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The unsung architects of the Edict of Nantes (yes, they were women)
The Unsung (Female) Architects of the Edict of Nantes. If you have Huguenot ancestry, or if you’ve studied 16th French history, you’ve no doubt heard of the Edict of Nantes, which Henry IV of France promulgated on this day in 1588. Henry is celebrated by historians for being pragmatic and good natured enough to unite the Protestant and Catholic factions of France after a century of bloody religious warfare, which led to the proclamation that French Protestants would be hereafter be given equal rights as Catholics under French law. While that’s essentially true, the official story handed down by scholars leaves out two essential figures who shepherded the Edict through…
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Rounding up the reasons for keeping a royal mistress.
In my most recent post to our group Facebook Page, I look at the perks and reasons why a king would keep a royal mistress. It’s easy to oversimplify and assume it’s only about sex, but there’s so much more to the position.
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Everything you needed to know about medieval warhorses but were afraid to ask
I know what you’re thinking: How can I learn more about war horses in the Mideaval era? Luckily, author Keira Morgan has you covered.
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Did you know that there’s a Facebook Page for French Historical Fiction? It’s true!
I’ve been extremely blessed to be part of a group of writers who specialize in French history from the cave paintings to about 1900. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but we’ve joined forces to promote our love of French history and historical fiction based in France. Today on April Fool’s Day, Ann Mc Clellan wrote about court jesters, and the role they played in French royal courts. If I managed to understand the code embed from Facebook, Ann’s post will appear here: Each of us take turns writing every Friday about various aspects of French history and culture. While we try to identify ourselves at the end of…
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Keira Morgan looks at the effectiveness of the King’s Scrofula
There’s a mystic aspect to kingship, and one of the most common mystical beliefs is that a royal representative of God has the power to cure. For most of its history, France believed that its monarchs could cure Scrofula. Keira Morgan, author of The Importance of Pawns, takes a closer look at a belief that lasted for almost a millennia.
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Jules Larimore delves into the history of troubadours
Few things evoke the romanticism of the Middle Ages and Renaissance than the image of a troubador. Over on our new Facebook page, France’s Splendid Centures, Jules Larimore takes an in-depth look at the people who made sweet music across the courts of Europe.
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mercredi des Cendres: celebrating Ash Wednesday in France
As a side note, as an Anglican (we’re called “Episcopalians” in the US), when I Googled “Ash Wednesday in France,” this Anglican church in Paris came up in the results. I had to smile at that; it’s named St. George’s as a direct salvo at the French. It’s not the kind of day you can really call a “holiday.” It’s more apt to call it an observance. It’s also one of those practices that was so tied into Mideaval life that the more Calvinist- leaning Protestants were more than happy to drop it as soon as humanly possible. (Looking at YOU, Jeanne of Navarre!) Amongst the most observant Catholics, there…
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Mardi Gras in France: crêpes, beignets and waffles galore
When I was researching my post for Shrove Tuesday/ Mardi Gras/ Fat Tuesday/ Pancake Day/ Gumbo Because We’re Southerners and This is Practially Louisiana Anyway Day, I was shocked to learn that France has two “Pancake Days” related to the Catholic liturgical calendar. I’ll try to simplify it for you. After Christmas (Christ’s birthday), there’s Epiphany (the day the Wise Men actually showed up to the manger). A few days later there’s a feast called Chandeleur (Candlemas) which celebrates the newborn Christ being presented to the temple in Jerusalem. None of these dates are scientific of course, they’re just approximations to parcel out the story of Christ for the general…
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On this day: Anne of Brittany is named her father’s official heir
On this Day in History, Anne of Brittany becomes the official heiress of her father’s Dukedom. In this post from our Facebook page, Rozsa Gaston takes a look at the process of naming a woman heir, something that the kingdom of France would never do.
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Looking at the origins of the Dumas family
As Black History Month begins, take a look at the family history of the Dumas, a literary powerhouse in France. Jules’ original post appeared on her website.
