Oaths of Fealty & Acceptances

Thus shall one take the oath of fidelity:

By the Lord before whom this sanctuary is holy, I will to N. be true and faithful, and love all which he loves and shun all which he shuns, according to the laws of God and the order of the world. Nor will I ever with will or action, through word or deed, do anything which is unpleasing to him, on condition that he will hold to me as I shall deserve it, and that he will perform everything as it was in our agreement when I submitted myself to him and chose his will.

10th century England
Form of fealty in the Laws of Alfred, Guthrum, and Edward the Elder, from Thatcher: The Library of Original Sources, Vol. IV: The Early Medieval World (online source)

Thus shall a man swear fealty oaths.

By the Lord, before whom this relic is holy, I will be to ____ faithful and true, and love all that he loves, and shun all that he shuns, according to God's law, and according to the world's principles, and never, by will nor by force, by word nor by work, do ought of what is loathful to him; on condition that he keep me as I am willing to deserve, and all that fulfil that our agreement was, when I to him submitted and chose his will.

7th century Antrusian
Acceptance of fealty, from Roziere: Collection de Formules, No. VIII, Vol. I (online source)

It is right that those who offer to us unbroken fidelity should be protected by our aid. And since such and such a faithful one of ours, by the favor of God, coming here in our palace with his arms, has seen fit to swear trust and fidelity to us in our hand, therefore we decree and command by the present precept that for the future such and such above mentioned be counted with the number of antrustions. And if anyone perchance should presume to kill him, let him know that he will be judged guilty of his wergild of 600 shillings.

11th century France: 1020
Form of fealty by Bishop Fulbert of Chartres, "On Feudal Obligations" from Recueil des Hist. des Gaules et de la France (online source)

MUTUAL DUTIES OF VASSALS AND LORDS

To William most glorious duke of the Aquitanians, bishop Fulbert the favor of his prayers.

Asked to write something concerning the form of fealty, I have noted briefly for you on the authority of the books the things which follow. He who swears fealty to his lord ought always to have these six things in memory; what is harmless, safe, honorable, useful, easy, practicable. Harmless, that is to say that he should not be injurious to his lord in his body; safe, that he should not be injurious to him in his secrets or in the defences through which he is able to be secure; honorable, that he should not be injurious to him in his justice or in other matters that pertain to his honor; useful, that he should not be injurious to him in his possessions; easy or practicable, that that good which his lord is able to do easily, he make not difficult, nor that which is practicable he make impossible to him.

However, that the faithful vassal should avoid these injuries is proper, but not for this does he deserve his holding; for it is not sufficient to abstain from evil, unless what is good is done also. It remains, therefore, that in the same six things mentioned above he should faithfully counsel and aid his lord, if he wishes to be looked upon as worthy of his benefice and to be safe concerning the fealty which he has sworn.

The lord also ought to act toward his faithful vassal reciprocally in all these things. And if he does not do this he will be justly considered guilty of bad faith, just as the former, if he should be detected in the avoidance of or the doing of or the consenting to them, would be perfidious and perjured.

I would have written to you at greater length, if I had not been occupied with many other things, including the rebuilding of our city and church which was lately entirely consumed in a great fire; from which loss though we could not for a while be diverted, yet by the hope of the comfort of God and of you we breathe again.

12th century France: 1110
Fealty of Bernard Atton, Viscount of Carcassonne, to the Abbot of St. Mary of Grasse, from Teulet: Layetters du Tresor des Chartres, No. 39, Vol. 1 (online source)

