Secular Sanctions and Sales in Early Medieval León (9th-11th c.): Beyond Diplomatic Practice

Abstract

This article focuses on the study of secular sanction clauses in the charters from early medieval León. It considers the implications they have for our understanding of how sales were conceptualized, setting its study against the background of current debates on early medieval land markets. It explores the different contexts in which sanction clauses were used and contrasts this with the use of sanctions more generally. Lastly, the article considers one particular aspect of secular sanctions, who is held responsible for the payment of the penalties they prescribe. It demonstrates that in the case of sales the responsibility usually fell on the part of the seller/s. Ultimately, it is argued that beyond diplomatic practice secular sanctions can be interpreted as a reflection of the actual obligations in which a seller – or a group of sellers – incurred as a result of a sale.