Lex Alamannorum

The Lex Alamannorum and Pactus Alamannorum are two early medieval law codes of the Alamanni, first edited in parts in 1530 by Johannes Sichard in Basel. The Pactus Alamannorum, also known as the Pactus legis Alamannorum, is the older code, dating to the early 7th century and preserved in a single manuscript from the 9th-10th century (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, MS Lat. 10753). The Lex Alamannorum, on the other hand, is preserved in approximately 50 manuscripts dating from the 8th to the 12th centuries. Its first redaction is attributed to the Alamannic duke Lantfrid around 730 and is divided into three sections: clerical law, ducal law, and popular law. The Lex Alamannorum includes specific legal provisions, such as those in Chapter 3.1, which addresses church asylum. It states that no fugitive seeking refuge in a church should be removed by force or killed within the church; instead, the pursuers must assure the priest that the fugitive's guilt is forgiven. Penalties for violating this law are set at 36 solidi to be paid to the church and an additional 40 solidi to be paid to the authorities. Chapter 56.1 of the Lex Alamannorum regulates penalties for violence against women. If someone uncovers the head of a free, unmarried woman, they are fined 6 solidi. Lifting her dress to expose her genitals or buttocks incurs a fine of 12 solidi, while rape results in a penalty of 40 solidi. These penalties double if the victim is a married woman. The text ...