A letter to Raymond/Ramon, count of Barcelona

Translated letter:

I, Ermessenda, daughter of Adaleide, countess, swear to you count Raymond, son of countess Sancha, that from this hour forward, as long as I shall live, I shall not deceive/deprive you, said count Raymond, of your life nor of your members which are in your body, not you nor your posterity.  And I, said Ermessenda, shall not deceive nor deprive you, count Raymond or your posterity, not I nor any man or woman by my counsel or by my trick or through my order or consent, of that city called Girona, nor of that castrum which they call Gironella, nor of its walls and towers and all the buildings that are in said city and pertain to said city, nor of that county which they call Girona with all its territories and appurtenances, nor of those castra or castles which are in said county and pertain to said county, nor of those comital domains which are in said county with all their territories and appurtenances, nor of that bishopric of St. Mary, see of said city of Girona, with all its territories and appurtenances, nor of those abbeys which are in said county or bishopric with all their appurtenances, nor of those cliffs or hills, developed or undeveloped, cultivated or barren, which are in said county or bishopric and pertain to said county or bishopric.  And I, said Ermessenda, shall not deceive or deprive you, said count Raymond, nor your posterity, not I nor a man or woman by my counsel or by my trick or by my order or consent of that city which they call Barcelona, nor of that county which they call Barcelona, with all its territories and appurtenances, nor of those castra or castles which are in said county, nor of the bishopric of Holy Cross and St. Eulalia, see of said city of Barcelona, nor of those comital domains which are in said county or bishopric, nor of those cliffs or hills, developed or undeveloped, cultivated or barren, which are in said county or bishopric or pertain to said county or bishopric. And I, said Ermessenda, shall not deceive or deprive you, said count Raymond, nor your posterity, not I nor a man or woman by my counsel or by my trick or by my order or consent of that county which they call Osona with all its appurtenances, nor of that bishopric of St. Peter with all its territories and appurtenances, nor of those castra or castles which are in said county or bishopric and pertain to said county or bishopric, with all their territories and appurtenances, nor of those abbeys which are in said county or bishopric with all their appurtenances, nor of those comital domains which are in said county or bishopric, nor of that city which they call Minorisa, nor of that county which they call Minorisa with all its territories and appurtenances, nor of those castra or castles,  nor of those cliffs or hills, developed or undeveloped, cultivated or barren, which are in said county or bishopric and pertain to said county or bishopric.  And I, said Ermessenda, shall not deceive or deprive you, said count Raymond, nor your posterity, not I nor a man or woman by my counsel or by my trick or by my order or consent of that castrum which they call Cardona with all its buildings and all its territories and appurtenances, nor of all those authorities and voices which I have and ought to have in the county or bishopric of Urgell, nor of that castrum which they call Begur, with its buildings and all its territories and appurtenances, nor of that castrum of Apierola with its buildings and all its territories and appurtenances, nor of that castrum of Pontils, with its buildings and all its territories and appurtenances, nor of my marriage dues and my dower and my tithe, from what was left to me for life by lord Raymond, the count, my husband, all of which I sold, quitclaimed and released to you, without deception.  And I, said Ermessenda, shall not take from you, said Raymond, count, or your posterity all said things or any of all the above, not I nor a man or woman by my counsel or by my trick or by my order or consent.  And I, said Ermessenda shall not reclaim further from you, said count Raymond, nor your posterity, any of all the above, not I nor a man or woman by my counsel or by my trick or by my order or consent.

