Legal Definitions - fides facta

Fides Facta is a Latin term that means "faith-making" or "faith-pledging". In history, it referred to certain transactions that were guaranteed by symbolic, formal acts.

Among the Franks and Lombards, when property was transferred, a symbolic act was performed, such as the giving of a rod. This act was called "making one's faith" and it guaranteed the transaction.

In Roman law, a festuca was a symbol of ownership. It was a rod, staff, or stick used as a pledge of good faith by a party to a contract or as a token of conveyance of land.

The examples illustrate how in ancient times, people used symbolic acts to guarantee transactions and convey ownership. The act of giving a rod or staff was a way of making a pledge of good faith and ensuring that the transaction was binding.

This practice shows how important trust and faith were in business dealings in the past. It also highlights the creativity of people in finding ways to make their agreements legally binding.