Oaths of Strasbourg

Oaths of Strasbourg
(multiple texts)
Also known as	Sacramenta Argentariae (Latin) les serments de Strasbourg (French) die Straßburger Eide (German)
Language	Medieval Latin Old French Old High German
Date	842
Manuscript(s)	include BNF, Cod. Lat. 9768 (Nithard's De dissensionibus filiorum Ludovici pii)
Subject	pledges of allegiance and cooperation between Louis the German and Charles the Bald, rulers of East and West Francia respectively

The Oaths of Strasbourg (Latin: Sacramenta Argentariae; French: Les Serments de Strasbourg; German: Die Straßburger Eide) were mutual pledges of allegiance between Louis the German (†876), ruler of East Francia, and his half-brother Charles the Bald (†877), ruler of West Francia made on 12 February 842. They are written in three different languages: Medieval Latin, Old French and Old High German, all in Caroline minuscule. The Old French passages are generally considered to be the earliest texts in a language that is distinctly French.

The several pledges were spoken at a strategic meeting on 12 February 842 at Strasbourg, with the brothers' assembled armies in attendance and participating in the ceremonies. In addition to their promised allegiance to each other, Louis and Charles pledged their solidarity to oppose their eldest brother Lothair, ruler of Middle Francia and, nominally, emperor of all the Carolingian Empire Frankish kingdoms as well as Holy Roman Emperor. Louis spoke his oath in the "Romance" language, while Charles spoke his oath in lingua teudisca, "Germanic".

The historical nature of the meeting is made more remarkable by the additional, separate pledges that were scripted for the monarchs' armies – in their respective vernaculars – to the effect that, for each "soldier": should their own lord-king unilaterally break the oath just pledged (to the other king), then, each "soldier of the oath" promises not to help his master against the abused other monarch.

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