Chronicle (Jean de Venette)

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The Chronicle of Jean de Venette is a narrative of several historical events spanning the years of 1340 and 1368, written by the Carmelite friar Jean de Venette. The chronicle was probably written starting as early as 1340, all the way up until Jean de Venette’s death around the year 1368. When it was first published in the Spicilegium, vol. 3, it was published with another chronicle by William of Nangis. The Chronicle was later translated into English by Jean Birdsall, and was published under the same title in 1953.

As many of the portions of the Chronicle were recorded as they happened, the Chronicle gives a very reliable first hand account of several historical events. The Chronicle is organized in a chronological fashion.

[edit] The Black Plague

One section of the Chronicle deals with the events during and after the Black Plague, which ravaged Europe from 1348-1350. This section shows how and where the plague spread, as well as several of the gruesome symptoms attributed to it. Jean de Venette also describes how in the aftermath of the plague, the economy of France was in a state of disarray, having large amounts of inflation, despite an overabundance of goods. He also describes how children born after the mortality would often have only 22 teeth in their mouths, at a stage when they should have had 32.

[edit] The Peasant's War

Jean de Venette also speaks about the Peasant’s War (part of the Hundred Years' War) in France. In one particular account, he tells of how a ragtag group of French peasants, led by Guillaume l'Aloue soundly defeated the English in several skirmishes due to the actions of an incredibly strong and ferocious peasant-turned warrior named Grandferre. It was said that Grandferre singlehandedly killed more than twenty-five English soldiers before finally succombing to a terrible fever.

[edit] References