French poet Francois Villon: biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

There are few poets whose biography would be as exciting and interesting as that of Francois Villon. It was mentioned in their works by François Rabelais and Robert Louis Stevenson, films were made by Ludwig Berger and Frank Lloyd. The poet was repeatedly wanted to be executed, and how he ended his earthly journey is still hidden by the darkness of obscurity. This article will tell about some details of the biography of Francois Villon.

Early years

The exact date of birth of the future poet is unknown. It is assumed that he was born between April 1, 1431 and April 19, 1432.

At the age of eight, the boy was left without a father in the care of his mother. Although at birth the child received the surname de Montcorbier, he was subsequently adopted by a relative who served as chaplain of the church of St. Benedict in Paris. Guillaume Villon fell in love with the orphan and offered his mother, who was barely making ends meet, to give him the child to raise. The man tried to ensure that Francois did not need anything and, according to the poet, was “more than a father” to him.

At university

In the 15th century, the children of the poor could not even dream of a good education. However, thanks to Guillaume Villon, at the age of 12, Francois entered the Faculty of Arts at the University of Paris. It was a kind of preparatory course, in which teenagers were prepared for further studies and instilled good manners.

In 1449, the future poet graduated from the university and received a bachelor's degree. The talented young man did not stop there, and after another 3 years he already had a licentiate and a master's degree. The diploma he received gave him the right to teach at a university or serve as a priest, but neither of these appealed to the young man.

First verses

Perhaps if Villon had been born in another time, he would have become a court poet or a famous scientist. However, in the middle of the 15th century, France was in decline due to the recently ended 7-year war. Fortunately for the young man, he began to be invited to the evenings hosted by the Prevost (chief executive of the judiciary) of Paris, Robert d'Estoutville. Poets gathered there, reciting their poems for the guests of the owner of the house. Under their influence, the young man wrote his first well-known work, "The Ballad of the Prevost the Newlyweds." This wedding song took the form of an acrostic from the name of d'Estoutville's bride.

Thanks to this and other works, by the mid-1450s, Francois Villon, whose biography is full of blank spots, achieved fame as a poet.

Firstcollision with the law

As a student, Villon participated in all the revelry and fights organized by classmates. In addition, he was distinguished by love and did not miss a single skirt.

In June 1455, his name first appeared on the pages of official documents, which even in those days the Parisian law enforcement and judicial authorities compiled carefully, scrupulously checking all the facts. It is thanks to these notes that many details of the biography of Francois Villon have come down to us.

In particular, it is reliably known that on June 5, 1455, a priest named Philippe Sermoise attacked the young poet with a knife. The cause of the ensuing fight was a woman. In the heat of the fight, Villon mortally wounded the "holy father". He left Paris to escape prosecution.

Consequences

The poet Francois Villon, who wandered far from the capital, did not know that before his death, Philippe Sermoise, who wanted to be cleansed of sins, admitted that the young man defended himself and forgave his unwitting killer. Thus, the fugitive was not in danger. He wrote two petitions to the Royal Court, which declared him not guilty.

However, before this good news reached François, he spent seven months in dubious company. It is believed that during this time he managed to at least take part in two robberies.

Return to Paris

François Villon found himself in the capital at the beginning of 1456. But the criminal environment did not let go of the poet. Eleven months later, on Christmas night, he and threeaccomplices robbed the College of Navarre, stealing fifty gold crowns. He immediately divided this amount with accomplices and disappeared from Paris, hoping that everything would remain secret and the crime would remain unsolved. The most interesting thing is that on the night of the robbery, Francois Villon, whose poems at that time were not yet as popular as in subsequent centuries, wrote his first major work - a message to friends en titled Les legs. Subsequently, it became known as the "Small Testament" (Le petit testament).

Although the theft was discovered only a few months later, law enforcement officers managed to establish the names of the perpetrators. Thus, Francois Villon, whose biography was later written largely thanks to the records found in the police archives, could no longer return to Paris.

The poet spent the next five years wandering. He walked almost the entire country from the English Channel to the Mediterranean coast.

Competition in Blois

During his travels, Francois managed to visit Blois, at the court of the famous philanthropist and lover of poetry - Charles of Orleans. Duke was passionate about creating an album of ballads. He attracted many poets of his time to write it. Under the terms of the competition, each of them had to write one humorous poem on the theme "I'm dying of thirst over the stream." Among the participants was Villon. The Ballad of the Poetic Competition in Blois, written by him, was later recognized as one of the poet's most profound philosophical works. Apparently, the idea of making money by writing attractedVillon, as information has been preserved that he also managed to amuse the Duke of Bourbon with his art, who granted the poet 6 ecu.

Imprisonment

However, once he got into the criminal environment, Francois Villon, whose poems became the subject of inspiration for many, could no longer break with her.

It is known that in the summer of 1460 the poet ended up in a prison in the city of Orleans. There he awaited execution, which he escaped only thanks to a lucky chance. The fact is that the day before, 3-year-old Princess Mary arrived in her hereditary possession for the first time. According to the old custom, all prisoners were released from prisons.

A year later, the incorrigible Villon was imprisoned again, this time in Maine-sur-Loire. However, luck again smiled at him. King Louis XI, on his way to his coronation, passed through the city, in whose prison Francois was languishing. He showed mercy and granted the prisoners forgiveness.

In Paris

After being released from prison, Villon went to the capital. In the vicinity of Paris, in the winter of 1461-1462, Francois wrote his main work, en titled "The Great Testament". Further, his traces are again lost, but already in the autumn of 1462, in one of the police documents, it was recorded that Villon was caught stealing. After a short trial, the poet was sent to the Châtelet prison, from where he left a month later, promising to pay back the money he got after the robbery of the Navarre College.

Death Sentence

But Francois Villon, whose work todaystudy in most of the literary universities of the world, was incorrigible. A month later, he took part in a fight and wounded the papal notary. A recidivist poet who was imprisoned was tortured. The court sentenced him to death, which was to be carried out by hanging.

Not hoping for a pardon, he nevertheless made such a request to the Parliament. In the days of waiting for the execution, the poet continued to create. This is how the famous work of Francois Villon "The Ballad of the Hanged" appeared.

However, a miracle happened. On January 5, 1463, the poet's death sentence was overturned by Parliament. It was replaced by Villon's ten-year exile from Paris and nearby settlements.

This resolution of the Parliament is the last reliable documentary evidence of the poet, which has come down to our days. After 3 days, Francois left the French capital and no information has been preserved about where he wandered and how he ended his days.

Glory

Like many people of art, recognition came to Villon only many decades later, and, most likely, he never knew that he was proclaimed the main poet of France.

His poems and poems became known to readers 25 years after this reckless adventurer left the capital. This event happened when the publisher Pierre Levet published the first collection of his works. How he got them is unknown.

Bulat Okudzhava: "Prayer"

For many years it was believed that this work of the bard is a free translation of the originalFrancois Villon. However, Okudzhava himself once admitted that this ballad was his own composition. He called it "Francois Villon's Prayer" so as not to have problems with Soviet censorship.

At first Okudzhava wrote the text, and the music was written later. The song premiered in 1967. "Prayer" Okudzhava immediately fell in love with the audience, as in it everyone found and finds something clinging to the soul.

Many people prefer the author's performance of this ballad, but there are many who like to listen to the recording made by Elena Kamburova.

Now you know about some details of Francois Villon's biography, Okudzhava's "Prayer" and who made the poems of this most famous French poet of the Late Middle Ages known.