CHARTER OF HOMAGE AND FEALTY
In the name of the Lord, I, Bernard Atton, Viscount of Carcassonne, in the presence of my sons, Roger and Trencavel, and of Peter Roger of Barbazan, and William Hugo, and Raymond Mantellini, and Peter de Vietry, nobles, and of many other honorable men, who have come to the monastery of St. Mary of Grasse, to the honor of the festival of the august St. Mary: since lord Leo, abbot of the said monastery, has asked me, in the presence of all those above mentioned, to acknowledge to him the fealty and homage for the castles, manors, and places which the patrons, my ancestors, held from him and his predecessors and from the said monastery as a fief, and which I ought to hold as they held, I have made to the lord abbot Leo acknowledgment and homage as I ought to do. Therefore, let all present and to come know that I the said Bernard Atton, lord and viscount of Carcassonne, acknowledge verily to thee my lord Leo, by the grace of God, abbot of St. Mary of Grasse, and to thy successors that I hold and ought to hold as a fief in Carcassonne the following: that is to say, the castles of Confoles, of Leocque, of Capendes (which is otherwise known as St. Martin of Sussagues); and the manors of Mairac, of Albars and of Musso; also, in the valley of Aquitaine, Rieux, Traverina, H6rault, Archas, Ser-vians, Villatiitoes, Tansiraus, Presler, Cornelles. Moreover, I acknowledge that I hold from thee and from the said monastery as a fief the castle of Termes in Narbonne; and in Miner-ve the castle of Ventaion, and the manors of Cassanolles, and of Ferral and Aiohars; and in Le Rog6s, the little village of Longville; for each and all of which I make homage and fealty with hands and with mouth to thee my said lord abbot Leo and to thy successors, and I swear upon these four gospels of God that I will always be a faithful vassal to thee and to thy successors and to St. Mary of Grasse in all things in which a vassal is required to be faithful to his lord, and I will defend thee, my lord, and all thy successors, and the said monastery and the monks present and to come and the castles and manors and all your men and their possessions against all malefactors and invaders, at my request and that of my successors at my own cost; and I will give to thee power over all the castles and manors above described, in peace and in war, whenever they shall be claimed by thee or by thy successors. Moreover I acknowledge that, as a recognition of the above fiefs, I and my successors ought to come to the said monastery, at our own expense, as often as a new abbot shall have been made, and there do homage and return to him the power over all the fiefs described above. And when the abbot shall mount his horse I and my heirs, viscounts of Carcassonne, and our successors ought to hold the stirrup for the honor of the dominion of St. Mary of Grasse; and to him and all who come with him, to as many as two hundred beasts, we should make the abbot's purveyance in the borough of St. Michael of Carcassonne, the first time he enters Carcassonne, with the best fish and meat and with eggs and cheese, honorably according to his will, and pay the expense of shoeing of the horses, and for straw and fodder as the season shall require. And if I or my sons or their successors do not observe to thee or to thy successors each and all the things declared above, and should come against these things, we wish that all the aforesaid fiefs should by that very fact be handed over to thee and to the said monastery of St. Mary of Grasse and to thy successors. I, therefore, the aforesaid lord Leo, by the grace of God abbot of St. Mary of Grasse, receive the homage and fealty for all the fiefs of castles and manors an d places which are described above: in the way and with the agreements and understandings written above; and likewise I concede to thee and thy heirs and their successors, the viscounts of Carcassonne, all the castles and manors and places aforesaid, as a fief, along with this present charter, divided through the alphabet. And I promise to thee and thy heirs and successors, viscounts of Carcassonne, under the religion of my order, that I will be good and faithful lord concerning all those things described above. Moreover, I, the aforesaid viscount, acknowledge that the little villages of Cannetis, Maironis, Villamagna, Aiglino, Villadasas, Villafrancos, Vitladenz, Villaudriz, St. Genese, Conguste and Mata, with the farm-house of Mathus and the chateaux of Villalauro and Claromont, with the little villages of St. Stephen of Surlac, and of Upper and Lower Agrifolio, ought to belong to the said monastery, and whoever holds anything there holds from the same monastery, as we have seen and have heard read in the privileges and charters of the monastery, and as was there written. Made in the year of the Incarnation of the Lord 1110, in the reign of Louis. Seal of Bernard Atton, viscount of Carcassonne, seal of Raymond Mantellini, seal of Peter Roger of Barbazon, seal of Roger, son of the said viscount of Carcassonne, seal of Peter de Vitry, seal of Trencavel, son of the said viscount of Carcassonne, seal of William Hugo, seal of lord abbot Leo, who has accepted this acknowledgment of the homage of the said viscount. And I, the monk John, have written this charter at the command of the said lord Bernard Atton, viscount of Carcassonne and of his sons, on the day and year given above, in the presence and witness of all those named above.

