Jeanne de Divion (c. 1293–6 October 1331) was a French forger. Jeanne was the daughter of the impoverished noble Havet de Divion and Sara Louchard, and married the knight Pierre de Broyes. She was known for her knowledge of astrology, and made a scandal by living openly with her lover,

Thierry Larchier d'Hirson Thierry Larchier d'Hirson or d'Hireçon, or de Hérisson, (1270 in Bourbonnais – 23 August 1328) was a French cleric under Robert II, Count of Artois. Hirson was employed by Philip IV of France on several occasions. He became a canon of Arras ...

. When d'Hirson, then the

bishop of Arras The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer) (Latin: ''Dioecesis Atrebatensis (–Bononiena–Audomarensis)''; French: ''Diocèse d'Arras (–Boulogne–Saint-Omer)'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church i ...

, died, he left Jeanne 3000 livres. The executor of his will, Countess

Mahaut of Artois Mahaut of Artois also known as Mathilda (1268 27 November 1329), ruled as Countess of Artois from 1302 to 1329. She was furthermore regent of the County of Burgundy from 1303 to 1315 during the minority and the absence of her daughter, Joan II, ...

, paid the inheritance but later challenged it as being based on an adulterous liaison with a bishop, and obtained the restitution. In 1331, Countess Mahaut's nephew

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, h ...

used a

forgery Forgery is a white-collar crime that generally refers to the false making or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific intent to defraud anyone (other than themself). Tampering with a certain legal instrument may be forbi ...

created by Jeanne attesting to the will of his father as a means to reclaim the

County of Artois The County of Artois (, ) was a historic province of the Kingdom of France, held by the Dukes of Burgundy from 1384 until 1477/82, and a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1493 until 1659. Present Artois lies in northern France, on the border ...

from Mahaut. This deception was discovered, and Robert lost any hope of acquiring Artois. Jeanne was condemned and burned at the stake for forgery on 6 October 1331, at the Place aux Pourceaux in Paris.

In fiction

Jeanne de Divion is a minor character in '' Les Rois maudits'' (''The Accursed Kings''), a series of French

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...

s by

Maurice Druon Maurice Druon (23 April 1918 – 14 April 2009) was a French novelist and a member of the Académie Française, of which he served as "Perpetual Secretary" (chairman) between 1985 and 1999. Life and career Born in Paris, France, Druon was the s ...

which includes a retelling of her forgery. She was played by Annie Bertin in the 1972 French miniseries adaptation of the series, and by in the 2005 adaptation.

In fiction

References

Further reading