[Learn/Journal] Caen: William the Conquerer

Abbey of Saint-Étienne in Caen (Men's Abbey)

Atop William the Conquerer's castle,  Château de Caen.

The class visited William the Conquerer’s castle and tomb in Caen today, where Professor Friexes told us the story of William the Conquerer and Matilda. Only a small portion of the original castle remains, but with such a passionate story (one I will tell below), it is easy to imagine what it might have been back when William roamed the castle grounds. The weather complimented the story, as it was a perfect warm day with blues skies, a slight breeze, and puffy white clouds floating by. 

Fresh fruit from the open market in Caen.

After visiting the castle, we walked to an open market with fresh produce, meats, clothes, purses, jewelry, food... pretty much everything imaginable. Browsing the tents, I came across a table of one euro gently worn clothing. After some rummaging, I found a sundress that seemed worth the one euro risk and decided to take the plunge. Some further browsing at the colorful produce section and I caved to the baskets of fresh, organic mini strawberries and raspberries. The raspberries were plump, soft, and juicy. Biting into the strawberries, I can only describe the experience as crisp, sweet, and all too brief... 

Back to William the Conquerer and Matilda—they are officially my favorite couple. Ever. 

The story is as goes: 

Class walks along the Caen Castle.

William the Conquerer is the bastard son of a Duke. Through his trainings as a youth, he proved to be strong more than capable of inheriting his father’s land. 

Matilda is the daughter of the formidable Count Baldwin V of Flanders and niece of the King of France. It is said that she was comparable to a greek statue despite her less-than-five-feet height (as determined by scientific tests). She was beautiful and had many suitors. 

One day William got a glimpse of Matilda at her court and knew immediately that he would marry her. When William sent the proposal, Matilda wrinkled her nose and adamantly refused on account of his bastard birth. 

Of course, when word reached William, he was a little miffed. So he set out to ask her in person. On the day of their first official encounter, he stopped Matilda as she left her church on her horse with her entourage. He asked if she would marry him, but with an upturned nose, she rejected him outright for his bastard standing. William - no doubt indignant - dragged Matilda off her horse, by her braids, into the mud. 

Ironically following this event, Matilda warmed to the marriage proposal and remarked that William had great courage to do what he did. The Pope not surprisingly objected to the marriage with a papal ban, but William married Matilda anyway. When he sought to resolve the papal ban, the Pope said he could only return if he and Matilda built two abbeys. Thus the Women’s Abbey and Men’s Abbey were built. 

The two fell passionately in love and were completely devoted to each other throughout the whole marriage. When William left to conquer England, he entrusted Matilda to rule his lands in Normandy. In appreciation of his gesture of faith, she had the warship “Mora” created with a woodcarving of their son pointing with his right hand at England and in his mouth, a trumpet of ivory. William was so moved that he made it the lead warship (his warship).

Matilda proved to be a spectacular ruler. And once William took over the English throne, he crowned her as the first Queen of England. 

Caen Castle

Although Matilda and William had an otherwise fairytale relationship, there was one source of trouble. It was their eldest son, who inherited his father’s brashness, quarreled with his brothers, and rebelled against his father's rule. After crushing his son’s attempted siege of the castle of Rouen, William ordered for his arrest and would not forgive him. Matilda was always divided between supporting the two, deeply troubled by the tension, and desperately wished for their reconciliation. She supported her son secretly by providing him with jewels and weapons for his rebel army. While William knew of her support, he only showed her love and understanding for her actions. 

Because of the tensions between her son and husband, Matilda eventually became sick and bed bound. William was not at the estate at the time, and once he heard of her frail state, he rushed back. He called for his son in the nearby estate and forgave him right then and there. Matilda recovered but eventually grew sick again. When she passed away in 1083, William plummeted into a dark depression. He grew tyrannical and remained so until he passed away, 4 years after Matilda. 

Matilda rests at the Women’s Abbey and William at the Men’s Abbey. Today it is said that only his leg bone remains buried there.  

Until next time,

Sherry