12th century Flanders: 1127
Fealty to the Count of Flanders, from de Bruges: Chronicle of the Death of Charles the Good (online source)

Through the whole remaining part of the day those who had been previously enfeoffed by the most pious count Charles, did homage to the count, taking up now again their fiefs and offices and whatever they had before rightfully and legitimately obtained. On Thursday the seventh of April, homages were again made to the count being completed in the following order of faith and security.

First they did their homage thus, the count asked if he was willing to become completely his man, and the other replied, "I am willing"; and with clasped hands, surrounded by the hands of the count, they were bound together by a kiss. Secondly, he who had done homage gave his fealty to the representative of the count in these words, "I promise on my faith that I will in future be faithful to count William, and will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit." Thirdly, he took his oath to this upon the relics of the saints. Afterward, with a little rod which the count held in his hand, he gave investitures to all who by this agreement had given their security and homage and accompanying oath.

12th century England: 1156-1159
Form of fealty in John of Salisbury's Policraticus, Book VI, chapter 24, from Dickinson: The Statesman's Book of John of Salisbury (online source)

But because the formula of fidelity or fealty ought herein above all else to be kept, there is language in the oath from which we can most conveniently learn a few of the acts which are not permitted. For a thing which is the opposite of something that is necessary is impossible, and by the same process of reasoning a thing which ought to be done is contradicted only by something that is not permitted. The formula of fealty, then, exacts the things which are inserted therein as being the necessary elements of loyalty, and expresses the latter by the words "sound," "safe," "honorable," "advantageous," "easy," "possible." If therefore, we are bound by fealty to anyone, we must not harm his soundness of body, or take from him the military resources upon which his safety depends, or presume to commit any act whereby his honor or advantage is diminished; neither is it lawful that that which is easy for him should be made difficult, or that which is possible impossible. Besides, one who holds a benefice from him whose liege man he is, owes to him aid and counsel in his undertakings; from which fact it is clearer than the sun how much is owed to the God of all, if so much is owed even to those to whom we are bound only by fealty.

12th century England: 1166-1167
Acceptance and letters of patent from Henry II of England in Gerald of Wales: The Norman Conquest of Ireland (online source)

Although the king was at that time beyond sea, far away in Aquitaine, in France, and much engaged in business, he received Murchard with great kindness, and the liberality and courtesy which was natural to him; and having heard the causes of his exile and coming over, and received his bond of allegiance and oath of fealty, granted him letters patent to the effect following: "Henry, king of England, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and count of Anjou, to all his liegemen, English, Normans, Welsh, and Scots, and to all other nations subject to his dominion, Sendeth, greeting, Whensoever these our letters shall come unto you, know ye that we have received Dermitius [Dermot], prince of Leinster, unto our grace and favor, Wherefore, whosoever within the bounds of our territories shall be willing to give him aid, as our vassal and liegeman, in recovering his territories, let him be assured of our favor and license on that behalf."

12th century Spain: 1177
Fealty from Ramon de Tous to Pere, Bishop of Vic, from the Arxiu Capitular of Vic, calaix 6, no. 1757 (online source)

March 5, 1177

I, Ramon de Tous, son of the woman Ermessendis, swear to you Pere, Bishop of Vic, that from this hour in the future I will be faithful to you with regard to your life, and the members of your body, in good faith and without deception. And I will be faithful to you concerning that castle of Tous and the territory that belongs to it within its entire boundaries. And neither that castle nor its territory will I seize from you, not I, nor any man or men, woman or women, acting by my advice or instigation. And I will help you to hold, have and defend against all men and women who might wish to seize or deprive you of all these above mentioned things. And I will give you posession of that castle and that fortress which is or will be inside it as many times as you demand them of me, either you yourself or by your representative or representatives. And all that has been written above I will hold and observe faithfully and without deception, by God and these holy [Gospels or relics].
Done the third nones of March, in the fortieth year of the reign of Louis the Younger. Signed Ramon de Tous, who performs this oath, signs and asks others to sign. Signed Ramon de Timor. Signed Guerau de Jorba. I, Bernat, Bishop of Barcelona, sign. Thomas confirms this who wrote this on the day and in the year as above.

