House of Lilies: The Dynasty that made Medieval France
I get tired of the adjective ‘sweeping’ applied to history books, but in this case, I can think of no better word to describe the immense canvas on which Justine Firnhaber-Baker has painted a glorious account of the immensely successful dynasty of Capet. For twelve generations, from Hugh Capet to Charles IV, they handed the French crown from father to son, a feat unparalleled by any other European dynasty. While individual kings may have failed to live up to their destiny – a notable case being Philip I whose elopement with Bertrade of Montfort, wife of Count Fulk IV of Anjou scandalised Christendom and led to his excommunication – taken as a dynasty, they achieved extraordinary things.
Firnhaber-Baker describes how the Capetian kings changed from being rulers only of a small area around Paris, with the status of king over their surrounding vassals resting on the consent of those vassals, to the semi-divine kings of the high middle ages, imbued with the sanctity of Louis IX, one of the most successful of them all. Along the way, we learn about Philip I’s rotten teeth, the changing meaning of knighthood, the development of the tournament, and the attempts to curb the endemic warfare that the Church instituted through such measures as ‘the Peace of God’, which aimed to limit the effects of violence on the defenceless.
We also learn about how women were excluded from inheriting the throne of France when Philip, son of Philip IV, proclaimed that his niece, Jeanne’s, sex barred her from inheritance. This was, it seems, a matter of considerable surprise to people at the time, and Philip, who took the crown as Philip V, was duly punished by God with the loss of all his sons without male heirs of their own.
The author is Professor of History at St Andrew’s University, and I envy her students. Her written style is engaging, entertaining, and informative, with such delightful asides as the story of Bohemond, the first Frankish prince of Antioch. She writes ‘[b]y 1104, the Byzantine emperor had grown so exasperated with Bohemond that the “hero” had to fake his own death and travel in a coffin perfumed by a rotting chicken carcass to pass through imperial waters on his way back west to France. Bohemond could wash away the stench of dead poultry, but if an air of dishonour clung to him more doggedly, it didn’t dissuade the Capetians from welcoming him into the family…’ We also learn more about the origins of the myths surrounding the banner called the Oriflamme, and the Capetian battle cry of “Mountjoie! St Denis!” Her students must enjoy every lecture, as I have enjoyed every page of this magnificent book.
Highly recommended
