The value of status: monetary penalties in the charters from León (854–1037)

Abstract

This article proposes a novel approach to a much neglected source of information: the monetary penalties in charters. Historians have long had difficulties in explaining the rationale underlying such clauses. An analysis of over 500 charters from León from the Astur-Leonese period (854–1037) unveils the relationship between the quantities and types of unit by which monetary penalties were set, the status of the parties involved and the nature of the business in which they were engaged. In a significant subset of charters penalties were established according to a wider system of valuation and, especially in local contexts, they were often connected to expression of social status. Moreover, both monetary penalties and the transactions of which they were part had a performative dimension, contributing to the definition of the relationships between the parties, their negotiation and presentation to wider audiences.