12th century France: 1198
Acceptance by Philip II of France of Theobald, Count of Champagne, from Thatcher & NcNeal: A Source Book for Medieval History (online source)

Philip, by the grace of God king of France. Be it known to all men, present and future, that we have received our beloved nephew, Theobald, count of Troyes, as our liege man, against every creature, living or dead, for all the lands which his father, count Henry, our uncle, held from our father, and which count Henry, the brother of Theobald, held from us. Count Theobald has sworn to us on the most holy body of the Lord and on the holy gospel that he will aid us in good faith, as his liege lord, against every creature, living or dead; at his command the following persons have sworn to us that they approve of this and will support and aid him in keeping this oath: Guy of Dampierre, Gualcher of Chatillon, Geoffroy, marshal of Champagne, etc. [vassals of the count of Champagne]. If count Theobald fails in his duty to us and does not make amends within a month from the time when they learn of it, they will surrender themselves to us at Paris, to be held as prisoners until he makes amends; and this shall be done every time that he fails in his duty to us. We have sworn with our own hand that we will aid count Theobald against every creature, living or dead; at our command the following men have sworn that they approve of this and will support and aid us in keeping this oath: Pierre, count of Nevers, Drogo of Mello, William of Galande, etc. [vassals of the king]. If we fail in our duty to count Theobald, and do not make amends within a month from the time when they learn of it, they will surrender themselves to him at Troyes to be held as prisoners there until we make amends; and they shall do this every time that we fail in our duty to him.... We have also agreed that our beloved uncle, William, archbishop of Rheims, and the bishops of Chalons and Meaux, may place those of our lands that are in their dioceses under interdict, as often as we fail in our duty to count Theobald, unless we make amends within a month from the time when they learn of it; and count Theobald has agreed that the same archbishop and bishops may place his lands under an interdict as often as he fails in his duty to us, unless he makes amends within a month from the time when they learn of it.

12th-13th century France: 1200
Acceptance from Theobald, Count of Champagne, of Jocelyn d'Avalon, from Quantin: Recueil de Pieces du XIII siecle, No. 2 (online source)

I, Thiebault, count palatine of Troyes, make known to those present and to come that I have given in fee to Jocelyn d'Avalon and his heirs the manor which is called Gillencourt, which is of the castellanerie of La Ferte sur Aube; and whatever the same Jocelyn shall be able to acquire in the same manor I have granted to him and his heirs in augmentation of that fief I have granted, moreover, to him that in no free manor of mine will I retain men who are of this gift. The same Jocelyn, moreover, on account of this has become my liege man, saving however, his allegiance to Gerard d'Arcy, and to the lord duke of Burgundy, and to Peter, count of Auxerre. Done at Chouaude, by my own witness, in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 1200 in the month of January. Given by the hand of Walter, my chancellor; note of Milo.

13th century France: 1201
Fealty to Philip II of France by Blanche of Navarre, Countess of Champagne, after Theobald's death, from Thatcher & NcNeal: A Source Book for Medieval History (online source)

I, Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes. Be it known to all, present and future, that I have voluntarily sworn to my lord, Philip, king of France, to keep the agreements contained in this charter.... I have voluntarily sworn that I will never take a husband without the advice, consent, and wish of my lord, Philip, king of France, and that I will place under his guardianship my daughter and any child of whom I may be pregnant from my late husband, count Theobald. In addition, I will turn over to him the fortresses of Bray and Montereau, and give him control of all the men who dwell there and all the knights who hold fiefs of the castles, so that if I break my promise to keep these agreements, all the aforesaid men shall hold directly of my lord, Philip, king of France; and they shall swear to aid him even against men and against every other man or woman. The lord of Marolles shall put himself and his castle also under the control of the king, and similarly all the knights who hold fiefs of Provins, and all the men of Provins, and all the men of Lagny and Meaux, and all the knights who hold fiefs of these places.... I will do liege homage to my lord, Philip, king of France, and I will keep faith with him against all creatures, living or dead.

