François Villon was a French poet and criminal who is remembered as the definitive voice of the French Late Middle Ages. His literary legacy is defined by his major works Le Testament and the Ballade des pendus, which reflect a life marked by robbery, exile, and imprisonment. He disappeared from the public record in 1463 following a commuted death sentence.
François Villon, born in Paris in 1431, remains the definitive poet of the French Late Middle Ages. His literary legacy is inextricably linked to a life of recurring criminal encounters, exile, and imprisonment within the Kingdom of France, reflecting a turbulent existence that informs his surviving Middle French and French compositions.
Early Education
Raised in Paris by his foster father, the chaplain Guillaume de Villon, the future poet began his formal studies at the University of Paris around the age of twelve. He successfully earned a bachelor's degree in 1449, followed by a master's degree in 1452. The subsequent three years of his life remain largely undocumented by contemporary civil or court records.
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Villon’s life was marked by serious legal confrontations. In June 1455, he killed a priest named Philippe Chermoye during a street brawl, an act for which he later secured a royal pardon. By late 1456, he was implicated in the robbery of the Collège de Navarre. These events, combined with further theft charges in 1462, led to repeated sentences of banishment from Paris. He spent significant time as a wanderer, including a stint in the bishop's prison at Meung-sur-Loire in 1461.
Literary Contributions
Villon authored works that transitioned between ironic, comic verse and somber reflection. His primary output includes Le Lais, written around 1456, and his major work, Le Testament, completed in 1461. Beyond these collections, his extant canon includes the Ballade des pendus, Épître à Marie d'Orléans, and various poems. While eleven pieces written in thieves' jargon were historically attributed to him, many scholars now classify these as imitative works by other authors.
Disappearance
Following a death sentence that was commuted to banishment by the parlement in January 1463, all historical traces of Villon vanish. Whether the poet perished in a tavern, a prison cell, or upon a gallows in some provincial town remains unknown, as he disappeared completely from the public record at the age of 32.
Fast facts
- Born: 1431, Paris
- Died: 1463
- Education: University of Paris
- Primary Languages: Middle French, French
- Notable Works: Le Testament, Le Lais, Ballade des pendus
- Citizenship: Kingdom of France
Questions readers ask
What was François Villon's actual name?
Official documents from his lifetime refer to him as François de Montcorbier or François des Loges, though he consistently identified as Villon.
Did Villon write in thieves' jargon?
While eleven poems in such jargon were historically attributed to him, current scholarship suggests they were likely composed by other poets imitating his style.
What is the subject of Le Testament?
Also known as Le Grand Testament, the 1461 work serves as his most significant poetic legacy and includes his frustrations regarding his imprisonment by Bishop Thibault d'Aussigny.
Achievements
- Notable work: Ballade des pendus
- Notable work: Le Testament
- Notable work: Épître à Marie d'Orléans
- Notable work: Les ballades diverses