 And I, said Ermessenda, shall have lord Victor, Roman pope, lift that excommunication which said pope Victor made against said Raymond, count, and against Almodis, countess, for me, said Ermessenda, by the next coming feast of Easter, without deception.  If I, said Ermessenda, shall live, or if said pope Victor shall live, I, said Ermessenda, shall have that lord Victor, pope, lift that excommunication which he made for me against lord Gaufred, archbishop of Narbonne, and against all the men and women, if I, said Ermessenda, shall live or if said pope shall live.  And I, said Ermessenda, shall have lord Remball, archbishop of Arles, and lord Gaufred, archbishop of Narbonne, lift that excommunication which they made on the order of said lord Victor, pope, in the synod of Toulouse against you, said count Raymond, and against said countess Almodis, without decetion, by the first coming feast of St. Felix of Girona without gift of my wealth, if I, said Ermessenda, shall live or if said archbishops shall live.  And I, said Ermessenda, shall have said lord pope Victor lift that excommunication, without deception, which said pope made for the woman Blanche, against you, said count Raymond and against said countess Almodis by the first coming feast of All Saints if ever I can without gift of my wealth, if I, said Ermessenda,  shall live or if said pope Victor shall live.  And I, said Ermessenda, as is written above, shall hold and keep faithfully and sincerely to you, said count Raymond, and your posterity, without deception, all that is prescribed, to my knowledge, except what you, said Raymond, absolve me of by your willing spirit without force.  By God and these saints. 

Original letter:

Iuro ego Ermessendis, filia que fui Adalazis, chomitisse, tibi, Rai­mundo chomiti, filius qui fuisti Sancie comitisse, quod ab hac ora et deincebs in futuro tempore, dum vivero, non dezebre te, Remundum, comitem predictum, de tua vita, neque de tuis membris que in corpore tuo se tenent, nec te neque posteritatem tuam. Et ego predicta Ermessindi non engannare, nec dizebre nec ego nec homo vel femina per meum consilium neque per meum ingenium neque per meum stabilimentum vel assentimentum te, predictum Remundum, comitem, nec posteritatem tuam de ipsa civitate quam dicunt Gerundam, neque de ipso castro quod dicunt Ierundellam, neque de ipsis muris et turribus et edificiis omnibus que in predicta civitate sunt et ad predictam civitatem pertinent, neque de ipso comitatu quem dicunt Gerundensem cum suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipsis chastris aut castellis que in predicto comitatu sunt et ad predictum comitatum pertinent, neque de ipsis dominicaturis chomitalibus que in predicto chomitatu sunt cum omnibus illarum terminis et pertinenciis, neque de ipso episcopatu Sancte Marie sedis predicte civitatis Ierunde, cum suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipsis abbaciis que in predicto comitatu vel episcopatu sunt cum illarum pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipsas rochas aut puios, condirectos vel discondirectos, cultos aut heremos, que in predicto chomitatu vel episcopatu sunt et ad predictum, chomitatum vel episcopatum pertinenent. Et ego predicta Ermessindis non enganare nec dezebre te, Remundum comitem predictum, nec posteritatem tuam, nec ego nec homo vel femina per meum consilium neque per meum ingenium neque per meum stabilimentum vel assintimentum de ipsa civitate quam dicunt Barchinona neque de ipso comitatu quem dicunt Barchinonensem cum suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipsis chastris vel chastellis que in predicto chomitatu sunt, neque de ipso episcopatu Sancte Crucis et Sancte Eulalie sedis predicte civitatis Barchinone, neque de ipsis dominicaturis chomitalibus que in predicto chomitatu vel episcopatu sunt, neque de ipsas rochas vel puios, condirectos vel discondirectos, cultos vel heremos, qui in predicto chomitatu vel episcopatu sunt vel ad predictum chomitatum vel episcopatum pertinent. Et ego predicta Ermessindis non engannare nec dizebre te, Remundum chomitem predictum, nec posteritatem tuam nec ego nec homo vel femina per meum consilium neque per meum ingenium neque per meum stabilimentum vel assentimentum de ipso comitatu quem dicunt Ausonensem cum suis omnibus et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipso Ausonensi episcopatu Sancti Petri cum suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipsis chastris vel chastellis que in predicto chomitatu vel episcopatu sunt et ad predictum chomitatum vel episcopatum pertinent, neque de ipsis abbaciis que in predicto chomitatu vel episcopatu sunt cum illorum terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipsis dominicaturis chomitalibus que in predicto chomitatu vel episcopatu sunt, neque de ipsa civitate quam dicunt Minorisam, neque de ipso comitatu quem dicunt Minorensem cum suis termi­nis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipsis chastris vel castellis, rochas, vel puios, condirectos vel discondirectos, cultos vel heremos, qui in predictis comitatibus vel episcopatu sunt vel ad predictos comitatus vel episcopatum pertinent. Et ego Ermessindis predicta non enganare nec dizebre te, Remundum, comitem predictum, neque posteritatem tuam nec ego nec homo vel femina per meum consilium neque per meum ingenium neque per meum stabilimentum vel assentimentum de ipso castro quod dicunt Cardona cum suis omnibus edificiis et cum suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipsis auctoritatibus et vocibus omnibus quas habeo et habere debeo in comitatu vel episcopatu Urgellensi, neque de ipso castro quod dicunt Begur cum suis edificiis et cum suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipso castro de Apierola cum suis edifi­ciis et cum suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipso castro de Pontibus cum suis edificiis et terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, neque de ipso meo sponsalicio et dote mea ac decimo meo, de mea violaria dimissione domni Remundi, comitis, viri mei, que omnia, tibi vendidi, evacuavi et deffinivi sine tuo engan. Et ego Ermenssindis predicta non tollam tibi, predicto Remundo, comiti, vel posteritati tue predicta omnia vel aliquid de predictis omnibus nec ego nec, homo vel femina, per meum consilium neque per meum ingenium neque per meum stabilimentum. vel assenti­mentum.