13th century France
Fealty by John of Toul to Theobald, Count of Champagne, from Thatcher & NcNeal: A Source Book for Medieval History (online source)

I, John of Toul, make known that I am the liege man of the lady Beatrice, countess of Troyes, and of her son, Theobald, count of Champagne, against every creature, living or dead, saving my allegiance to lord Enjorand of Coucy, lord John of Arcis, and the count of Grandpré. If it should happen that the count of Grandpré should be at war with the countess and count of Champagne on his own quarrel, I will aid the count of Grandpré in my own person, and will send to the count and the countess of Champagne the knights whose service I owe to them for the fief which I hold of them. But if the count of Grandpré shall make war on the countess and the count of Champagne on behalf of his friends and not in his own quarrel, I will aid in my own person the countess and count of Champagne, and will send one knight to the count of Grandpré for the service which I owe him for the fief which I hold of him, but I will not go myself into the territory of the count of Grandpré to make war on him.

13th century England: 1213
Fealty of John of England to Pope Innocent, from Henderson: Select Historical Documents of the Middle Ages (online source)

I, John, by the grace of God, king of England and lord of Ireland, from this hour forth will be faithful to God and St, Peter and the Roman church and my lord pope Innocent and his Successors who are ordained in a Catholic manner: I shall not bring it about by deed, word, consent or counsel, that they lose life or members or be taken captive, I will impede their being harmed if I know of it, and will cause harm to be removed from them if I shall be able: otherwise as quickly as I can I will intimate it or tell of it to such persons as I believe for certain will inform them. Any counsel which they entrust to me through themselves or through their envoys or through their letters, I will keep secret, nor will I knowingly disclose it to anyone to their harm. I will aid to the best of my ability in holding and defending against all men the patrimony of St. Peter, and especially the kingdom of England and the kingdom of Ireland. So may God and these holy Gospels aid me.

I myself bearing witness in the house of the Knights Templars near Dover, in the presence of master H., archbishop of Dublin; master J., bishop of Norwich; G., the son of Peter count of Essex, our justice; W., count of Salisbury, our brother; W. Marshall, count of Pembroke; R., count of Boulogne; W., count of Warren; S., count of Winchester; W., cuunt of Arundel; W., count of Ferrieres; W, Briwer; Peter, son of Herbert; Warin, son of Gerold; on the 15th day of May, in the 14th year of our reign.

13th century England: 1275
Forms of fealty in The Manner of Doing Homage & Fealty [Modus Faciendi Homagium et Fidelitatem] from Luders: The Statutes of the Realm, Vol. I (online source)

When a Freeman shall do Homage to his Lord of whom he holds in Chief, he shall hold his hands together between the hands of his Lord, and shall say thus: "I become your Man from this day forth, for life, for member, and for worldly honor, and shall [owe] you Faith for the Lands that I hold of you; saving the Faith that I owe unto our Lord the King, and to [mine other Lords.]

And when a Freeman shall do homage to any other than to his Chief Lord, and for a simple Tenement, he shall hold his hands together between the Hands of his Lord, and shall say thus: "I become your Man from this day forth, and shall bear you Faith for the Tenement which I claim to hold of you; saving the Faith that I owe to our Lord the King, and to my other Lords."

When a Freeman shall do fealty to his Lord, he shall hold his Right Hand upon a book, and shall say thus "Hear you my Lord R. that I, P. shall be to you both faithful and true, and shall owe my Fidelity unto you, for the Land that I hold of you, and lawfully shall do such Customs and Services, as my Duty is to you, at the times assigned. So help me God and all his Saints.

