Oaths as an Instrument of Power in Southern France, 11th-12th Centuries

In the Languedoc of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, given the absence of a state or an uncontested sovereign authority in this southern part of the kingdom of France, oaths were instruments of power. They constituted the backbone of this society, with very specific modalities for taking them and for the contents of the commitments. In the last analysis, this sacramental act, very flexible in the formulation of its provisions, and based on faith, was far superior to homage in securing power relations. These southern oaths were widely practiced at all levels of aristocratic society, and even had an effect of standardization – creating a formal homology between great lords and petty castle lords (same words, same conditions). However, the oath was probably never free from the hint that it implied service. From the end of the twelfth century, some greater lords (e.g., the King of Aragon and the Count of Foix) asked one of their relatives to take the oath in their place, or promised to pledge their causimentum or their credentia in lieu of an oath. The texts preserved show the casuistry of situations when sworn commitments were not kept, but more often than not it was the actual balance of power that settled the conflicts

Ancient history · Monarchy · Oath · Pledge · Political science · Politics · Ruler · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · History · Law · Medieval and Early Modern Justice · Medieval Literature and History

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