The Salic Law Code By King Clovis

The Salic Law Code is the Frankish law code compiled by King Clovis. Based on the code's measures, the society of the Salic Franks valued honesty, wealth, and interpersonal relationships. However, this code is not entirely practical and seems difficult to cite in a court setting.

The society of the Salic Franks valued honesty among community members, so communities could run smoothly. For example, once someone agreed to a settlement in court, they were expected to be honest and uphold their side of the agreement. There are harsher punishments for those that try to conceal their murders. “Legitimating a violent response to personal injury or insult and the use of violence to the needs and interests of the ruler” are legal reasons for violence.

Kingship was a respected political and social institution. If someone stole “a bull belonging to the king he shall be sentenced to [...] 90 shillings” which is twice the cost of stealing a bull from the average man. This rule shows that the king is more important than the average person because of his wealth and status. People paid the price for opposing the king and took his word as final. Counts and those in the service of the king are also important which suggests that royal power was projected beyond the king. His surrogates carried his authority. Furthermore, relationships with neighbors are important because according to the Salic Law Code, newcomers need permission from their neighbors to settle in a village. If the neighbors wanted them to move out and they did not listen, there was a long and difficult process that they would endure. The most important interpersonal relationship upon which the whole society revolved is family kinship/lineage. For example, the Cheregrendua shows that one person’s actions affect their entire family. One individual’s responsibilities affect the family because they are loyal to each other. This is also shown in Gregory of Tours' account of Sichar and Chramnesind. For example, when Sichar insults Chramnesind’s family, Chramnesind “said within himself: ‘If I do not avenge the death of my kinsmen, I deserve to lose the name of man, and to be called a weak woman.’ And straightway he put out the lights and cleft the head of Sichar with his dagger.” This shows that the values and norms of the Salic Franks are evident in the Salic Law Code. Chramnesind killing Sichar for his honor shows how these values were at work in actual conflicts. In the world of Frankish conflict settlement, violence played the role of retribution, but the conflict norms were not always effective in providing community