When a Villein shall do Fealty unto his Lord, he shall hold his Right Hand over the Book, and shall say thus, "Hear you my Lord A. that I, B., from this day forth unto you shall be true and faithful, and shall owe you Faith for the land that I hold of you in Villeinage; and shall be justified by you in Body and Goods. So help me God and all his Saints.

14th-15th century England: 1385-1460
Fealty and acceptance from The Manner and Form of the Coronation of the Kings and Queens of England, from Price: Archeologia, v. 57 pt. 1 (online source)

31. The King on the Day of the Coronation: The Archbishop of Canterbury shall oppose and ask the king the same day if he will hold and guarantee and keep the laws and the customs granted to his people of old by devout and rightwise kings beforehand. Also if he will swear it, in particular the laws and customs and the liberties of the glorious king Edward to the people and the clergy. And the kings shall behold that he will keep all these forsaid things. Then shall the Archbishop show and declare certain articles to which the king shall swear:

The first point: "Thou shall keep full peace and accord in God and to the Church to the people and to the clergy." And the king shall answer, "I shall do. "
The second point: "Thou shall keep in all these domains rightful and every rightwiseness and discretion with mercy and truth." And the king shall swear, "I shall do. "
The third point: "Grant thou all rightful laws and customs to behold and that thou wilt defend and strengthen them to the worship if God to his might and powers which shall choose. " And the king shall answer, "I grant and behold it. "

32. The Annunciation of the Bishops to the King that shall be Read: "Sir king we ask that it be granted and [given] to us [collectively] and individually and all our clergies that you will keep and grant the privilege of Holy Church and due law and rightwiseness and defend them as a king oath, that he should in his realm to every bishop and abbot and to their clergies. "

And the king shall answer in this way: "With glad will and devout soul I give and behold to you and to each of you and to your clergies the privileges of canon law and of Holy Church and I shall keep due law and rightwiseness, defending it in as much as I may. With God's help as a king to do in his realm to every bishop and abbot and to their clergies by right and reason. "

33. The King's Oath in French: "Sir, wilt thou keep and by your oath confirm to the people of England the laws and customs granted to them by ancient kings of England, rightfully mine and devout to God; namely the laws, customs and franchises granted to the clergy and to the people by the glorious king Edward to your power. "

The king shall answer, "I shall keep them. "

"Sir, shall you keep to God and to Holy Church and to the clergy to the people peace and accord Holy after your power? Sir, shall you do an cause to be kept in all your domains and judgments true and right in mercy and truth? "

The king shall answer, "I shall do. "

"Sir, we you grant to hold and fulfill and defend rightful laws and customs which the commons of your realm shall choose, to strengthen and maintain them to the worship of God after all your power? "

The king shall answer, "I shall grant and behold it. "

34. The Oath and the Form of Homage: "I become your liege man of life and limb and truth and earthly honors, bearing to you against all men that love, move or die, so help me God and the Holy Dame. " The same shall be said in French.

Then the Archbishop of Canterbury shall first do his homage to the king and his fealty at his coronation. Afterwards, after the other prelates and worthy estates of the real each in his degree. The king shall make his oath in his coronation up on the sacrament of the altar laid up on the high altar of the church before the people. It is also to know that the Archbishop of Canterbury shall anoint the king and queen and shall put the crowns on their heads, to whom by right belongs the crown. And the anointing of the kings and queens in England or else the sovereign bishop of the church of Canterbury to whom the same Archbishop or in his absence at the time of such coronation shall commit his office by his letters patent, or else if the see of Canterbury is void then shall the chaplain of the church of Canterbury commit said office to be done.

And if the same Archbishop on the day of the coronation, standing in the pulpit shall ask openly of the people if they will call this worshipful prince the right heir of the realm to have him as their king and become subjects unto him and submit themselves to obey his commandments. Then shall the clergy and the people that stand about hold up their arms and hands on [brode] and loudly answer, "We will it and we grant it. Be it so! Be it so! Amen. "