Law and Violence in Eleventh-Century France*
Matthew McHaffie
This article re-examines the significance of descriptions violence (violentia) in eleventh-century ecclesiastical charters from northwestern France. Previous historiography has tended to assume, or argue explicitly, that language violentia was connected absence weakness contemporary legal institutions. suggests, instead, such acquired shape and meaning within framework those very courts. It demonstrates reflects processes bringing claims court-holders, inextricably how jurisdiction court-holders understood. then argues used as a form argument express juxtaposition land whereby litigants attempted fix court’s attention on exclusion wider normative issues centred right land. The considers why this might have been case, suggests profound changes individuals conceptualised property rights created serious problems courts which sought avoid. therefore offers not only new way reading charters, but paradigm for thinking about develops concept central middle ages.
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