Fors de Bearn facts for kids

The Fors de Bearn were a special collection of laws and rules for a region in France called Béarn. Think of them like a very old constitution or rulebook. These laws were gathered over many centuries, mostly from the 1000s to the 1200s. By the 1400s, they formed the main laws for the whole area of Béarn.

The word For comes from an old language called Gascon. It means something similar to "forum" in Latin, which was a place where laws were discussed. It's linked to the ancient laws of the Visigoths, who were an early European people.

What Were the Fors de Béarn?

The Fors de Béarn were not just one law. They were a mix of many different legal texts. These included special rights, important decisions, court rulings, and official decrees. Together, they created a complete system of government for Béarn.

How the Fors Started

The very first for was created around the year 1080. A ruler named Centule V made this law. It helped to bring people back to an old town called Iluro, which is now Oloron. This early law eventually became the For de Oloron, which gave the city special rights to govern itself.

Later, in 1102, another ruler, Gaston IV, gave special rights to his main city, Morlaas. This was the start of the For de Morlaas.

A very important step happened in 1188. Gaston VI created the For General. This was a big law that applied to all of Béarn. It included many special rules and permissions that had developed over the years.

Laws for Different Valleys

In the early 1200s, two rulers, William Raymond and Gaston VII, made more fors. These new laws were for specific valleys in the Pyrenees mountains:

• Baretous (in 1220)
• Ossau (in 1221)
• The first law for Aspe (in 1247)
• The second law for Aspe (in 1250)

The Fors and French Rule

In the 1500s, Béarn became part of the Kingdom of Navarre. The rulers at that time, Henry II and Joanna III, worked to make the Fors even better.

Later, in 1620, King Louis XIII of France made Béarn part of the French crown. But he decided to keep the Fors in place. This meant these old laws continued to govern Béarn for a long time. They were finally removed during the French Revolution in 1789, when France changed many of its old laws.

See also

• Béarn
• Viscountcy of Béarn
• Viscounts of Béarn