The Last Judicial Duel in France— The Carrouges vs. Le Gris DuelSir Jacques Le Gris and Sir Jean de

The Last Judicial Duel in France— The Carrouges vs. Le Gris DuelSir Jacques Le Gris and Sir Jean de Carrouges were fierce rivals during the 14th century in France. Both were born into noble houses and we’re destined for careers as knights. The two men had actually grown up together as friends and neighbors. However a rift between them developed as Le Gris became a popular socialite and a favorite in the French court while Carrouges remained relatively unknown to the nobility. The rivalry between them came to a head in 1386 when the two engaged in a heated argument while at the court of a French nobleman. On January 18th the Carrouges family left their estate with most of their servants for a business trip, leaving behind Jean’s wife Marguerite behind. Allegedly, while she was alone, Le Gris and a man at arm’s forced their way into the chateau and brutally raped Marguerite. Marguerite kept the rape a secret until her husband returned on the 22nd. Of course, words can’t express the rage that Carrouges must have felt, but initially he sought justice through the regular legal system. This proved to be difficult for two reasons. First, Le Gris had many friends in high places, including judges, many nobles, and the king himself. Second, there were no witnesses to the crime, and in an age hundreds of years before forensic science and modern law enforcement, there wasn’t any evidence to back Marguerite’s claim. It was nigh impossible to prove anything in court, not that it mattered. Le Gris was good friends with the judge who first heard the case, resulting in what was essentially a sham trial with a predetermined verdict. Carrouges appealed to higher courts but with little luck. Marguerite had become pregnant but that was not recognized as evidence of a rape. The man at arms who aided Le Gris refused to confess guilt, even under pain of torture. The legal process continued throughout spring and summer, but the courts were deadlocked and unable to make a decision. Thus Carrouges chose another option and challenged Le Gris to a judicial duel.A judicial duel is a duel specifically conducted to prove guilt or innocence in a criminal or legal matter. The winner of the duel would be recognized as having God’s favor and thus would be in the right. Judicial duels were quite common in the Middle Ages, and in some countries common well into the Renaissance and Enlightenment era. However in 14th century France the practice was exceptionally rare and was seen by most as an archaic and outdated tradition. The duel had to be approved by the king, and it seemed unlikely that he would do so. On the 9th of July Carrouges made a formal challenge in front of King Charles VI and the French Parlement, an act which involved both men throwing down a guantlet at the king’s feet to signify their willingness to fight. To everyone’s surprise, the king approved of the duel.The rules of a judicial duel are simple, fight to the death or until one or the other confesses guilt and surrenders. For Marguerite the stakes were especially high for if her husband lost, she would be burned at the stake for perjury. The duel took place in the jousting arena at the Abby of Saint Martin Des Champs in Paris on December 29th, 1386. Thousands a spectators arrived to watch the duel, everyone from the lowliest peasant to the king himself. Penalty for interfering in the duel was death, anyone who shouted or made noise to distract the combatants was to have a hand cut off. The ceremony began with both swearing an oath to God that they spoke the truth. Each man wore a plate armor harness and was armed with a lance, battleaxe, sword, and a dagger. The duel began with both men jousting on horse back. On the first two passes both men struck each other, on the third they simultaneously unhorsed each other. Remounting their horses, they then continued the battle with axes. Carrounges swung his axe into the neck Le Gris’ horse, causing him to fall to the ground. Le Gris countered by driving his axe into the gut of Carrouges’ horse, forcing him to dismount. The men continued the battle on foot with swords. After several minutes of sword fighting, Le Gris drove his sword into Carrouges hip. Carrouges trapped the sword, disarmed him, and wrestled Le Gris to the ground. Carrouges then mounted and pinned Le Gris, bashing at his helmet with his sword pommel until his visor was forced open. He the drew his dagger, and holding it to Le Gris’ neck demanded that he confess. Le Gris shouted, “In the name of God and on the peril of damnation of my eternal soul, I declare I am innocent!”. The duel ended with Carrouges driving his dagger through Le Gris’ throat. For his victory Carrouges was presented a prize of a thousand Franks and a royal income of 200 Franks a year. Later he was awarded an addition 6000 gold livres and a position as bodyguard within the royal household. Jean and Marguerite had two children together and enjoyed a life of fame and wealth because of the duel. Sir Jean de Carrouges died in battle while on campaign against the Ottoman Empire in 1396. Jacques Le Gris was found guilty of the rape of Marguerite, and his corpse was strung up to rot alongside the corpses of common criminals.The Carrouges v. Le Gris duel would go down in history as the last judicial duel in France.If you are further interested in this story, I suggest reading “The Last Duel” by Eric Jager. -- source link
Tumblr Blog : peashooter85.tumblr.com

More pics about