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Encyclopedia > Oaths of Strasbourg
Text of the Oaths

The Oaths of Strasbourg (Modern French: les serments de Strasbourg, Modern German: die Straßburger Eide) is the name by which we know the pledges of allegiance taken in 842 by Louis the German, son of Louis the Pious, and ruler of the eastern Frankish kingdom, and with his brother, Charles the Bald, ruler of the western Frankish kingdom, at Strasbourg. As well as their allegiance, Louis and Charles pledged their opposition to the Emperor, their elder brother Lothair. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (461x897, 430 KB) Pars extracta e Sacramentā Argentariae. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (461x897, 430 KB) Pars extracta e Sacramentā Argentariae. ... French (français, spelled françois until 1835, both pronounced in standard French, but often heard pronounced ), or French language (langue française, formerly langue françoise, both pronounced ), is the third of the Romance languages in terms of number of speakers, after Spanish and Portuguese. ... Events Oath of Strasbourg - alliance of Louis the German and Charles the Bald against emperor Lothar - sworn and recorded in vernacular languages. ... Louis the German (also known as Louis II) (804 - September 28, 876), the third son of the emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Irmengarde, was ruler of Eastern Francia from 817 until his death. ... Louis the Pious making penance at Attigny in 822. ... Charles the Bald - Detail from a painting in the First Bible of Charles the Bald, painted ca. ... City motto: – City proper (commune) Région Alsace Département Bas-Rhin (67) Mayor Fabienne Keller (UMP) (since 2001) Area 78. ... Lothair can refer to: Lothair of France, (941–986), King of France. ...


According to our chief source for the meeting, Nithard's Life of Louis the Pious, each king swore the oath in the vernacular of the other's kingdom. Historians have long used this passage to illustrate the theory that, by 842, Carolingian society had begun to split into separate proto-countries with different languages and customs. Philologists are more interested in the texts of the oaths themselves; in a version of Old French, they are one of the first texts we have written in a Romance language clearly distinct from Latin. Nithard (790 - 844), a Frankish historian, was the illegitimate son of Angilbert, the friend of Charlemagne, by Bertha, a daughter of the great emperor. ... An oath (from Saxon eoth) is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually a god, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. ... The Carolingians (also known as the Carlovingians) were a dynasty of rulers that eventually controlled the Frankish realm and its successors from the 8th to the 10th century, officially taking over the kingdoms from the Merovingian dynasty in 751. ... Philology is the study of ancient texts and languages. ... Old French is a term sometimes used to refer to the langue doïl, the continuum of varieties of Romance language spoken in territories corresponding roughly to the northern half of modern France and parts of Belgium and Switzerland during the period roughly from 1000 to 1300 A.D... The Romance languages, also called Romanic languages, are a subfamily of the Italic languages, specifically the descendants of the Vulgar Latin dialects spoken by the common people evolving in different areas after the break-up of the Roman Empire. ... Latin is the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...


In recent years, however, another theory has come to the fore: the Frankish Kingdom comprised several regna (loosely translated as kingdoms) that had always maintained different customs and dialects. In support of this theory is the fact that both Charlemagne and Louis the Pious sent their sons to be raised in the regna they were meant to inherit as their primary territory, in order to guarantee the support of the people by being familiar with them and their customs. The Franks were one of several west Germanic tribes who entered the late Roman Empire from Frisia as foederati and established a lasting realm in an area that covers most of modern-day France and the region of Franconia in Germany, forming the historic kernel of both these two modern... A Frankish king, like Charlemagne, (center) depicted in the Sacramentary of Charles the Bald (about 870) Charlemagne (c. ...


The text

The full text with English translation

Colour-coding

Below, the text in Latin is marked in red; the Romance text, in blue; the Germanic text, in green. English is in the default black.


The transcriptions are slightly corrected, with abbreviations written out.


The image to the right is a scan of the original text. In the transcription below, two asterisks mark the beginning and end of the text visible in this scan.

Original text English translation

Ergo xvi kal. marcii Lodhuvicus et Karolus in civitate que olim Argentaria vocabatur, nunc autem Strazburg vulgo dicitur, convenerunt et sacramenta que subter notata sunt, Lodhuvicus romana, Karolus vero teudisca lingva, juraverunt. Ac sic, ante sacramentum circumfusam plebem, alter teudisca, alter romana lingua, alloquuti sunt. Lodhuvicus autem, quia major natu, prior exorsus sic coepit:

So, Louis and Charles met on 16th February in the town that used to be called Argentaria but which is commonly now known as Strasbourg, and they swore the oaths given below, Louis in Romance and Charles in Teutonic. But before swearing the oaths, they made speeches in Teutonic and Romance. Being the elder, Louis began, as follows:

“Quotiens Lodharius me et hunc fratrum meum, post obitum patris nostri, insectando usque ad internecionem delere conatus sit nostis. Cum autem nec fraternitas nec christianitas nec quodlibet ingenium, salva justicia, ut pax inter nos esset, adjuvare posset, tandem coacti rem ad juditium omnipotentis Dei detulimus, ut suo nutu quid cuique deberetur contenti essemus.


