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Henry Symeonis was a wealthy English townsman from Oxford in the 13th century, best known for his role in a notorious and long-lasting tradition at the University of Oxford. In 1242, Symeonis, along with several other Oxford townspeople, was convicted of murdering a university student—a crime that exemplified the violent tensions between the academic community and the local population at the time[1][3][5][6][7][8][9].
In response to this murder, King Henry III fined Symeonis and his accomplices £80 (a significant sum then) and ordered them to leave Oxford, forbidding their return until the King himself came back from abroad. Records indicate that Symeonis returned to Oxford not long after, and by 1243 he was again involved in local property dealings[1][3][5][7][9].
A particularly unusual consequence followed: despite a royal pardon issued in 1264 allowing Symeonis to live peacefully in Oxford if he behaved, the University of Oxford refused to forgive or forget. In protest, the university created a symbolic ritual—every new graduate had to swear an oath never to be reconciled with Henry Symeonis. This ritual persisted for over 550 years, embedded in university regulations until 1827, despite the eventual loss of memory about the original cause[1][3][5][6][7][8][9][10].
The enduring “oath of hatred” illustrates the deep divide and continuing animosity between the university (“gown”) and the local population (“town”) in medieval Oxford, as well as the university’s assertion of institutional memory and identity over royal authority[6]. The full story behind the oath and the identity of Symeonis was forgotten for centuries and rediscovered only in 1912 by University archivist Reginald Lane Poole[1][3][5][9].
Sources [1] Henry Symeonis - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Symeonis [2] The persistence of tradition: the curious case of Henry Symeonis https://www.reddit.com/r/BritishHistoryPod/comments/18m0ouk/the_persistence_of_tradition_the_curious_case_of/ [3] The persistence of tradition: the curious case of Henry Symeonis https://blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/archivesandmanuscripts/2023/12/13/the-persistence-of-tradition-the-curious-case-of-henry-symeonis/ [4] The curious case of Henry Symeonis (or Simeonis). https://roseandcrownoxford.com/latest-news/17267/ [5] Hating Henry Symeonis: An Oxford University Tradition https://www.amusingplanet.com/2025/03/hating-henry-symeonis-oxford-university.html [6] The oath of hatred against Henry Symeonis - how a murder case in the Middle Ages became a ritual of remembrance - Psychotherapie Berlin https://www.praxis-psychologie-berlin.de/en/wikiblog-english/articles/the-oath-of-hatred-against-henry-symeonis-how-a-murder-case-in-the-middle-ages-became-a-ritual-of-remembrance [7] For over 500 years, Oxford graduates pledged to hate Henry ... https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/culture/bizarre-stories/for-over-500-years-oxford-graduates-pledged-to-hate-henry-symeonis-so-who-is-he/ [8] Henry Symeonis – Wikipedia https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Symeonis [9] December 2023 – Archives and Manuscripts at the Bodleian Library https://blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/archivesandmanuscripts/2023/12/ [10] For 500 Years, Every Student Who Attained a BA from Oxford Had to ... https://www.openculture.com/2023/12/for-500-years-every-student-who-attained-a-ba-from-oxford-had-to-swear-enmity-towards-henry-symeonis.html