Elias Feys

Deze week nog studenten geschiedenis met handen en voeten aangeleerd dat archieflogica ontzettend belangrijk is, maar dit maakt het wel heel moeilijk... Ik kan me als archivaris zijnde moeilijk voorstellen dat de archivarissen van het stadsarchief daar zelf achter staan, of is er meer aan de hand?

➡️This pardon letter shows a common, believable way to escape punishment in the late Middle Ages: blame the victim and tarnish her reputation. A textbook case of medieval victim-blaming.
#Gender #violence #history #medieval #women

1️⃣ She was often beaten by her husband. Maybe those injuries killed her?
2️⃣ She was “old, weak, and sick”—as if death was inevitable.
3️⃣ She was a "femme commune": an adulterous woman of loose morals, not to be trusted.

🪦A week later, on August 1, she died. Jacques was jailed by the city council and faced the death penalty. His plea used three arguments to discredit Marguerite:

💥She ran toward Jacques to kiss him. When she tried to hug him, Jacques headbutted her and struck her back with his staff—“in jest, because she was old and sick.” It seemed harmless, but the next day Marguerite felt unwell and complained to the mayor of Bruges.

🤡Today's find: On 24 July 1510, Jacques Hallinc dressed as a jester during a festival in Bruges. He wore ragged women’s clothes and carried a fool’s staff, playfully tapping people and joking around. On Vlamingdam, a crowd gathered, including Marguerite of Vlissingen (more below)
#HiStory

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My very first article now appeared in print! 😄
🛼 It features what is likely the most unconventional footnote I will ever publish: possible evidence of the earliest roller skate
More importantly, it explores legal strategies that secured pardon in cases of late #medieval spousal #femicide

Create your own extended posts and share them seamlessly on Bluesky.

🇬🇧 The article in English 👇

‘Zijt gij een man van eer als gij dit laat gebeuren?’: waarom we ook vandaag niet mogen zwijgen bij partnergeweld Elias Feys is historicus en doctoraatsonderzoeker aan de KU Leuven en de Université de Lille. Hij onderzoekt onder meer laatmiddeleeuws intrafamiliaal geweld en huwelijksmoorden.

Six weeks ago, I wrote an op-ed on extreme intrafamilial violence and #femicide. Since then, five (!) new Belgian cases hit major media—many more go unseen. What do we do when we see or suspect #intimatepartnerviolence in our circles? I turned to the late #MiddleAges for insight.

Big shout-out to @chanelled.bsky.social for all the insightful feedback and talks!

“A Hot-tempered, Capricious, Jealous and Compassionless wife”: Marital Conflicts and Homicide in Pardon Letters of Burgundy and the Low Countries (1450–1535) - Elias Feys, 2025 This study examines marital homicide in late medieval Burgundian pardon letters (1450–1535). These letters offer detailed narratives on marriages gone wrong, of...

My very first academic publication was released today! 🎉
I explore the topic of marital violence in late medieval Burgundian pardon letters. The article examines the (gendered) strategies men used to excuse violence against their wives
#gender #medieval #medievalsky #history #violence #femicide

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Feels good to be able to contribute a little bit to society as a historian!

Full English translation 👇

#femicide #medievalsky #violence #gender

“Het was niet zo bedoeld”: al 500 jaar slagen daders van femicide erin zichzelf te verkopen als slachtoffer Femicide is iets van alle tijden en steeds weer slagen de daders erin zich te presenteren als slachtoffers die ‘de liefde van hun leven’ verloren, schrijft Elias Feys. “Het wordt hoog tijd het narratief te kantelen.”

💭I wrote an opinion piece on femicide for the largest BE quality newspaper
🎤“For over five centuries, women have been murdered by their (ex)partners, and time and again, perpetrators and their defenders manage to hijack the narrative, presenting themselves as victims [...]”
🇬🇧👇English translation

#Medieval #Gender #History #Violence #Pardon

whereas women in these sources are often portrayed as bystanders—shouting from the sidelines or fleeing the scene—as if violence were something inherently male. This letter, however, offers a more nuanced perspective. (5/5)

This letter can teach us a great deal about women in late medieval pardon letters. One striking aspect is that it’s a rare example of a woman who, according to the narrative, acted in self-defense. Male offenders frequently used this argument in their petitions, ... (4/5)

... and wounded her in the chest. Fearing for her life, Jossine grabbed a bread knife and stabbed the man in the arm. He died a few days later from the injury, and Jossine fled from the lovely village of Vlamertinge. Eventually, she was granted pardon by the sovereign. (3/5)

Jossine Vanden Beule was enjoying a drink at the tavern Den Vliegende Hert in Vlamertinge when, around 4 p.m., she was approached by a man who shouted: “You almighty whore! Are you here? You will come with me!” He then struck her four or five times in the jaw. After that, he pulled a knife...(2/5)

Finally made the switch from Twitter to Bluesky! To celebrate this, a small thread about a recent find in the Archives Départementales du Nord. I just happened to stumble upon a pardon letter describing a crime that took place in the very village where I was born and raised—what a coincidence! (1/5)