FarmerImpostorFrenchExecuted

Martin Guerre

The Martin Guerre case details a 16th-century French imposture where a man impersonated a disappeared peasant, leading to a trial and the real man's reappearance.

1. Overview

Title page of Arrest Memorable, an account of the case written by trial judge Jean de Coras in 1560 and published in 1565 in Lyon.
Title page of Arrest Memorable, an account of the case written by trial judge Jean de Coras in 1560 and published in 1565 in Lyon.

The case of Martin Guerre (Martin Guerremaʁtɛ ɡɛʁFrench), a 16th century French peasant, stands as one of history's most famous and complex instances of imposture. Years after the real Martin Guerre abruptly left his wife, child, and village, a man claiming to be him appeared, successfully living with Guerre's family for three years. This dramatic deception led to a landmark legal battle that captivated contemporary society and continues to be studied for its profound implications on legal, social, and cultural understanding. The case highlights the vulnerabilities of identity in a pre-modern society and the intricate dynamics of family and community trust. Ultimately, the impostor was exposed as Arnaud du Tilh, leading to his execution, but not before the real Martin Guerre made a dramatic reappearance during the trial. The enduring fascination with the Martin Guerre case stems from its layers of deception, the ambiguity surrounding the victim's complicity, and its reflection of societal norms and human resilience in the face of extraordinary circumstances.

2. Life of Martin Guerre

The life of Martin Guerre, from his birth in the Basque Country to his eventual disappearance and the subsequent events, laid the foundation for one of history's most compelling cases of identity fraud.

2.1. Birth and Early Life

Martin Daguerre was born around 1524 in Hendaye, a town in the Basque Country. In 1527, his family relocated to Artigat, a village situated in the Pyrenees region of southwestern France. Upon their move, the family adopted the surname Guerre.

2.2. Marriage, Disappearance, and Absence

Around the age of fourteen, Martin Guerre married Bertrande de Rols, the daughter of a prosperous local family. Their marriage remained childless for eight years until the birth of their son, Sanxi, named after Martin's father. In 1548, Martin abruptly disappeared from Artigat after being accused of stealing grain from his father. Under the prevailing Canon law of the time, Bertrande, as an abandoned wife, was legally prohibited from remarrying. This was in contrast to the emerging Protestant views that increasingly permitted remarriage in such circumstances.

During his prolonged absence, the real Martin Guerre journeyed to Spain, where he initially served in the militia under a cardinal. He later joined the army of Pedro de Mendoza. As part of the Spanish forces, he was deployed to Flanders. In 1557, he sustained a severe injury during the Spanish attack on St. Quentin, which necessitated the amputation of his leg. Following his injury, Guerre spent several years living in a monastery before eventually deciding to return to his wife and family. The precise reasons for his return at the specific time of the trial remain unclear. Upon his reappearance, he initially rejected Bertrande's apologies, maintaining that she should have recognized the impostor and not been deceived, though they later reconciled.

3. The Martin Guerre Case

The Martin Guerre case involved a complex series of events, from the convincing appearance of an impostor to a dramatic trial that culminated in the truth's revelation and a stark conclusion.

3.1. The Impostor's Arrival and Life

In the summer of 1556, a man arrived in Artigat claiming to be the long-absent Martin Guerre. Due to his striking resemblance to Martin and his detailed knowledge of Guerre's life and the villagers, he successfully convinced most of the community, including Martin's uncle and four sisters, and initially, his wife Bertrande. This impostor, later identified as Arnaud du Tilh, from the nearby village of Tilh in Sajas, was notably more sociable, hardworking, and affectionate towards Bertrande and their son than the real Martin had been, further solidifying his acceptance within the family and village. He lived with Bertrande and her son for three years, during which time they had two daughters, one of whom, Bernarde, survived.

The impostor's true identity began to unravel when he attempted to claim a portion of the inheritance from Martin Guerre's deceased father. This led him to sue Martin's paternal uncle, Pierre Guerre, who had married Bertrande's widowed mother during Martin's long absence. Pierre and his wife grew suspicious and tried to convince Bertrande that the returned Martin was a fraud. Their doubts were compounded when a passing soldier mentioned that the true Martin Guerre had lost a leg in the ongoing war in Italy. Pierre, fueled by suspicion, even attempted to attack the impostor with a club, but Bertrande intervened to protect him. In 1559, the impostor was formally accused by villagers of arson and impersonating the real Martin Guerre. Despite these serious charges, Bertrande stood by him, and he was acquitted in 1560.

