International Medieval Society, Paris
Société Internationale des Médiévistes, Paris

Symposium 2008 Abstracts

Adam of Bremen, speaking of William the Conqueror, described his illegitimate descendance with a curious expression: „iste Willelmus quem Franci bastardum vocant, cui pro obliquo sanguine cognomen est bastardus“ – the Bastard came out of „queer blood“. This is not the only curious remark about the blood of noble bastards, which is said to be impure, particularly hot and wild, but also strong, courageous or simply as „belonging to the same blood“ as their legitimately born brothers – as formulated in the famous monologue of the bastard Edmund in Shakespeare’s King Lear.

The paper would like to investigate the different expressions and conceptions of blood in relation with noble bastards in France, England, Italy and Germany from 1300-1500. It is known that the European Nobility had a great number of illegitimate offspring, which were to a large extent integrated into their family, educated with their legitimately born siblings and given special tasks in the family policy – the outstanding examples being the „Grand Bâtard“ Anthony of Burgundy (1421-1504) or Borso d’Este (1413-1471), who became during times of crisis heads of their families, and both coming out of dynasties called „bastardocracy“ for their large numbers of accepted bastards. But also in England and Germany, which in their jurisdiction seemed to discriminate and exclude illegitimate offspring, noble bastards were equally numerous, and made impressing careers, notwithstanding the evil names they were called. Obviously, this omnipresence of accepted noble bastards changed the conceptions of genealogy, lineage and heritage and led to a particular reformulation of a certain number of „blood doctrines“.