Bibliography of Recent Work on the duke's life and poetry
The Chateau de Blois, on the Loire, was the duke's favorite residence. It's easy to understand why the nobility of France in the late Middle Ages chose to build their castles along the beautiful river Loire.
A romantic but inaccurate account of the duke's English captivity, seen through the lens of Helle Haasse's fictional biography of him.
Images (supposed) of Charles d'Orleans
Two of Charles' lyrics and some information about medieval lyric poetry
A selection of lyrics in modern French
. . . and a few more . . . and yet more . . . and still more . . .
Here's a little exercise in translation
Here's a facsimile of a ransom document, together with (what else?) more lyrics, in English
Charles was fond of chess, backgammon (called tables), and games of all sort
What people say to sell books!
This is what Matisse thought he looked like
He's even graced a French postage stamp!
If you want to toss off a bon mot at the next cocktail party, try one of these
and if you published something like this about a living person, you'd have a lawsuit on your hands before you could say "the duke of Orleans"
Here is Professor Gert Pinkernell's introduction to the poet--in German
Probably the last poem the duke wrote--his valediction
And here is yet another web-bio, this one horribly old-fashioned and inaccurate
You can even download an entire (1842) edition of his French poetry
Related Links:
The Hundred Years' War
Hundred
Years' War Maps and Timeline
La Guerre
de Cent Ans The Hundred Years' War in French
The Siege of Orleans was
led by Joan herself
Joan of Arc Society
Vie littéraire en France à l'époque de Villon, a collection of material on fifteenth-century French literature in general and Charles in particular, part of The Globe-Gate Project, TennesseeBob Peckham, Director
St. Valentine's Day was invented in the late Middle Ages. In fact, the earliest known valentine, it is said, was sent by Charles d'Orleans. If you prefer another take on the day, try an earlier poet, like Geoffrey Chaucer, John Gower, or John Lydgate, who was certainly not the first to use the term "valentine" for his lady love, if he ever had one (since he was a monk). If you're not in the mood for any of these, try the bracing opinions of Christine de Pizan.
Rev 12/06