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 at Strasbourg by Louis the German, son of Louis the Pious and ruler of the eastern Frankish kingdom, and by his brother Charles the Bald, ruler of the western Frankish kingdom. As well as their allegiance to each other, Louis and Charles pledged their opposition to the Emperor, their elder brother Lothair.

According to our chief source for the meeting, Nithard's Life of Louis the Pious, each king swore the oath not in Latin but in the vernacular of the other's kingdom, in front of the assembled armies, which then made their pledge in their own language.

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 Gallo-Romance, they are one of the first texts we have written in a Romance language clearly distinct from Latin.

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 text

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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.

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 16^th 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 covenant 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 the German vernacular: “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 ^*.” 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 the German vernacular: “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 Louis, 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.

Original text	English translation

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 and Occitan.

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 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. Per l'amor de Dieus e pel pòble crestian e nòstre comun
salvament, d'aquest jorn en davant, mentre que Dieus
me dòne saber e poder, atal salvarai ieu
aquest mon fraire Carles que vaquí, e en ajuda
e caduna causa, atal com òm de dreit
deu salvar son fraire, de biais qu'el me faga
lo meteis. E del costat de Lotari jamai deguna convencion
prenerai que, de ma volontat, d'aquest mieu fraire
Carles siá damnosa. 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.

Scan of the text	Uncorrected transcription
Translation into Vulgar Latin	Translation into Modern Occitan
	Translation into Modern French

Strasbourg | Oaths | Franks

Štrasburská přísaha | Strasbourg-ederne | Straßburger Eide | Ĵuroj de Strasburgo | Serments de Strasbourg | Giuramento di Strasburgo | ストラスブールの誓い | Strasbourgi eskü | Eed van Straatsburg | Przysięga strasburska | Juramentos de Estrasburgo | Страсбургские клятвы | Заклетве из Стразбура