“In quo nos, sicut nostis, per misericordiam Dei victores extitimus, is autem victus una cum suis quo valuit secessit. Hinc vero, fraterno amore correpti nec non et super populum christianum conpassi, persequi atque delere illos noluimus, sed hactenus, sicut et antea, ut saltem deinde cuique sua justicia cederetur mandavimus.


“At ille post haec non contentus judicio divino, sed hostili manu iterum et me et hunc fratrem meum persequi non cessat, insuper et populum nostrum incendiis, rapinis cedibusque devastat. Quamobrem nunc, necessitate coacti, convenimus et, quoniam vos de nostra stabili fide ac firma fraternitate dubitare credimus, hoc sacramentum inter nos in conspectu vestro jurare decrevimus.


“Non qualibet iniqua cupiditate illecti hoc agimus, sed ut certiores, si Deus nobis vestro adjutorio quietem dederit, de communi profectu simus. Si autem, quod absit, sacramentum quod fratri meo juravero violare praesumpsero, a subditione mea necnon et a juramento quod mihi jurastis *unumquemque vestrum absolvo”

“Let it be known how many times Lothair has — since our father died — attempted to destroy me and this brother of mine, committing massacres in his pursuit of us. But since neither brotherhood nor Christianity nor any natural inclination, save justice, has been able to bring peace between us, we have been forced to take the matter to the judgement of almighty God, so that we may accept whatever His will is.


“The result was, as you all know, that by the Grace of God we came out as victors, and that he, defeated, went back to his people where he was stronger. But then, motivated by brotherly love and compassion for Christendom, we decided not to pursue and destroy them; instead, until now, we have asked him to at least submit to justice as in the past.


“But he, despite this, not content with God's judgement, does not cease to come after me and this brother of mine with his armies. Moreover, he is devastating our people by burning, pillaging and murdering. That is why we now, driven by necessity, are having this meeting, and, since we believe that you doubt our firm faith and brotherhood, we shall swear this oath between us before all of you.


“This act is not in bad faith, but simply so that, if God gives us peace thanks to your help, we may be certain that a common benefit will come of it. Should I — God forbid — break the oath which I am about to swear to my brother, I release you from my sovereignty over you and from the oath that you have all sworn to me.”

Cumque Karolus haec eadem verba romana lingua perorasset, Lodhuvicus, quoniam major natu erat, prior haec deinde se servaturum testatus est:

Once Charles had finished off the speech with the same words in Romance, Louis, since he was the elder, then swore allegiance first:

“Pro Deo amur et pro christian poblo et nostro commun salvament, d'ist di in avant, in quant Deus savir et podir me dunat, si salvarai eo cist meon fradre Karlo et in ajudha et in cadhuna cosa, si cum om per dreit son fradra salvar dift, in o quid il me altresi fazet, et ab Ludher nul plaid numquam prindrai, qui, meon vol, cist meon fradre Karle in damno sit.”

“For the love of God and for Christendom and our common salvation, from this day onwards, as God will give me the wisdom and power, I shall protect this brother of mine Charles, with aid or anything else, as one ought to protect one's brother, so that he may do the same for me, and I shall never knowingly make any convenant with Lothair that would harm this brother of mine Charles.”

Quod cum Lodhuvicus explesset, Karolus teudisca lingua sic hec eadem verba testatus est:

When Louis had finished, Charles swore with the very same words in Teutonic:

“In godes minna ind in thes christiânes folches ind unsêr bêdhero gehaltnissî, fon thesemo dage frammordes, sô fram sô mir got gewizci indi mahd furgibit, sô haldih thesan mînan bruodher, sôso man mit rehtu sînan bruodher scal, in thiu thaz er mig sô sama duo, indi mit Ludheren in nohheiniu thing ne gegango, the mînan willon imo ce scadhen werdhên.”

“For the love of God and Christendom and the salvation of us both, from this day on, as God will give me the wisdom and power, I shall protect this brother of mine, as one ought to protect one's brother, so that he may do the same for me, and I shall never go along with Lothair in anything that, by my will, would harm him [Louis].”

Sacramentum autem quod utrorumque populus, quique propria lingua, testatus est, romana lingua sic se habet:

The oath that each of the two peoples (i.e. the assembled armies) then swore in their respective languages is, in Romance, as follows:

“Si Lodhwigs sagrament que son fradre Karlo jurat conservat et Karlus, meos sendra, de suo part n lostanit, si io returnar non l'int pois, ne io ne neuls cui eo returnar int pois, in nulla ajudha contra Lodhuwig nun li iu er.”

