Historia ALBUM II - Part 2

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ALBUM II – Part 2

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Battle of Courtrai - Burgondy

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Philip the Fair

At the end of the 13th century Philip IV the Fair was king of France. He was a fearsome monarch who strove for absolute power. He attempted to limit the power of the County of Flanders. Guy of Dampierre was count of Flanders.

Guy of Dampierre

Guy of Dampierre, who faired the king of France’s thirst for power, made an alliance with the king of England. But Philip the Fair managed to break this covenant. He incorporated the County of Flanders into France and he imprisoned Guy of Dampierre.

Clauwaerts and Leliaerts

When Philip the Fair made himself master of the County of Flanders, it caused great discord in the county. The wealthy merchants, or patricians, chose the side of the King of France. They were called Leliaerts because they took the French lily of the royal coat of arms as their badge. Their opponents, the poor artisans, were called Clauwaerts because they choose the side of the Count of Flanders, his coat of arms was a black lion with red claws.

Jacques de Chatillon in Bruges

In 1300 the County of Flanders was abolished by king Philip the Fair of France. He appointed as Governor, at the head of the County a French nobleman, Jacques de Chatillon, who came to Bruges.

 

Bruges Matins (riots)

The annexation of Flanders to France was short lived. The Clauwaerts rioted. On the night of 17 to 18 May 1302 they killed the French soldiers and the patricians/Leliaerts and they chased the Governor out of Bruges. This event is called Bruges Matins or Brugse Metten in Flemish.

Breydel

and de Coninck

The leader of the Clauwaerts, who in 1302 freed Flanders, was Pieter de Coninck, the Dean of the Weavers Gild in Bruges. He and Jan Breydel, Dean of the Butchers Gild. But the role of Pieter de Coninck in these events was the most important.

The Battle of Courtrai

After the Brugse Metten Philip the Fair wanted to regain control over Flanders. He sent an army of knights commanded by Robert of Artois. An urban militia barred the way and on 11 July 1302 at the battle of Courtrai, the French army was crushed. The battle went into history as the Battle of the Golden Spurs, because of the many golden spurs found on the battle field. It was one of the first battles where commons defeated knights.

The belfry in Bruges

Bruges in 1302 saved the independence of Flanders and probably the future independence of the later Belgium. The proud city completed at the same time her beautiful belfry, symbol of its power and freedom.

Robert of Bethune

Guy of Dampierre died in captivity. His son Robert of Bethune succeeded him. He signed the Peace of Athis with the King of France. A treaty wherein the independence of the County of Flanders was acknowledged.

John II

The Battle of the Golden Spurs started a large democratic movement. Not only in Flanders but also in the Duchy of Brabant-Limburg. Duke John II, son of John I, donated in 1312 the Charter of Kortenberg wherein large liberties were granted to traders and craftsmen.

The Meyboom or Maypole

Despite the social turbulence at the start of the 14th century, people lived happily in Brabant. Although there were often tensions between the citizens of Louvain and Brussels. The latter obtained from the Duke of Brabant the admission to plant the Meyboom or Maypole every year. To demonstrate their majority above the citizens of Louvain. That event became a popular happening.

 

Mal Saint-Martin

In the 14th century the craftsmen or "Petits" of Liège claimed more freedom. The rich or "Citains" reduced that claim, with the complicity of nobility and the Bishop,.But 200 conspirators were cought and burned alive in the night from 3 to 4 August 1312 in the Saint Martin's Church in Liège. This is called "Mal Saint-Martin" or “The Bad of Saint-Martin”.

Adolf de la Marck

In 1316, the Prince-Bishop Adolf de la Marck was forced to sign the Peace of Fexhe-le-Haut-Clocher, wherein he granted to the crafts a large part in the management of the prince-bishopric of Liège. From now on, all Prince Bishops had to swear obedience to that charter.

 

Louis of Nevers

After the death of Robert of Bethune, his grandson Louis of Nevers, became count of Flanders. This Prince was educated in France. He therefore followed the politics of his suzerains, the kings of France.

