Oath of Fealty

[Robert G. Ferrell]

>--Huge snip from Etienne's message--
>
>
>>... They still have the oath of fealty lifted
>>straight out of Lord of the Rings (To do and to let be, to speak and to be
>>silent... until my lord release me, death take me, or the world end) that I
>>would like to see go away ....
>
>FYI--I checked with one of our medieval scholars here at The University of
>Texas, and that oath IS period and dates back to the 13th or 14th century
>and so is perfectly appropriate for us to use.  It actually has a latin
>name, which I cannot recall at the moment, but will look up if anyone is
>interested.  Prof.  Kaulbach can also get me period latin and French copies
>of it.  He is both a Medievalist and a Tolkienist and knows his stuff
>backwards and forwards.
>
>
>Catherine
>
>Nan Bradford-Reid
>The Department of English
>The University of Texas
>512-471-4991
>n.b-reid at mail.utexas.edu
>
>
>
Catherine,

     Prof. Kaulbach's wife, Zirka, works where I do.  She is a Ukraine
native with a Ph.D. in Russian Literature, but works as a contract
specialist for TRI because ever-wise UT admin. did away with her position
just before she got tenure.

Just thought you might appreciate the trivia.
(I also happen to hate that stupid oath, period or not.  Bubonic plague and
racial oppression are period also, but I'm not fond of them, either).

Cynric