Podcast Summary:

Le Cours de l'histoire – "L'histoire à fleur de peau 2/3 : Les Écorcheurs de la guerre de Cent Ans, une histoire à vif"
France Culture, 24 juin 2025
Host: Xavier Mauduit
Guests: Valérie Toureille (historienne, Université de Cergy, spécialiste de Jeanne d'Arc, autrice de Crimes et châtiments au Moyen Âge) et Christophe Furon (docteur en histoire médiévale, auteur de Les Écorcheurs, violence et pillage au Moyen Âge)

1. Overview: Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode delves into the violent world of the "Écorcheurs"—notorious bands of mercenaries and soldiers active in France in the wake of the Hundred Years' War, between 1435 and 1445. The hosts and experts focus on unpacking what these “écorcheurs” really were, the political and social context that gave rise to them, their actions, and the lasting impact on French society and the development of the monarchy. The discussion is enriched by historical fiction references, primary source readings, and analysis of contemporary and later chroniclers.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

Who were the Écorcheurs?

• Definition and Imaginary

  • The word "écorcheur" evokes the image of someone skinning animals (or people), with deep connotations of brutality and pillaging ([00:08–00:51]).
  • In historical context, the écorcheurs were not literal flayers, but bands of disbanded soldiers, mostly former Armagnacs, who ravaged French territories—especially Burgundy—after the Treaty of Arras (1435).

• Origins & Political Context

  • The term “écorcheur” was first a label used by their enemies, primarily the Burgundians ([27:55-30:37]).
  • The end of the civil war (Armagnacs vs. Burgundians) left many armed men without employment or income, leading to widespread pillaging ([02:59–03:56, 09:04–11:49]).
  • After the Peace of Arras (1435), pillaging became a way of living for these soldiers, facilitated by a lack of regular pay and weak royal authority.
  • Quote:
    "Le pillage doit être considéré comme une source de revenus pour ces hommes-là." (Christophe Furon, [02:59])

• Violence and Society

  • Violence was a normalized, almost ordinary part of life for these men, who for decades knew little else ([04:15-05:14, 13:37-15:17]).
  • Civil war exacerbated violence; personal and clan rivalries often outlasted official peace.
  • Quote:
    "Je ne sais rien faire d'autre que le métier des armes. Donc, c'est une société entière... plongée dans cet univers guerrier..." (Valérie Toureille, [14:33])

• Imaginaries and Fiction

  • The écorcheur’s image persists in literature, with allusions to "Game of Thrones" (House Bolton) and French TV adaptations, highlighting the lingering fascination with violent outlaws ([00:42–01:43], [15:17–16:25]).

Structure and Function of the Écorcheurs

• Company Organization

  • Écorcheurs were organized into companies under captains, many from the lower or middle nobility ([18:56–19:59]).
  • Captains were responsible for paying, feeding, and "glorifying" their men—sometimes acting more as warlords than disciplined officers.

• Mercenaries or Loyalists?

  • While some captains were seen as loyal, many "sold" their military skills and switched allegiances as circumstances dictated, making them semi-mercenaries by practice, if not in name ([20:50–21:20]).

• Famous Écorcheurs

  • La Hire (Étienne de Vignolles): Loyal to Charles VII, but also took part in ransom and pillage ([21:27–22:22]).
  • Robert de Sarrebruck: Higher nobility, sometimes at odds with the king, acting according to his interests ([22:33–22:58]).
  • Poton de Xaintrailles (Jean “Poton”): Loyal captain, future Maréchal de France, particularly active during the écorcherie ([37:13–38:15]).

• Changing Allegiances & Political Calculus

  • The shifting network of loyalties, with men periodically attaching themselves to different princes or lords, underlines the weakness of central authority and the fluidity of power in late medieval France ([19:59–20:23]).

Violence: Reality, Exaggeration, and Legacy

• Extent and Perception

  • Chronicles and literary sources often exaggerated the scale and ferocity (“par milliers”, [31:15–33:08]).
  • Periods of especially intense "écorcherie" were 1437–1439 and 1444–1445 ([25:22–27:21]).
  • Beyond direct violence, these bands imposed a continual burden through looting, burning, and general lawlessness.

• Victims and Society

  • Civilians suffered most; the devastation prompted social pressure for reform and peace ([05:14–05:39, 42:38]).
  • Women, too, followed these bands, sometimes as camp followers or in the hope of sharing in the spoils ([54:31–55:33]).

• Justice & Royal Response

  • Royal authority, constrained by political necessity, punished some leaders (notably the brutal execution of the "Bâtard de Bourbon" [43:35–46:06]).
  • Legal responses, such as mass pardons and military reform, sought to integrate or neutralize these disruptive elements ([49:37–53:16]).