Simon of Aertrijcke

In the middle of the 14th century, the king of France invited the mayors of Bruges, Ghent and Ypres on a feast. They found no pillows on their chairs and the three Flemings corrugated their beautiful mantles and they were sitting on it.

When they left someone called: "You forget your mantles". The Mayor of Bruges, Simon of Aertrijcke, replied, "We Flemings never take our pillows with us when we leave".

The Kerels

At the beginning of the reign of Louis of Nevers, Flanders once more revolted. The coast residents, the Kerels, or “Guys” in English, grouped and organized. Jacques Peyte was their leader. They controlled the County for a quite a long time and the Count had to flee to France.

Klaas Zannekin

The rebellion of the Kerels provoked the intervention of Philip IV of Valois, king of France. One of their leaders, Nicolas(Klaas) Zannekin, infiltrated into the French camp and spied on the enemy. In 1328 he made battle at Cassel, but the rebels were defeated and exterminated.

 



William the Dean

The Flemish defeat at Kassel did not endangered the independence of Flanders. However the king of France demanded that the guilty would be punished. William the Dean, Mayor of Bruges, was broken on the wheel in Paris. Bruges had to tear down its walls. The city gradually came in decline as a result of the silting up of the Zwin, her way out to the sea.

The belfry of Ghent

The decline of Bruges dates from the middle of the 14th century. Genth then became the first city of Flanders and the most prosperous. Her pride Belfry testifies of that power. Weavers and cloth manufacturers were very numerous. They treated the wool that was delivered by England.

 

Jacob

van Artevelde

When the Hundred Years War between England and France broke out, the count of Flanders, chose the side of the King of France. With the consequence that king Edward III of England stopped the export of English wool to Flanders. This measure caused unemployment, misery, and rebellion in Flanders. A man from Ghent, Jacob van Artevelde, took the power over Ghent and all Flanders was in his hands. He was called the Wise Man of Ghent.

Jacob van Artevelde and Edward III

Jacob van Artevelde met king Edward III of England and obtained that the English wool would be sent to Flanders. He thus saved the County from misery. In return he promised to Edward III the neutrality of Flanders in the French-English war.

The English sovereigns in Ghent

Flanders could not remain neutral in the Hundred Years War. Philip VI of Valois forced Flanders to a close alliance with England. King Edward III of England came to Ghent with his consort Filippina of Hainaut, and was honored as King of France. Indeed he made claim to the French throne.

The armed forces of Ghent

In the name of the County of Flanders, Jacob van Artevelde recognized Edward III of England as King of France. While the count of Flanders, Louis of Nevers remained faithful to Philip VI of Valois and fought for his sovereign in France, the Ghent militia were at the service of the King of England.

The battle at Sluys

In 1340 the first major battle of the Hundred Years War took place. The battle was at sea, on the estuary of the Zwin, at Sluys. Almost all French warships were sunk by the English and Flemish fleets.

 

Belgian Union

Thanks to Jacob van Artevelde the future Belgian unity was possible. He connected for the first time three large cities: Ypres, Bruges and Ghent. In 1339 he realised a military and custom union with Brabant-Limburg, later also with Hainaut-Holland-Zeeland-Friesland. Liège would join later.

The death of Jacob van Artevelde

Despite the many services Jacob van Artevelde gave to the people of Flanders and Ghent in particular, he was murdered by the weavers of that city, leaded by Gerard Denijs. This happened on a July evening in 1345. The corpse of the "wise man" was dragged around the city and left behind in a narrow street.



John of Bohemia at Crécy

A few months after the death of Jacob van Artevelde, Louis of Nevers fighting in the army of the King of France was killed at the Battle of Crécy in 1348. In the same battle, John the Blind, Duke of Luxembourg and King of Bohemia, one of our greatest medieval heroes, was killed Also. The Prince of Wales, the victor of this battle, took the ostrich feathers from the helmet of John of Bohemia and placed those in his coat of arms.

