Jeanne Laisné (born circa 1454 ?) was a French heroine known as Jeanne Fourquet and nicknamed Jeanne Hachette ('Joan the Hatchet'). She was the daughter of a peasant. She is currently known for an act of heroism on 27 June 1472, when she prevented the capture of

Beauvais Beauvais ( , ; pcd, Bieuvais) is a city and commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise département, in the Hauts-de-France region, north of Paris. The commune of Beauvais had a population of 56,020 , making it the most populous ...

by the troops of

Charles the Bold Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy (french: duc de Bourgogne) was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by France in 1477, and later by Holy Roman Emperors and Kings of Spain from the House of Habsburg ...

. The town was defended by only 300 men-at-arms, commanded by Louis de Balagny. The Burgundians were making an assault, and one of their number had planted a flag upon the battlements, when Jeanne, axe in hand, flung herself upon him, hurled him into the moat, tore down the flag, and revived the drooping courage of the garrison. In gratitude for this heroic deed,

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...

instituted a procession in Beauvais called the "Procession of the Assault", and married Jeanne to her chosen lover Colin Pilon, loading them with favours. There is an annual religious procession on the last weekend in June through the streets of Beauvais to commemorate Jeanne's deed. A statue of her was unveiled on 6 July 1851 (see picture). During the ceremony, the Beauvais poet, Fanny Dénoix des Vergnes (1798-1879) read her poem, ''Jeanne Hachette, or the siege of Beauvais''.Renet, M. (1898). ''Beauvais et le Beauvaisis dans les temps modernes, époque de Louis XI et de Charles le Téméraire (1461-1483), siège de Beauvais, Jeanne-Hachette'' (in French). p. 577.

In culture

*She is the tragic figure in the play by the

Marquis de Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814), was a French nobleman, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer famous for his literary depictions of a libertine sexuality as well as numerous accusat ...

, ''Jeanne Laisné ou le siège de Beauvais'' published in 1813. It has never been performed. *She was portrayed in the French film '' Le Miracle des loups'' (1924) of

Raymond Bernard Raymond Bernard (10 October 1891 – 12 December 1977) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career spanned more than 40 years. He is best remembered for several large-scale historical productions, including the silent films '' Le Mi ...

. *The knight Jenavelle Rolantir who appears in ''Elf Saga: Doomsday'' (2014) by Joseph Robert Lewis is inspired by various French heroes, including

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

and Jeanne Hachette.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hachette, Jeanne Year of birth uncertain Year of death unknown People from Beauvais 15th-century French people Women in medieval European warfare Women in war in France Women in 15th-century warfare

In culture

See also

References