Jeanne de Belleville: The Life of Jeanne de Clisson, an English Translation and Critical Introduction

Description

Appearing for the first time in English, Émile Péhant's 1868 narrative poem, "Jeanne de Belleville," (Volume II) is the longest surviving piece of fiction about Jeanne de Clisson, the Lioness of Brittany. Prefaced here by a comprehensive historical and literary introduction, the poem offers a unique portrayal of the life of Jeanne de Belleville. So, who was she? Jeanne de Belleville was an enigmatic figure who left behind minimal documentation, except where she crossed paths with people like Edward III of England or Philippe VI of France. As a fourteenth-century Breton noblewoman, her life followed the predictable patterns of education, marriage and motherhood until her second husband Olivier de Clisson was executed for treason. Jeanne then denounced her loyalty to the French crown and began to attack; first French castles, then French ships. Her popular legacy centres around her husband’s gruesome death, her indiscriminate slaughter of Breton citizens, and the death of her youngest son at sea. This translation of Volume II is a starting point for those wishing to pursue Jeanne de Belleville in a scholarly capacity or a more creative field, or for those who simply wish to learn more about this fascinating historical figure. Review: So helpful!!! - I’ve been trying to get my hands on any literature on Jeanne and I found your intro so incredibly helpful on my research journey. From what little I could gather from wikipedia and some blog posts and podcasts, I had made some conclusions and it was cool that you came to some of the same. Sweet validation!!! Emile’s take from the lens of a man of the 1800’s was hilarious to me. 14th century Brittany/France and obviously Jeanne are my current hyper fixation. Thank you Ellen for taking on this tedious translation for us. You did a great job.