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Bal des Ardents (Ball of the Burning Men)
In a previous post, we had discussed how Charles VI of France was crazy. Soon after his ascension to the throne, he had a breakdown and never got his feet back under him. He married and attempted to rule, but the bouts of madness got worse. At varying times, he thought he was made of glass, forgot his wife and children and tried to murder his brother. One of the worst scandals of his reign, was the Ball of the Burning Men. On 28 January 1393, Queen Isabeau, Charles’ wife, held a masquerade at the Hotel Saint-Pol to celebrate the third marriage of her lady-in-waiting, Catherine de Fastaverin. Historian Barbara…
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BLIND TO HIS FATE – THE HEROIC LIFE AND DEATH OF JOHN OF BOHEMIA
Today the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is best known as a financial, judicial and administrative centre of the European Union but during the Middle Ages the Counts of Luxembourg competed with the German Wittlesbachs and the Austrian Hapsburgs for control of the vast Holy Roman Empire. In 1312 Henry VII became the first Count of Luxembourg to wear the imperial crown and the marriage of his young son played an important part in Henry’s election. In 1310, the 14 year old John of Luxembourg wed the 18 year old Elizabeth of Bohemia and by these diplomatic nuptials, Henry succeeded in depriving his rivals of vital territory at the heart of…
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Death of Louis d’Orleans- Medieval Murder Mystery
Charles VI of France was, to put it politely, nuts. At various points he forgot he had a wife and children, nearly murdered his brother, and thought he was made of glass. During that spell, Charles forbade anyone to touch him in case he shattered and had rods sewn into his clothes to protect him. It’s never a good time for the leader of a country to be insane, but this was a particularly bad one. France was embroiled in the Hundred Years War with England. Charles came to the throne as an eleven year old child. While he was in his minority, the duchies of Burgundy, Anjou and Berry…
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Joan of Arc – Peasant to Warrior
In 1412, a daughter Jeanne was born to Jacques d’Arc a wealthy peasant farmer with around fifty acres of land, and his wife in Domremy, in the Lorraine/Champagne border region of France. Popular legend has the family being poor, but the records of their frequent assistance to the needy in the area tell a different tale, that they were quite rich by the standards of the day for their class. At the age of 13, Joan’s family were forced to flee their home to the neighbouring town of Neufchateau when the Anglo-Burgundian army entered Domremy to pillage, and laid waste to the homes of the residents. To stay would have…
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Azincourt
On this the anniversary of the Battle of Azincourt (Agincourt for all the English-speakers) I have no doubt the internet will be flooded with a million flavours of how the battle was won. So I thought I would endeavour to bring you something a little different. Now we all know the story. The Hundred Years’ War consisted of a series of battles spread out over 116 years, between 1337 and 1453 between the houses of Plantagenet and Valois for control of France. So, even though it was erroneously named, it gave rise to more than one legend, and eclipsed the lives of several notable figures historically; Edward the Black Prince…