Et ego predicta Ermessindis amplius non repetam te, predictum Remundum, comitem, nec posteritatem tuam de his predictis re­bus omnibus nec ego nec homo vel femina per meum consilium neque per meum ingenium neque per meum stabilimentum vel assentimentum.  Et ego, predicta Ermessindis, faciam domnum Victorem, papam Romanum, solvere illam excomunicacionem, quam predictus papa Victor fecit contra predictum Remundum, comitem, et contra Almodem, comitissam, pro me, predicta Ermessindi, usque ad festivitatem Pasce proximam venientem sine engan. Si ego, predicta Ermenssindis, viva fuero, aut si predictus papa Victor vivus fuerit, ego predicta Ermessindis faciam eundem domnum Victorem, papam, solvere illam excomunicacionem quam fecit pro me contra domnum Gaufredum, Narbonensem archiepiscopum, et contra cunctos homines et feminas, [si ego predicta] Ermessinda viva fuero aut si predictus papa vivus fuerit. Et ego predicta Ermessindis faciam domnum Reemballum, archiepiscopum Arelatensem, et domnum Gaufredum, archiepiscopum Narbonensem, solvere illam excomunicacionem quam fecerunt iussu(m) predicti domini Victoris, pape, in Tolosana sinodo contra te, predictum Remundum comitem, et contra predictam comitissam Almodem, sine engan, usque ad festivitatem Sancti Felicis Ierundensis primam venientem sine dono de meo aver, si ego predicta Ermessindis viva fuero aut si predicti archiepiscopi vivi fuerint. Et ego predicta Ermessindis faciam predictum domnum Victorem, papam, solvere illam excominicacionem, sine engan, quam predictus papa fecit pro Blancha, femina, contra te, predictum Remundum, comitem, et contra predictam comitissam Almodem usque ad festivitatem Omnium Sanctorum primam venientem, si facere potuero unquam sine dono de meo aver, si viva fuero ego predicta Ermessindis aut si predictus papa Victor vivus fuerit. Et ego predicta Ermessindis, sicut superius scriptum est, sic tenebo et attendam fideliter et sinceriter tibi, predicto Remundo comiti, et posteritati tue sine engan, prescripta omnia, me sciente, excepto quantum tu, predicte Remundo, me absolveris tuo grato animo sine forcia.  Per Deum et istos sanctos.

Historical context:

The oath which the countess made to her grandson, count Raymond, on the counties and the castrum of Cardona, which she had sold him to end their long dispute.  A castrum is an administrative unit, which includes a fortification/castle at its center.  Ermessenda also promises to have the pope lift the excommunication which he had put on Raymond and his wife, Almodis, in her behalf.

Printed source:

LFM 1.223-26, #215.

Date: