Baron
People who were not part of the royal family could aspire to a noble title , as long as they have earned the grace of the King . This title is that of baron or baroness in the female case, it is also awarded to members of the royal family. It is an honorary title known since feudal times , which at that time had different privileges.
Some ancient barons were William the Conqueror, better named after the famous baron . In France the great vassals were known or of England were the high barons.
What is the Baron title?
It is the fifth noble title in the entire scale of dignities that have existed since the 7th century. This title according to the order, comes just after the title viscount and before Lord. In ancient times this name was attributed to those feudal lords who frequented the king. At present, he is generally appointed to men of great power and influence within a political organization, institution or company.
It is typical of Europe and is assigned by the king to a member of the high nobility . The title is also attributed to refer to people who have power and influence within a company or organization. In particular, in Spain its use is frequent in the field of politics , to refer to the most influential person in the political party.
In the case of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party ( PSOE), he is called a baron who has played an important role in the party. While in the PP they use it to refer to the influential regional leaders.
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Hierarchy of a Baron
The distinctions of duke , marquis or count , were reserved for the great lords of the kingdom, and that of viscount was exclusive for the lieutenants of the count. In this way, the appellative lord and then baron were the only appointments that were available to people with feudal rights or of any jurisdiction . This is why, at first, baron was not a title, it was a dignity, which at that time gave him some rights.
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Different meanings of the title Baron
Over the years, Barón has suffered different etymologies such as the following:
- Baro: One of the first being the one that comes from the Latin Baron, referring to a brave man or knight who accompanies the king in combat . Indeed, during this time it was used to highlight common men, specifically men of war.
- See or Bahr: They are the Teutonic words of the word Baron , which were translated as the title Lord. In particular in France, this title existed with the word alto, that is, High Baron, which were exclusive to the crown .
- Baron: During times, baron meant duke, marquis leader, or captain who defended the border. Referring to the king‘s comrade in arms or it was also the title that was given to a lord who owned a certain territory or castle.
- Barons: It was designated in France to refer to all the great lords of the kingdom , even if they had some other noble title such as dukes, marquises or counts.
At present, the feminine term, specifically the baron’s wife, is known as baroness . The territories or patrimonies over which the baron exercises jurisdiction is called a barony .
Skills of a Baron
The fact that a person has been granted the title of baron does not imply that he receives some powers or privileges along with the appointment. It is only an honorary distinction that carries a treatment of His Excellency or his excellence.
It should be noted that this noble title, although it is one of the lowest among the peers of the kingdom, the degree of nobility it has is very important . The title is a special distinction because it is a rare appointment, like other titles of nobility.
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Requirements to be a Baron
All the noble titles are granted by the King or Queen, and to confer them they are based on his criterion that the person fulfills such a high distinction. In the case of a baron, this must be a person very close to the crown and possess high social class. It is the king’s way of showing his gratitude, for his loyalty and service.
Baron throughout history
This distinction was born in the Spanish kingdom, in the year 754 to 764 with the appointment of the knights who undertook the reconquest of Catalonia in the Pyrenean area. To be exact, there were 9 knights who were known to identify themselves as the nine men of fame and with the motto God wants them . These dignities were confirmed or approved by Charlemagne himself, granting the title baron to those knights.
The title baron was not created until the arrival of the Catalan Counts of Barcelona to power. That is why the lords with territories or jurisprudence had their origin in the 10th century together with the noble and powerful Lords, who stood out for their courage, for being owners of villas, castles and vassals , as well as those who presented themselves with weapons. , horses and men to help Borrell I, Count of Barcelona, who was facing the incursions of Almanzor, who was a Muslim leader.
The baronies in Catalonia represented extensive, very important territories in the region as they had towns, towers, and castles . In view of this, from that time on, France began to demand that in order to obtain a barony, one had to have five Castilian women. In the kingdom of Aragon, to qualify as a baron, it was required to be the owner and lord of vassals, lands and castles . While in Catalonia the opposite was true, the title of lord was preferred to that of baron.
