«The thing is of little profit, just for the preminence»: the cut-fish right and its symbolic background

Abstract

Extracting a fish from the water to feed or sell is an activity that, in medieval times, could, physically, be done by anyone. However, the sea was not completely free. Through different exactions, lords obtained economic yield from such activities and signalled their privilege over waters. One of those rights, the cut-fish right, supposed the obtention of fishes of considerable dimensions and with special characteristics. Symbolism, rather than profit, was what mainly drove lords to levy and maintain this right over their vassals. A practice extended throughout all the Western Mediterranean which here will be analysed mainly in the Catalan coast.