François Villon -- Fifteenth-Century French Poet, Rogue, Criminal

I am delighted to announce the first of our speakers for the 2012 Richard III Society AGM: Jonathan Hayes will be speaking on the fifteenth-century poet, François Villon. This is Jonathan's introduction to his subject:

Stock woodcut image used 
to represent Villon in the 
1489 printing of the 
Grand Testament de 
Maistre François Villon 
(Image from Wikipedia). 

It would be very nice if artistic talent went with high morality. Alas, such is not necessarily the case. Richard Wagner, for example, was an anti-Semitic cad who ran off with his best patron’s wife. And those were a couple of Wagner's good qualities. Yet his Ring Cycle is one of the crowning masterpieces of Western art.

While François Villon’s poetry does not quite reach those rarified heights, still, it has a directness and vibrancy which we can appreciate today when the aestheticism of the courtly poetry of that period palls on us.

As much as Villon’s poetry, his life also attracts us. This is the seamy, back-side of fifteenth-century life; the part which frequently ended on the gibbet. My discussion will be not only an analysis of his poetry – which I love, but also an attempt to bring to life the lower strata of fifteenth-century life – the part which we frequently try to pretend didn’t exist.

Villon’s poetry has attracted many over the centuries; I will undertake to show you why. – Jonathan Hayes

We also have another speaker who I will be thrilled to announce shortly.

(Posting by Victoria)