The True Story Behind the Last Duel
In the winter of 1386, two French noblemen engaged in what would be considered the last trial by combat in France. The center of their dispute was an accusation of rape. Marguerite de Carrouges was married to the knight Jean de Carrouges. She claimed that one of her husband’s former friends, Jacques le Gris, raped her when her husband was away. The court case and the brutal trial by combat that followed are depicted in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, based on the book of the same name by Eric Jager.
Possible Spoilers for the film follow below.
Trial by combat was a relatively common form of the judicial process during the Medival Period. If the usual court process for the nobility did not produce the required results, or if one party knew that they would not receive a fair trial, one or both parties may demand trial by combat. These judicial duels would put fate in God’s hands, with the winner being proven innocent and the loser punished (if they survived).
These trials were not the dignified affairs that some of us may picture. When we think of duels, we often think of two men following specific rules of etiquette on how the duel should proceed. We might think of the gentlemanly duels from period pieces of the 18th and 19th century pacing away and firing pistols with one shot determining the winner.
This was not the case in medieval judicial duels. These were often brutal affairs, with each man fighting literally for his life. The common myth is that the code of chivalry guided the nobility and knights when on the field of combat. The truth is, those rules went out the window when it came to battle. And this trial would be no different.
The fact that de Carrouges and le Gris had become bitter rivals leading up to the accusations of rape is essential to keep in mind. The two men had been allies in battle, and de Corrouges was a celebrated warrior in his time. However, at the time of the trial by combat, Jean was in the twilight of his career while le Gris was considered in his prime.
Jean de Carrouges had joined an expedition in Scotland to aid the Scots in battle with England. The expedition was a disaster, and the French that had gone to Scotland returned bankrupt and were defeated. Meanwhile, Jacques le Gris had not joined the expedition and had become wealthier. Jacques also had a reputation as a skilled fighter and a womanizer, which may have lent credence to the accusations that he assaulted Margaurite.
The story goes that on January 18, 1386, Marguerite’s mother-in-law, Dame Nicole de Carrouges, left the family chateau on business with most of the household servants. Marguerite was left unattended and alone when a man-at-arms named Adam Louvel came to the door about a loan he owed her husband. Louvel then announced the le Gris was outside and desperate to speak with her. Le Gris proclaimed his love for her and offered her a large sum of money to have sex with him and keep her silent. Marguerite refused, and le Gris, with the help of Louvel, sexually assaulted her. When he was done, he threatened her with death if she spoke about it. She remained silent until her husband’s return three days later, in which time she recounted to ordeal to him.
Jean de Carrouges did not initially seek trial by combat to gain justice for his wife. He first pled to Count Alencon of Normandy to his liege, but the court found le Gris innocent. He then appealed to the king of France, Charle VI, to prove his claim via trial by combat. The king accepted his request.
On December 29, 1386, the men met at the tournament grounds at Saint-Martin-des-Champs, just outside Paris. A large crowd had descended on the spot, interested to see the duel. King Charles VI was also in attendance to preside over the fight.
Also in attendance was the beautiful Marguerite. Her beauty was not only physical but was described in her strength and courage. Not only was she a woman who wanted justice in a man’s world, but she also knew that if her husband lost, she would share a horrendous fate; she would be burned at stake for perjury.
It is worth noting another common misconception when it came to rape laws in this period. Many think such horrible acts were commonplace and were seen as just another danger that women of the period had to put up with. In reality, laws and punishment for rape at this time were very harsh. Those found guilty faced either execution or castration or possibly both. The penalty for false accusations was equally harsh.
Marguerite placed her fate in the hands of her husband, hoping that his skills in battle would find her justice. Both stood on the field, swearing oaths that they had no magical or unfair advantage, and proclaimed the justice of their cause. They then mounted their horses and prepared for the fight.
What followed was a brutal fight. Both men wore full-plate armour and carried a lance, longsword, battle axe, and a dagger. The men first charged at each other with lances and then began hacking with their axes. In the process, they each managed to kill their opponent’s mount and began battling on foot.
At one point, de Carrouges slipped and fell. Le Gris took the opportunity to stab de Carrouges in the thigh. Instead of taking advantage of this opportunity, le Gris stepped back and gave de Carrouges a chance to recover. De Carrouges grabbed his opponent’s helmet, drug him to the ground, and began hacking at him with his sword. When he realized that the sword was useless against the plate armor, he took the hilt of his dagger and smashed the lock to le Gris’s faceplate.
De Carrouges straddled his enemy with his dagger poised at his throat. He demanded le Gris confess his guilt, but the fallen knight held fast to his innocence. In anger, de Carrougs plunged his dagger in le Gris’s neck, killing him instantly.
Following his victory, Jean de Carrouges was awarded a thousand francs and an annual income of two thousand francs by the king. He was then tended to for his wounds, after which his wife joined him on the field. The fortune of de Carrouges turned more favourably following the duel as he was also given a position in the Royal Household.
The ordeal was not over for Jacques le Gris. His body was stripped of his armour and clothes, then drug through the streets. His body was taken to the Gibbet of Montfaucon and strung up alongside the bodies of murders and thieves. There is left to rot before being flung into a common grave. Though some, including le Gris’s descendants, have claimed he was innocent, most scholars and legal experts believe he was indeed guilty of the charges.
Jean de Carrouges experienced a resurgence of his military career. He accompanied the king on several successful military campaigns over the next ten years. De Carrouges met his end at the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396 when he was on the Crusade against the Turks.
While this event was called the last duel, the name is a bit misleading. Judicial combat, while waning in favour, would continue until the 1580s. However, the fame of this particular event with its large crowd and romanticism by chroniclers such as Jean Froissart gave the event legendary status.