• Symbolism

  • The term “écorcheur” carries not only the idea of total depredation (leaving only a shirt to a victim) but also of exceptional cruelty ([38:47–39:13]).
  • The use of violence (judicial and extrajudicial) was intended to be exemplary—dismemberment, drowning, or branding to deter others ([46:39–49:08]).

The End of the Écorcheurs & Military Reform

• Resolution: The Royal Army

  • The “écorcheur” problem was resolved with Charles VII’s 1445 military reform, creating a standing, regularly paid army ([27:21–27:55, 49:37–53:16]).
  • Those selected joined the new royal army; others were given pardons to return to civilian life, with mixed success ([51:28–53:16]).

• Reintegration Difficulties

  • Not all former écorcheurs could adjust; some descended into banditry (e.g., Coquillards) ([49:37–53:16]).
  • The episode highlights the wider medieval problem of demobilizing war-hardened men and re-establishing social order ([49:08–55:58]).

• Strengthening of Royal Authority

  • This period is crucial in the slow centralization of power in France, the monopoly on violence, and the discipline of the "noblesse militaire" ([55:58–56:54]).
  • The episode marks a turning point towards the modern notion of the state and military discipline.

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Meaning of “Écorcheur”:

  "[Écorcheur], c'est une image qui vise à stigmatiser la violence de certains hommes de guerre, que l'on compare à des bouchers..."
  (Valérie Toureille, [02:35])

• On the Social Condition of Violence:

  "Pour un mort, chez nous, il y en a cinq, chez les Lannister. S'ils sont morts, prenez tout ce qu'ils ont sur eux..."
  (Fictional interlude illustrating pillage; [01:19])

• On Difficulty of Demobilization:

  "La sortie de guerre, pour eux, est difficile. Ils ont du mal à se réintégrer à la société, on va dire, non combattante..."
  (Christophe Furon, [09:04])

• On the Place of Women:

  "Il y a aussi des femmes ... qui rejoignent les troupes d'écorcheurs avec leur mari..."
  (Christophe Furon, [54:31])

• On the Intensification of Violence:

  "Il semble tout de même qu'il y a une intensification des pillages et certainement des violences..."
  (Christophe Furon, [39:44])

• On Royal Justice:

  "La justice, elle, par la flétrissure, par la marque sur le corps et puis jusqu'à la mort, bien sûr, génère de la violence aussi..."
  (Valérie Toureille, [46:39])

4. Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00–02:35 — Introduction, definitions, and etymology of "écorcheur"
• 02:35–05:14 — Context: Transition from civil war to uncontrolled bands
• 05:39–09:04 — Armagnacs, Bourguignons, and causes of ongoing violence
• 11:08–13:03 — Structure of medieval armies and challenge of paying soldiers
• 13:37–15:17 — Chroniclers and representations of violence
• 18:56–22:22 — Who were the captains? The blend of loyalty, mercenary activity, and family ties
• 25:22–27:21 — The Peace of Arras and immediate rise of the écorcheurs
• 27:55–30:37 — Comparison with previous mercenary bands (“routiers”, “grandes compagnies”)
• 33:28–35:21 — Source criticism: exaggeration, but real impact
• 37:13–38:47 — Profiles of notorious écorcheurs: La Hire, Poton, Sarrebruck
• 39:44–41:42 — Intensified violence and challenges of interpretation
• 42:38–49:08 — Push for justice, royal reforms, execution of troublemakers
• 49:37–53:16 — Military reform of 1445; the new royal army and end of écorcheurs
• 54:31–55:58 — Role of women and wider society in this violent context
• 55:58–57:30 — Royal centralization, controlling and integrating the warrior class

5. Closing Reflections

• The episode illuminates how episodic, unregulated violence in the late Middle Ages shaped the emergence of modern state structures, and how the legacy—and myth—of the écorcheurs continues to influence historical imagination.
• Through the voices of Valérie Toureille and Christophe Furon, listeners gain vital context for understanding not just the écorcheurs themselves, but the broader military and social transformations of 15th-century France.

Recommended Readings:

• Crimes et châtiments au Moyen Âge, Valérie Toureille
• Les écorcheurs, violence et pillage au Moyen Âge, Christophe Furon

Memorable Takeaways:

• The violence of the écorcheurs was not merely excess, but symptomatic of a society in transition—caught between old feudal wars and the centralizing monarchies of modern Europe.
• The “écorcheur” was above all a political term—born of rivalry, sustained by economic necessity, and ended by the slow assertion of royal power.