Martin Guerre

            The middle ages are a constant well for tales of intrigue and wonder. Even as young children, we romanticize the chivalry of knighthood, the fair beauty of princesses, and the sinister magic of witches that’s lengendary quality has stemed from the nobility’s accounts of the time. Rarely, however, is anything heard of the peasants’ lives.

One case makes the exception. It is a tale spun in mystery that tells of a young French farmer who deserts his teenage wife, son, and lands, and disappears for many years without a trace. Many years later, a day comes when it is rumoured that he has returned to the village. Pleasantly discovering that he is more amiable than the spouse she remembers to have left her those many years ago, the faithful wife welcomes the newcomer back to their home. Their marriage proceeds contentedly for several years, until  accusations that he is not the true husband send him to trial. To settle the dispute, a hearing is held before the court of Toulouse. The man is nearly pronounced innocent when a newcomer claiming the same name enters the court and is found to be the authentic husband.

This is the story of Martin Guerre. Perhaps it is that its intrigue and scandal is of equal scale to those of the royal court that found it so long lasting. Never the less, the tale has survived and is recounted vividly and accurately in Natalie Zemon Davis’s ‘The Return of Marin Guerre’. It is written in a style that is accessible not only to specialists in history but to those captivated by the timeless tale. At the climactic moment that the true Martin enters the courthouse, Natalie Zemon Davis calls upon the little knoledge we gather of his whereabouts, such as him having lost a leg at war, to build the suspense as she writes:

‘The Criminal Chamber was about to make itsfinal judgement of the case, opinions being “more disposed to the advantage of the prisoner and against the said Pierre Guerre and de Rols,” when a manwith a wooden leg appeared at the building of the Parliment of Toulouse. He said his name was Martin Guerre.’

Such an academic style that uses quotations from original historical texts intermingled with the dramatic rendition that apeals to the greater public surely makes for an enduring classic.

 

Welcome!

              Welcome to Undercover, a blog that lets you discover the tale of an imposter whose secret identity was revealed and learn about the truth about 21st century identity theft. This blog focuses on one of the main concepts of historian Natalie Zemon Davis’s novel, ‘The Return of Martin Guerre’. While this book revolves around a scandal that took place in medieval France, identity theft still manifests itself in modern times, though in different forms. Here, you can find ressources that will help you arm yourself against this elusive crime. But first, take a brief trip beneath the cover of ‘The Return of Martin Guerre’ to expose the basics of the historical tale.