and other fiefs which said Sunyer holds and has from his said lords, he agreed that he would be their and their son Peter’s commended man and would be solid* and do to them and Peter fidelity and sacrament according to their will; and every time they wished and asked, he would give them power over that castro of Talarn and those speluncas of Solterra; and he would do military service and cavalry command and assemblies and all services which a man should do to this higher and solid lord always, without any evil trick.  And if those castellans who are now in Talarn died, or made a break in any way, other castellans whom the said count and countess sent to Talarn and Solterra, would be commended men to said Sunyer, and give power to him always over said castros, saving fidelity to the count and countess and their son.  If, however, death came to said count and countess and to Peter, said Sunyer agreed that he would similarly hold and keep that said agreement to his son or daughters or to him whom they determined or passed said castros of Tarlarn (sic) and Solterra on to; and he would do fidelity to them similarly in faith without any evil trick; and he would give him or them similarly power over said castros without deception and without any payment.  This was enacted on the 11th kalends of March in the 20th year of king Philip. +Raymond count. +Valencia countess. +Sunyer, we who made this agreement and signed it and had it signed by witnesses.  +William Folc. +Bertran Bertran . +Raymond Bernard. +Raymond Peter.  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 Sugnario Raimundo. Comandant iam dictus comes et comitissa a predicto Sugnario Guillelmo Fulco apud ipsum castrum de Talarn et cum ipsas speluncas de Subtus terras, ita ut sit suo homine comandatus predicto Guilielmo de iam dicto Sugnario, et que donet potestatem ad illum per totas vices de iam dicto castro et de ipsas speluncas. Et donant per fevum iam dictus comes et comitissa ad pre­dicto Sugnario ad suam dominicaturam ipsam octavam partem de ipsa parrochia que vadit ad Graner, et octavam partem de ipsos placitos, exceptis hoc de ipsos homines qui fuerint de Berenguer Mir, et extra ipsos homines quos tenebant in dominico Gidards et Ramon Mir, et exceptos homicidios et adulterios et assinas. Et donant ei unum amiramentum de ipsos homi­nes, sine ipsos qui fuerint de Berenguer, et dividant per medietate ipsum servicium inter Sugnario et Guilielmo Folcho, et illi faciant guardare omni tempore de die et nocte ipsam unam speluncam de Sots terras. Et per ista omnia iam dicta et per alios fevos quos tenet et abet iam dicto Sugnario de predictos suos seniores, convenit ut sit eorum homine comendatus et de illorum filium Petrum, et sit illorum solidus et faciat ad illos et ad Petrum fidelitatem et sacramentum secundum eorum voluntatem; et per omnes vices, quas illi voluerint et requisierint, donet ad illos potes­tatem de ipso castro de Talarn et de ipsas speluncas de Sots terras; et faciat ad illos hostes et cavalcadas et placitos et cunctos servicios, quos homo debet facere ad suum meliorem et solidum seniorem omni tempore, sine ullo malo ingenio. Et si morierint ipsos castellanos qui modo sunt in Talarn, aut ullo modo venit inobertura de eos, alios castellanos, que mitant comes et comitissa predicti in Talarno et in Sot terras, sint homines comendati de iam dicto Sugnario, et donent potestatem ad illum per totas ,vices de supradictos castros, salva fidelitate de illo comite et comitissa et eorum filium. Si, autem, mors advenerit ad predicto comite et comi­tissa et ad Petro, couvenit iam dicto Sugnario qui similiter teneat et adtendat ista conveniencia predicta ad eius filium aut filiabus aut ad illum cui illi dubitaverint aut dimiserint predictos castros Tarlarn et Sot terras; et faciat ad illum aut ad illos similiter fidelitatem per fidem sine ullo malo ingenio; et donet ad illum aut ad illos similiter potestatem de supradictos castros sine engano et sine ullo lucro. Actum est hoc XI kalendas marci anno xx regis Philippi. +Raimundus comes. +Valencia comitissa.  +Sugnario, qui hanc conveniencia fecimus et firmavimus et testibus firmare fecimus.  +Guillelmo Fulconi.  +Bertran Bertran. +Raimundi Bernardi.  +Remon Petro. Raimundus clericus rogatus scripsit de die et annoque prefixo.

Historical context:

Agreement between the count and countess and the count’s brother, Sunyer Raymond over the castrum of Talarn and the speluncas of Solterra. Spelunca can mean caves/covered passages/tombs, but  here probably means fortifications which are mentioned in #75. A castrum is an administrative district including a castle, a fortification. 

Scholarly notes:

* Solid homage is the equivalent of liege homage, the principal obligation in a system of multiple homage, Kosto, 82, n.13. 

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior, 1. 89-90, #75.  

Date: