Jean Froissart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Froissart
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Posthumous portrait in the Recueil d'Arras
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| Born | c. 1337 |
| Died | c. 1405 (aged 67–68) Chimay, Hainaut
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| Occupation | Historian and poet |
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Works
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Froissart's Chronicles |
Jean Froissart (born around 1337, died around 1405) was a famous medieval author. He spoke French and came from a region called the Low Countries. He was a court historian and a poet.
Froissart wrote several important works. His most famous is Chronicles. This book is a huge history of the 14th century. He also wrote Meliador, a long story about King Arthur, and many poems. For hundreds of years, his Chronicles have been seen as a key book about the age of chivalry. It is also a very important source for understanding the first half of the Hundred Years' War. This was a long conflict between England and France.
About Jean Froissart's Life
We don't know a lot about Froissart's personal life. Most of what we know comes from his own historical writings. We also learn from old records that show him working for or getting gifts from rich people. Some people used to think his poems told us about his life. But experts now say that the "I" in his poems isn't always really him. So, those poems aren't always true stories about his life.
Froissart was born in Valenciennes. This town was in the County of Hainaut. Hainaut was part of the Holy Roman Empire and bordered France. Some scholars thought his father painted coats of arms for knights. But there isn't much proof for this idea. Others thought he started as a merchant but became a church official. Again, there's no real evidence for this.
Around age 24, Froissart left Hainaut. In 1361 or 1362, he started working for Philippa of Hainault. She was the queen of Edward III of England. He worked for her until she died in 1369. People often thought he was the queen's official poet or historian. But records show he probably didn't have an official job. He was more like a poet who wrote for his "lady" and received gifts.
Froissart was very serious about his work. He traveled a lot to gather information for his Chronicles. He visited England, Scotland, Wales, France, Flanders, and Spain. He wanted to get first-hand stories from people who were there. He even traveled with Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence. They went to Milan for the Duke's wedding. Two other famous writers, Chaucer and Petrarch, were also at this wedding.
After Queen Philippa died, Froissart found new supporters. One was Joanna, Duchess of Brabant. He received gifts and positions that helped him pay for more travels. These trips gave him even more material for his books. He returned to England in 1395. But he felt disappointed by the changes he saw. He thought the age of chivalry was ending. We don't know exactly when or how he died. Some believe he might be buried in Chimay, Hainaut.
Froissart's Lasting Impact
Froissart is famous mostly for his Chronicles, not his poetry. More than 100 copies of his Chronicles still exist today. Many of these are illuminated manuscripts. This means they have beautiful pictures painted by hand.
One of the most beautiful copies was made for Louis of Gruuthuse. He was a nobleman from Flanders. This copy was made in the 1470s. It has four large books with 112 small paintings. These paintings were done by famous artists from Bruges.
Froissart was also one of the first people to mention a part of early clocks. He wrote about the "verge and foliot" in European clocks around 1368. This was an important step in how clocks were made.
The English composer Edward Elgar wrote a piece of music called the Froissart overture. This shows how important Froissart's work was.
Froissart's Main Works
- Chronicles
- L'Horloge amoureux (The Lover's Clock)
- Méliador
See also
In Spanish: Jean Froissart para niños
