Tag Archives: poets

This is the fourth part of Balladeer’s Blog’s look at the swashbuckling legends that surround Francois Villon (1431-1463?), remembered as one of France’s greatest poets and a notorious outlaw.

FRANCOIS VILLON PART FOUR – We left off last time with Villon back in Paris, where, in December of 1456, he gathered nine criminal colleagues for one of the most well-known thefts of his life.

Among those in Francois’ ad hoc gang were the usual names like Guy Tabary and Colin de Cayeux as well as a new name, Father Nicolas, the inside man for this robbery. Continue reading →

This is the third part of Balladeer’s Blog’s look at the swashbuckling legends that surround Francois Villon (1431-1463?), remembered as one of France’s greatest poets and a notorious outlaw.

FRANCOIS VILLON PART THREE – We left off last time with Villon forced to flee Paris after killing the priest Sermoise in a duel over a woman named Isabeau. Already well-versed in the criminal underworld of the region from his career as a thief, Francois hid out just 17 miles southwest of Paris at the Abbey of Port Royal-des-Champs.

In that June of 1455 the abbey was often called “l,abesse de Pourras (rotten)” because it was in the era when the infamous Abbess Huguette du Hamel ran the place. Typical of the chaotic tableau and moral ambiguity of the time, though the Abbess played the game of public piety, on the side she was as corrupt as many of her male counterparts. 

The Abbess often disguised herself as a man to enter tawdry establishments that were barred to women. She was also noted for drinking like a man and cursing like a man.  Continue reading →