E is for Écréhous – A smugglers nest
An aerial view of the northern section of Les Écréhous
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D is for Dragonnade – Persuasion by any means
A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 A Huguenot farmer experiences the full force of a dragonnade The year was 1681. King Louis XIV decided to put an end to ‘Calvin’s heresy’ by striking a great blow. On the advice of his entourage, regiments of dragoons were sent to the Poitou province to persuade the lost…
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C is for Constance – A dungeon for women
A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 Constance means perseverance. The Tour de Constance in Aigues-Mortes in the south of France demanded a great deal of perseverance from the Huguenot women imprisoned there. This unique tower was erected in 1242 by King Louis IX, on the site of a previous structure built by Charlemagne in about…
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B is for Benoist – Historian of the Edict of Nantes
A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 Imagine being thrown out of your own country as a rebel with fifteen days’ notice, and having to leave your daughters behind. This happened to Pastor Élie Benoist when, in 1685, King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes. Although from a humble background, Élie Benoist was a learned…
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A is for Abjuration – Some do it twice
A contribution to the #AtoZchallenge 2024 Abjuration? What a strange word that is. It means a solemn repudiation upon oath of some right or privilege. In the context of the religious strife in France in the 16th and 17th centuries, it referred to a formal renunciation one’s faith and adoption of a different one. Even…
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AtoZ Challenge April 2024
Welcome to an instructive journey that promises to ignite your curiosity about aspirations and conflicts in a period of history that you may know little about. As we gear up for the upcoming A to Z Blogging Challenge in April, I am unveiling the theme that will guide us through a month of discovery and…
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Games?
‘Games’ by Patrick Oberholzer is a remarkable book – remarkable in its oversized format, remarkable in its dramatic design, and particularly remarkable in its message. It is also a very instructive book. It makes us aware of the traumatic experiences of many Afghans refugees who arrive in comfortable Western Europe. “We speak of ‘games’ to refer…
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Ever heard of a Chignon Bible?
Louis XIV considered a person who possessed a Bible to be a traitor, a member of a rival church. Bitter persecution of Protestant believers spread throughout France. To avoid discovery, a Huguenot woman often hid her micro Bible in her hair bun or chignon.
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Give my love to Jesus
An extract from ‘Greet Suzon for me’ “I’m sure you miss your papa, Sophie.” “Yes. Mummy’s taking me to him.” “That’s right.” I looked at Antoinette. “How did you get separated? Can you tell me what happened?” She hung her head, sniffing and nodding for some moments. Then she looked up, breathing in gasps. “Those…
