The Disappearance of Francois Villon, 1463
A talented poet, but also a criminal, he was banished from Paris and never heard of again
3rd January 1463 was the last date on which anyone clapped eyes on one of medieval France’s greatest poets, François Villon. Banished from Paris for his crimes, he left the city never to be seen again.
François Villon’s career is shrouded in mystery, and his life presents an interesting parallel with that of a near-contemporary in England, namely Thomas Malory. Both writers made substantial contributions to the literatures of their respective countries while pursuing lives of crime that nearly got them hanged.
The Poet
He was probably born in 1431 and became noted as a highly talented poet, although much of his writing was done in a prison cell. Much of it was autobiographical, or dealt with themes of low-life and criminality, but it was highly innovative and inspired many later writers. He is probably best known today for a single line from his poem “Ballade des Dames du Temps Jadis” (Ballad of the Ladies of Old) which translates as “But where are the snows of yesteryear?”
His most famous work is “Le Testament,” a long poem in which he imagines his own death and divides his possessions among his friends, enemies, and…