“If Louis keeps the oath that he has sworn to his brother Charles, and Charles, my lord, on the other hand breaks it, and if I cannot dissuade him from it — neither I nor anyone that I can dissuade from it — then I shall not help him in any way against Louis.”

Teudisca autem lingua:*

And in Teutonic:

“Oba Karl then eid, then er sînemo bruodher Ludhuwîge gesuor, geleistit, indi Ludhuwîg mîn hêrro then er imo gesuor forbrihchit, ob ih inan es irwenden ne mag: noh ih noh thero nohhein, then ih es irwenden mag, widhar Karlo imo ce follusti ne wirdlõit.”

“If Charles keeps the oath that he has sworn to his brother Louis, and Charles, my lord, on the other hand breaks the oath he has sworn, and if I cannot dissuade him from it — neither I nor anyone that I can dissuade from it — then I shall not follow him against Charles.”

Quibus peractis Lodhuwicus Reno tenus per Spiram et Karolus iuxta Vuasagum per Vuîzzûnburg Vuarmatiam iter direxit.

With this completed, Louis left for Worms along the Rhine via Spire; and Charles, along the Vosges via Wissembourg. Worms is a city in Germany, situated in Rhineland-Palatinate. ... Vosges is a French département, named after the Vosges mountain range. ... Wissembourg (German: Weißenburg) is a small town and commune situated on the border between France and Germany, in the Alsace région, approximately 60 km north of Strasbourg. ...

In detail

Let's focus on an important part of the text: Louis's oath in Romance.


A continuum can be observed: Classical Latin → Late Latin → Mediaeval Romance → Modern French.

Scan of the text Translation into Vulgar Latin

Vulgar Latin (in Latin, sermo vulgaris) is a blanket term covering the vernacular dialects of the Latin language spoken mostly in the western provinces of the Roman Empire until those dialects, diverging still further, evolved into the early Romance languages — a distinction usually assigned to about the ninth century. ... Image File history File links Pars extracta e Sacramentā Argentariae. ...

Pro Dei amore et pro christiani populi et nostro
communi saluationis, de iste die in ab ante, in quanto Deus
sapientem et potestatem mihi dat, sic saluabo
ecc'istum meum fratrem Carolum, et in adjuuamente
et in *cata una causa, sic quomodo homo per directum suum
fratrem saluare debet, in hoc quo illoe mihi alterum
sic faciat, et ab Lotharo nullum placitum nunquam
inibo quod meam uoluntatem ecc'isto meo fratri
Carolo in damnum sit.

Uncorrected transcription Translation into Modern French

Pro dõ amur et p xr ianpoblo & nrõ cõmun s
saluament, dist di e/i n auant, inquantdeus
savir & podir me dunat: si salvaraieo
cist meonfradre karlo, & inaiudha
& in cad huna cosa, sicú om p dreit son
fradra saluar dift. Ino quid il mi altre
si fazet. Et ab ludher nul plaid nu qua
prindrai qui meon uol cist meon fradre
karle in damnosit French (français, spelled françois until 1835, both pronounced in standard French, but often heard pronounced ), or French language (langue française, formerly langue françoise, both pronounced ), is the third of the Romance languages in terms of number of speakers, after Spanish and Portuguese. ...

Pour l'amour de Dieu et pour le peuple chrétien et notre salut
commun, de ce jour en avant, autant que Dieu
me donne savoir et pouvoir, je sauverai
mon frère Charles que voici, et en aide
et en toutes choses, comme de droit on doit
sauver son frère, afin qu'il me fasse autant,
et je ne prendrai jamais de la part de Lothaire
aucune convention qui, de mon gré, puisse être
au dam de mon frère Charles que voici.


  Results from FactBites:
 
oath - Information from Reference.com (1249 words)
The main classes of oaths are the assertory oath, which concerns past or present facts, and the promissory oath, which refers to future conduct (such as that taken by an alien upon naturalization or by a high government official on assuming office).
An oath (from Anglo-Saxon að) is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually a god, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact.
The oath given to support an affidavit is frequently administered by a notary public who will memorialize the giving of the oath by affixing her or his seal to the document.
Strasbourg, France (763 words)
Strasbourg (French: Strasbourg; Alsatian: Strossburi; German: Straßburg) is the capital and principal city of the Alsace région of northeastern France, with approximately 650,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 1999.
Strasbourg is the seat of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights and it hosts the new seat of the European Parliament (with Brussels) after the asbestos scandal in the 1980s.
Annexing Strasbourg in September 1681, France was confirmed in possession of the city by the Treaty of Ryswick (1697).
  More results at FactBites »


 

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