1

If any woman, Burgundian or Roman, voluntarily give herself to a husband in marriage, we order that
the husband have the property of that woman. Just as he has the power over her, also is he to have
it over all her possessions.

(Leges Burgundiorum)


2

If a mother should want to be a guardian over her children no other relative shall precede her in
this.

(Leges Burgundiorum)


3

If any man dies and leave a widow, let his son by another wife be her guardian: failing him, let
the brother of the dead man be guardian, and if he had no brother, then the nearest of the
husband´s kinsmen.

When a man dies leaving no sons but only daughters, the inheritance shall go to them, but the
guardianship over them shall pass to their father´s brother or nearest kinsmen.

If a widow with a daughter remarries and has a son, the guardianship over the daughter goes to the
said son. If however having a son, she then marries and has a daghter, the guardianship over the
daughter goes not to the son by her first marriage but to the father´s brother or nearest kinsman.

(Leges Saxonum and Lex Thuringorum)


4

If a free woman marry anyone without the consent of her father or guardian, she shall lose any
property she had or should have had.

(Leges Saxonum and Lex Thuringorum)


5

On the death of the father or mother the inheritance goes to the son, not the daughter.

When a man has a son and a daughter and the son marries, has a son, and then dies, the inheritance
belongs to the son´s son, that is to the grandson, not to the daughter.

(Leges Saxonum)


6

Let sisters have an equal share with their brothers in their parents´ inheritance.

(Leges Visigothorum)

7

If the deceased had no son, the daughter inherits the money and movables but the land goes to his
nearest male relative. If, however, he had no daughter, his sister gets the money and movables, and
the nearest male relative in his line inherits the land. If he had neither son nor daughter nor
sister but his mother survives, she shall inherit the daughter´s or sister´s share , that is to
say, the money and movables. A dying mother shall leave the land, movables, and money to her son,
to her daughter go the spoils of her neck, which is to say necklaces, ornaments, jewels, earrings,
clothes, bracelets, and whatever personal ornaments it turns out she had.

Down to the fifth generation the males in the paternal line shall succeed to the inheritance of
property. After the fifth, how ever, the daughter shall succeed to everything coming both from her
father´s and mother´s side, not until then does the inheritance pass from the spear to the spindle.

(Lex Thuringorum)


8

Salic land is no inheritance for a woman, rather, all the land goes to the male sex – the brothers.

(Pactus Legis Salicae)


9

Among Burgundians we wish it to be observed that if anyone does not leave a son, let a daughter
succeed to the inheritance of the father and mother in place of the son.

(The Burgundian Code)