John Hawkwood and the Two Franciscans

[Philologus]

In an earlier post I told a story about a contractor and a friar. I just stumbled over the original in the teller of amusing stories Franco Saccetti. His version involved John Hawkwood and two Franciscan friars who lived by begging.

https://archive.org/details/talesfromsacche00steegoog/page/n230/mode/2up?q=rob

The dynamics which Franco Sacceti describes had existed since at least the 12th century, although the exact means by which rootless soldiers made their living off peaceful and productive folks varied. In 12th century Flanders they were more likely to rob or join a private war than take over a city (although King John’s Flemish and Rhineland crossbowmen had made themselves so obnoxious that they are specially called out in Magna Carta as people who have to leave England on the first boat).

[Philologus]

That should be “Sacchetti” sigh

Some other good sources for stories about swaggering soldiers in the 12th century are the Flemings who intervened in an English civil war in 1173/1174 and the life of William the Marshall

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by Philologus.

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