3.3. Reappearance of the Real Martin Guerre

The condemned man promptly appealed his conviction to the Parlement of Toulouse. In a significant turn, officials arrested Bertrande and Pierre Guerre on charges of false accusation, and Pierre also faced accusations of soliciting perjury. The accused eloquently presented his case during the appeal, successfully convincing the judges in Toulouse that he was the true Martin Guerre. The judges were inclined to believe his version of events, suspecting that the greedy Pierre Guerre had coerced Bertrande into perjuring herself. The accused underwent rigorous questioning about his past, and his statements were thoroughly cross-referenced, with no contradictions found.

In a dramatic climax during the appeal, a man with a wooden leg appeared in Toulouse, claiming to be the true Martin Guerre. When questioned about the married couple's past, this new claimant had forgotten some details and could not answer the questions as comprehensively as the alleged impostor. However, when both men were presented before the Guerre family, the case was definitively resolved. Pierre, Bertrande, and Martin's four sisters all unequivocally confirmed that the newly arrived man with the wooden leg was the true Martin Guerre.

3.4. Conclusion of the Case

Following the dramatic reappearance of the real Martin Guerre, Arnaud du Tilh, the impostor, was convicted and sentenced to death for adultery and fraud. The public sentencing, held on September 12, 1560, was notably attended by the essayist Michel de Montaigne. Arnaud du Tilh, who had initially maintained his innocence, eventually confessed. He revealed that he had decided to impersonate Martin Guerre after two men had mistakenly identified him as Guerre. He admitted that two conspirators had assisted him by providing specific details about Martin's life, which he had memorized to make his impersonation convincing. Arnaud du Tilh expressed his apologies to all those he had deceived, including Bertrande. Four days later, he was hanged in front of Martin Guerre's house in Artigat.

Pierre Guerre and Bertrande de Rols were acquitted, as the judges concluded that Bertrande had been genuinely deceived by Arnaud du Tilh's elaborate fraud. After the resolution of the case, the real Martin Guerre and Bertrande had two more children, Pierre and Gaspard. Bertrande de Rols died sometime before the mid-1570s. Martin Guerre subsequently remarried and had another son, also named Pierre, in the mid-1570s. Martin Guerre himself died sometime between then and 1594, when records mention the division of property among his sons.

4. Contemporary Accounts and Interpretations

The Martin Guerre case garnered significant attention in its own time, leading to detailed contemporary records and sparking enduring historical and academic debates about its meaning and the motivations of its participants.

4.1. Contemporary Records

Two primary contemporary accounts of the Martin Guerre case were written. The first was Histoire Admirable by Guillaume Le Sueur. The second, and more widely known, was Arrest Memorable by Jean de Coras, one of the actual trial judges at the Parlement of Toulouse. These documents provided a detailed record of the legal proceedings and the events surrounding the imposture. Additionally, the philosopher and essayist Michel de Montaigne reflected on the case in his influential work, Essays, using it as an example to illustrate the inherent uncertainty of human knowledge and the difficulty of attaining absolute certainty.

The story of Martin Guerre, published by Hubertus Goltzius in 1565. Preserved in the Public Library of Bruges.
The story of Martin Guerre, published by Hubertus Goltzius in 1565. Preserved in the Public Library of Bruges.

4.2. Historical Interpretations and Debates

The extraordinary nature of the Martin Guerre case has led to extensive historical and academic debate, particularly concerning the role and agency of Bertrande de Rols. A prominent scholarly discussion emerged between Natalie Zemon Davis, a history professor at Princeton University, and historian Robert Finlay.

In her 1983 book, The Return of Martin Guerre, Davis presented a detailed exploration of the case. She argued that Bertrande had, either silently or explicitly, consented to the fraud. Davis posited that in 16th-century French society, Bertrande's need for a husband was paramount, especially given the strictures of Canon law regarding remarriage after abandonment. Furthermore, Arnaud du Tilh's kind and attentive treatment of her provided a strong motive for her potential complicity. As evidence for her theory, Davis highlighted the improbability of a woman mistaking a stranger for her husband, Bertrande's continued support for Arnaud throughout much of the trial, and the shared, detailed account of their intimate life, which Davis suggested was likely prepared in advance. This interpretation emphasizes the societal pressures and personal motivations that could lead an individual to participate in such a deception.

Robert Finlay, in a 1988 critique, challenged Davis's conclusions. He argued that Bertrande was genuinely deceived, as most of her contemporaries, including the trial judges, believed. Finlay contended that Davis attempted to impose a modern societal model of an independent woman making her own choices onto a historical account, which he viewed as anachronistic. He pointed out the significant risk Bertrande would have faced if she had been an accomplice, potentially exposing herself to charges of adultery or false accusation. Davis published a response to Finlay's arguments, titled "On the Lame," in the same issue of The American Historical Review in June 1988, continuing the scholarly dialogue on this complex historical event and its interpretation.