There are few poets whose biography would be as exciting and interesting as that of François Villon. He was mentioned in his works by François Rabelais and Robert Lewis Stevenson, and films Ludwig Berger and Frank Lloyd were shot. The poet was repeatedly wanted to be executed, but the way he ended his earthly journey is still hidden by the darkness of the unknown. This article will talk about some of the 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 eight years old, the boy was left without a father in the care of his mother. Although the child received the surname de Montcorbier at birth, he was subsequently adopted by a relative who served as chaplain of the church of St. Benedict in Paris. Guillaume Villon was very fond of the orphan and invited his mother, barely making ends meet, to give him a child to raise. The man tried to ensure that François did not need anything and, according to the poet, was "more than his father."
In the 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, François entered the Faculty of Arts of 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. A capable young man did not stop there, and after another 3 years he already had a degree in license and a master. The diploma gave him the right to teach at the university or serve as a priest, but neither one nor the other attracted the young man.
First poems
Perhaps if Villon had been born at another time, he would have become a court poet or famous scientist. However, in the middle of the XV century, France was in decline due to the recently ended 7-year war. Fortunately for the young man, they began to invite him to evenings arranged by the prestigious (chief executive of the judiciary) of Paris Robert d'Estutville. Poets gathered there, reading their poems for the guests of the owner of the house. Under their influence, the young man wrote his first famous work, “The Ballad of Pre-newlyweds.” This wedding song had the form of an acrostic from the name of the bride d'Estutville.
Thanks to this and other works, by the mid-1450s, François Villon, whose biography is full of white spots, became famous as a poet.
The first clash with the law
As a student, Villon participated in all the festivities and fights organized by classmates. In addition, he was loving 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 Paris law enforcement and judicial authorities carefully compiled, scrupulously checking all the facts. Thanks to these records, many details of the biography of Francois Villon have reached us.
In particular, it is reliably known that on June 5, 1455 a priest named Philippe Sermois attacked a young poet with a knife. The cause of the ensuing fight was a woman. In the heat of battle, Villon mortally wounded the "holy father." To escape from prosecution, he left Paris.
Effects
The poet Francois Villon, wandering far from the capital, did not know that before his death, Philippe Sermoise, who wanted to be cleansed of his sins, admitted that the young man defended himself and forgave his involuntary 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 a dubious company. It is believed that during this time he managed to at least take part in two robberies.
Return to Paris
In the capital, Francois Villon was at the beginning of 1456. But the criminal environment no longer let the poet go. After 11 months, on the night of Christmas, he, together with three accomplices, robbed the Navarre College, having stolen fifty golden ecu. He immediately shared 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 of Francois Villon, whose poems at that time were not as popular as in the following centuries, he wrote his first major work - a message to friends, entitled Les legs. Subsequently, it became known as the “Small Testament” (Le petit testament).
Although they learned about the theft only a few months later, law enforcement officers managed to establish the names of the criminals. Thus, Francois Villon, whose biography was subsequently written largely thanks to the records found in the police archives, could no longer return to Paris.
The next five years, the poet spent in wandering. He walked almost the entire country from the English Channel to the Mediterranean coast.
Blois match
During his travels, François managed to visit Blois, at the court of the well-known philanthropist and poetry lover - Charles of Orleans. The Duke was passionate about creating an album of ballads. He drew many poets of his time to write it. According to the terms of the contest, each of them had to write one comic poem on the theme "I die of thirst over the stream from thirst." Among the participants was Villon. The Ballad of Poetic Contest at Blois, which he wrote, was subsequently recognized as one of the poet's most profound philosophical works. Apparently, the idea of earning money by writing attracted Villon, since information was preserved that he also managed to amuse the Duke of Bourbon with his art, who granted the poet 6 ecu.
Imprisonment
However, once caught in a criminal environment, François Villon, whose poems were 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 was waiting for the execution, which he escaped only by a lucky chance. The fact is that the day before, the 3-year-old Princess Maria came to 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 again imprisoned, this time in Men-sur-Loire. However, luck smiled at him again. King Louis XI, heading for his coronation, drove through the city, in the prison of which Francois languished. He showed mercy and granted 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, entitled, "The Great Testament." Further, his traces are again lost, but already in the fall of 1462, in one of the police documents, a record was made that Villon was caught stealing. After a short trial, the poet was sent to Châtelet prison, from where he came out a month later, promising to pay back the money that he received after the robbery of Navarre College.
Death sentence
But Francois Villon, whose work is currently studied in most literary universities in the world, was incorrigible. A month later, he took part in a fight and wounded a papal notary. A recidivist poet who was imprisoned was tortured. The court pronounced him a death sentence, which should have been put into effect by hanging.
Not hoping for a pardon, he nevertheless made such a request to Parliament. In the days of waiting for the execution, the poet continued to create. Thus appeared the famous work of Francois Villon "The Ballad of the Hanged."
However, a miracle happened. On January 5, 1463, the death sentence of the poet was annulled by Parliament. He was replaced by a ten-year exile of Villon from Paris and the nearest settlements.
This decree of the Parliament is the last reliable documentary evidence of the poet, which has survived to this day. After 3 days, Francois left the French capital and no information was left about where he wandered and how he had finished his days.
Glory
Like many people of art, recognition came to Villon only many decades later, and most likely he did not recognize 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 occurred when the publisher Pierre Leve published the first collection of his works. How they ended up with him is unknown.
Bulat Okudzhava: “Prayer”
For many years it was believed that this work of the bard is a free translation of the original by François Villon. However, Okudzhava himself once admitted that this ballad is his own composition. He called it the “Prayer of Francois Villon” so as not to have problems with Soviet censorship.
Okudzhava first wrote the text, and music was written later. The premiere of the song took place in 1967. The “Prayer” by Okudzhava immediately fell in love with the audience, since in it everyone found and finds something catching on his soul.
Many 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 of the details of the biography of Francois Villon, about the “Prayer” of Okudzhava and about who made known the verses of this most famous French poet of the late Middle Ages.