The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France

“The bloodlust of war and the crusading spirit kindled by the Great Schism led to many atrocities. Not even nunneries were sacred.”

One of the recurring themes in The Last Duel is the prevalence of violence in the 14th century and in the region of Normandy in particular. More specifically, Jager highlights how sexual violence was used during warfare and how in war civilians were not spared from violence and pillage. 

“Land yielded life-sustaining crops as well as lucrative rents, in either coin or kind, along with levies of mail-fisted knights and men-at-arms. Land was thus the feudal nobility’s main source of wealth, power, and prestige – and the most enduring thing a man could pass down, with the family name, to his heirs. Valuable and coveted, it was also the cause of many quarrels and deadly feuds.”

Land was not only central to medieval Europe’s economy but to the nobility’s power and status. This explains why Jean de Carrouges IV was so concerned with taking ownership of the estate of Aunou-le-Faucon. Further, it also explains why the dispute over Aunou-le-Faucon seems to have sparked the feud between Jacques Le Gris and Carrouges.

“The squire’s ideal bride would be of noble descent and wealthy, with a dowry that would enrich him and enlarge his estate. She had to be young and fertile as well, to provide healthy sons, although there was no way to guarantee that with a virgin. And she had to be virtuous and chaste to ensure legitimate heirs. If the girl was pretty, too, there was no harm in that.”

Because of the nobility’s strong investment in questions of lineage and inheritance, the choice of a wife was wrapped up in concerns over sexuality, morality, and fertility. This also made sexual assault a devastating offense against both women and their husbands since it raised questions about a child’s legitimacy and could damage the woman’s honor, especially if there was suspicion that the woman had consented to sex with a man other than her husband.