sir december knight fourteenth century france gained fame engaged judicial duel permitted accused rape wife neighbour rival sir brought legal proceedings king hearing evidence authorised trial combat determine question duel attracted thousands spectators discussed notable french writers contemporary described large physically imposing character reputation man feudal favourite court governing large lord territory addition ancestral holdings insistence defending case trial combat opting safer church trial minor orders entitled attracted widespread support cause french nobility controversy continues day real guilt lies case early life born son minor norman unusually time educated taking minor orders church able read sufficiently mass like father man arms service role excelled participated minor military campaigns normandy entourage long service rewarded given command lord castles village career firm friends count service close year died godfather eldest son position great responsibility trust arrival count robert brother new count friendship strained able intelligent man soon new count favourites moved court lent reward confirmed given valuable estate rose lord esteem poorer frequently overlooked resulting deterioration friendship worsened death wife son men family ties shortly death family departed campaign thanks literacy military skills rose steadily importance count court travelling count went paris business course trips introduced royal court instrumental gaining prestigious title position household king legal difficulties engaged public argument domain returned wars new bride daughter controversial norman recently owned lands legally bought wanted took court return forced visit cousin king obtain royal approval purchase consequently furious eventual result isolated court subjected years legal struggles land denied purchase inheritance estates heavily involved legal disputes adviser count target accused lawsuits men achieved winter invited estate mutual friend celebrate birth son time brought wife society party acquaintance despite tension shook hands drank putting quarrel peers neighbours months later departed campaign scotland took opportunity increase influence count making substantial financial territorial gains rival absence returned year later knight bankrupt ill suffering aftermath long unsuccessful campaign appeared january involved confrontation friend known said men separated poor terms departed paris state trial rape weeks encounter word reached accusations wife known basis allegations fact claimed january whilst paris entered mother raped according testimony employ named knocked door demanded entry servants attending dame visiting neighbouring town legal business called inside gave message outside desired love protested broke house offering money exchange refused attempted force raped bed chamber help departed threatened violence told encounter charges brought faction court wife refused attend hearing convinced receiving unfair treatment count backed favourite trial clearing accusing dreaming charges visited court king appealed king right challenge judicial duel allow god decide case king referred case expected appear july informed king decision contacted widely considered best lawyer day france kept meticulous notes entire trial process record facts case known comments records suspicions client claims innocence considered false urged family lawyer insist tried church court minor orders right given favourable hearing court trial combat safer rebuffed advice angry challenged decision insisting right trial july justice paris faced time confrontation months stepped turn presented case king court throwing challenge picking signifying acceptance duel embellished case insisting proven innocent offence sue estate following number high ranking stepped forward act seconds duel men including saint count hearing challenges accusations debated case decided hearing evidence witnesses held determine guilt case decided normal means judicial duel held dispute god choosing victor criminal trial major figures case called evidence began proceedings followed heavily pregnant people low birth servants subject torture test testimony gave evidence case continued summer september conclusion case involved strategies attempted discredit opponent telling infamous temper describing case jealous invention man threatened beat wife accusations provided entire week question establishing whereabouts testimony backed court finally attempted demonstrate court physically impossible ridden winter crime supposedly took place single day round trip approximately miles trial progressed testimony suffered blows accusations directed shame accusations brought eyes court powerful reason charges invented trial progressed men providing named arrested paris charged rape charge seriously undermined testimony defence finally offered counter testimony court healthy strong man long experience stable horses like certainly mile trip difficulty accounting snow judicial duel faced conflicting accounts unable reach conclusion announced september men fight death november decide guilt case lost burnt stake fact duel delayed month king court contained country senior generals held campaign flanders return time eager rapidly event season king ordered duel postponed december present culmination day decreed travelled paris city northern suburbs abbey field converted ground wooden arena especially combat surrounded banks spectators royal box attending duel king john duke philip bold duke brother duke thousands ordinary visiting french thousands people flooded city days combat spectacle warned physically aid combatants pain death fight pain losing hand legal accounts describe course combat contemporary left records day battle according chronicles entered field present repeated accusations swore honesty marshal duel performed brief ceremony ceremony traditional battle performed maintaining social structure medieval france men social defeat senior rank lesser having raised status knight sir regained horse arena cleared knights heavily armed armoured protected hide wood shield bearing coat arms thick plate armour riding heavy wielding lance heavy battle axe long dagger known marshal signal silence descended field knights spurred horses charged striking shield causing significant damage struck failed penetrate scoring blows helmets remaining time turned charged struck time shattered sending wood arena nearly men regaining balance knights closed battle axes drawn trading furious handed blows engagement progressed superior strength began tell driven mighty swing axe severed spine horse dying beast ground clear meeting charge step allowing thrust axe pike deep stomach horse collapsed thrown lost axe rose drew turning meet advancing sword drawn combatants traded blows weapons sounds heard silent superior strength gave advantage pushing blade opponent thigh crowd fatal mistake withdrawing weapon stepped watch wounded enemy balance desperate threw forwards wrestling ground plate armour thick allow weapon penetrate heavy regain feet stranded ground struggled sword smash open lock crowd watched silence shouted exposed face confess crime death face hell replied hear god soul innocent crime enraged drew thrust throat killing instantly death crowd king greeted victor fine presents wealthy famous man result victory despite end forgotten duel immediate aftermath paris took charge body stripped armour clothing dragging streets alongside bodies murderers thieves eventually common grave memory kept alive family supporters years son paid masses said father man noble memory continued pay similar sums years death count retained favourable memories advisor taking revenge blocking efforts purchase land expand influence normandy legacy centuries death case important cultural legend france duel trial combat permitted french kings guilt innocence participants source great debate historians contemporary chronicler question guilt considers villain later writers different view including works repeat varying details tale culprit admitting guilt deathbed famous writers studied case include paris imaginative version legend repeated 1970s recently legal studies conducted french generally consider likely real culprit based evidence course prove major exception trend book written descendant named makes determined effort defend ancestor recently story studied work duel considers likely attracted interest reportedly planning feature film based book
Jacques Le Gris