Carnival in Romans

441 Pages·1979·9.221 MB·English

by  Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie

By the Same Author
Montaillou, The Promised Land of Error
The Peasants of Languedoc
Carnival in Romans

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SAVOY
4
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PROVENCE
Sites of League Action (1579-1580)
Based on <<Le Peuple Francaise>>, June 1977.
Carnival
in
Romans
E m m a n u e l L e R o y L a d u r i e
Translated from the French by Mary Feeney
George Braziller, Inc.
New York
Published in the United States in 1979 by George Braziller, Inc.
English translation by Mary Feeney Copyright ® 1979 by George Braziller, Inc.
Originally published in France under the title
Le Carnaval du Romans.
® Editions Gallimard, 1979.
All rights reserved.
For information, address the publisher:
George Braziller, Inc.
One Park Avenue, New York 10016
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Le Roy Ladurie Emmanuel.
Carnival in Romans.
Translation of Le Carnaval de Romans. De la Chandeleur au
mercredi des Cendres 1579-1580.
1. Romans, France (Drome)—History. 2. France—
History—Wars of the Huguenots, 1562-1598. I. Title.
DC801 .R75L4713 944'.98 79-52163
ISBN 0-8076-0928-5
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition
Designed by Nancy Kirsh
Acknowledgments
I would especially like to thank L. Scott Van Doren and Daniel
Hickey for their help and their kindness; Vital Chomel, the
archivist of the Archives Departementales de l’Isere, for giving
me free access to his own vast stores of knowledge; the archivist
of the Archives Departementales de la Drome; my friend Ber­
nard Bonnin; the head librarian of Romans’s Biblioth£que
Municipale; and the former and present mayors of Romans.
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Contents
Foreword xiii
I The Urban and Rural Setting 7
II Taxes: Commoner versus Noble 35
III Jean de Bourg’s Petition of Grievance 61
IV 1578: Jacques Colasa nd the Moderate Revolt
V 1579: The Shadow Carnival 93
VI Strikes and Debts 153
VII Antoine Guerin, Master of Ceremonies 175
VIII Mardi Gras 1580 or, God on Our Side 229
IX A Slaughter of Peasants 249
X “Magpies and crows have pecked out our eyes .
XI Paradigms, Confraternities, Kingdoms 289
XII The Winter Festival 305
XIII A Word on the Peasants 325
XIV Forerunners of Equality 339
Appendix 371
Chapter Notes 375
Manuscript Sources 409
Abbreviations 411
Bibliography 413