Joanna and Wenceslas

In 1356 Duchess Joanna of Brabant and Limburg, daughter of John III and consort of the young Wenceslag of Luxembourg, granted her subjects the Joyous Entry of Brabant charter. This charter guaranteed many freedoms. From now on, all Dukes of Brabant would, at the time of their accession, pledge loyalty to the Joyous Entry charter.

 

The XXII 
of Liège 

The democratic unrest of the 14th century in Liège had a happy consequence: the Court of the XXII was founded in 1343. This Court, where all classes of the society were represented, had the power to settle all disputes and repair any injustice.

The Flagellants

Life was hard in the Middle Ages. Black plague and famine often devastated the country. Peculiar sects emerged and they warned the common people for future disasters. The sect of Flagellants whipped themselves to drive evil and devils away.

Everhard Tserclaes

In 1356 the armies of the Count of Flanders, occupied the city of Brussels after they also had taken away Antwerp and Mechelen from Joanna of Brabant. A Brussels nobleman, Everhard Tserclaes, managed to liberate the city. He was very popular but nevertheless was murdered in 1380. The citizens of Brussels still honor him.

Louis of Male

After Louis of Nevers his son, Louis of Male, was Count of Flanders. He was a diplomatic and bright man, and imperious. He led a very independent politicy towards his Lord, the King of France.

 

The White Chaperons

                              

Lodewijk van Male’s authority was not much recognized in Flanders. Leaded by Jan Yoens, the Ghent Democrats, also called The White Chaperons, rebelled in 1379. They created disorder throughout the County.

Peter Coutereel

The rebellion of The White Chaperons became contagious throughout the country. In Louvain (or Leuven in Dutch), the capital of Brabant, Peter Coutereel, a demagogue, ordered the Aldermen of the city to be throwed out the windows of the City Hall and he took over the government of the city.

 

Philip van Artevelde

The citizens of Ghent who stood up against count Louis van Male, had chosen Philip van Artevelde, son of Jacob, as their leader. He was a brave man, but less gifted than his father. The case he defended was a lost case from the beginning.

The Battle at Beverhout

In 1382, Philip van Artevelde and the people of Ghent were at the gates of Bruges and attacked the city on the Field of Beverhout. He defeated the militia of Bruges and took the city. Count Louis of Male, with the help of a disguise, made a narrow escape.

The Peace of Tournai

Louis of Male came back with the army of the King of France to take his county back. That army defeated the small Ghent army at the Battle of West-Roosebeke. Philip van Artevelde was killed. Only in 1385, a year after the death of the count, Ghent signed a peace treaty in Tournai with his son-in-law Philip the Bold, Count of Burgondy. Only at the urging of his consort, Margaretha of Male, he agreed to sign the peace treaty.

Jacob van Maerlant

In our history the Middle Ages end at the end of the 14th century. That period was rich in great poets. One of the more valuable was a town clerk of Damme in Flanders, Jacob van Maerlant. He praised his love for his homeland in a beautiful language.

 Reinaert the Fox

Amongst the Flemish writers of the 14th century William of Ghent must be mentioned. He told the funny adventures of the Fox in a animal epos "Reynard, the Fox". Manners and way of life op the people of that time are vividly depicted in those stories.

The Monks of the Common Life

At the end of the Middle Ages, the Belgian children were ahead in education. While the beguines told the girls about the common Life, the Brethren of the Common Life schooled the boys. Their founder was Geert Grote.

 

Jan van Ruysbroeck

Of all our important medieval figures, the most remarkable was a monk and religious person, Jan van Ruysbroeck, nicknamed "the wonderful". His mystical works are very distinguished and exceed by their purity of language.

The Church of Our Lady at Huy

The Belgian craftmenship in the Middle Ages can be seen in the many beautiful buildings. Up to the 13th century, the Romanesque style wasused. In the 14th century Gothic style churches were built. One of the earliest Gothic churches from that period is the Our Lady Church at Huy, in the Principality of Liège.

(To part 1 of ALBUM III)