Today I have a historical mystery for you, based on my novel research, with a few questions and clues to help solve it.
Who were the Huguenots?
- French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism
- At their peak,they made up as much as 10% of the French population
Why did they go missing from France?
- The French Roman Catholic clergy could not accept the Huguenots’ increased influence and worked to deprive them of their rights
- King Louis XIV believed that unity in the state was extremely difficult to maintain where two or more churches were tolerated.
- The king intensified the persecution of Huguenots:
- Dragonnades—soldiers were billeted in Protestant homes with permission to behave as brutally as they wished
- Churches were destroyed
- Certain professions were put out of their reach
- Their children were taken away from their parents and brought up as Roman Catholics
- On Oct. 18, 1685, Louis XIV pronounced the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which had guaranteed political and religious rights
Where did they go?
- Netherlands
- Switzerland
- England
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Prussia
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Finland
- America
- South Africa
What was the result in France?
- Huguenot persecution greatly damaged the reputation of Louis XIV abroad, particularly in England. Both kingdoms became bitter enemies and fought each other in a series of wars
- Many Huguenots had been urban people in commerce and industry, so their absence hurt France in the Industrial Revolution
- In The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, German sociologist Max Weber, argued that the supposedly Protestant values of hard work, thrift, efficiency, and orderliness contributed to the economic success of Protestant groups in the early stages of European capitalism.
- Alain Peyrefitte, the French Catholic author of Le Mal Français, argues that the absence of supposedly Protestant values (hard work, thrift, efficiency, and orderliness) caused France to lag behind other nations socially and economically.
Many novels have been written about Huguenots, and I’ll highlight one from the 19th century and one from the 21st century:
The Refugees, by Arthur Conan Doyle, 1893
- Believe it or not, the author of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories also wrote this novel focused on Huguenots and where some emigrated during the reign of Louis XIV. I just discovered this novel, and I look forward to reading it soon.
Merchants of Virtue, (Book I of The Huguenot Connection) by Paul C.R. Monk
- Based on a true story, this novel follows one French Huguenot family as King Louis XIV consolidated his power by whittling away Protestants’ rights, tolerating no political or religious opposition, impacting individuals of all ages and ranks of society.
- Shows how ordinary people’s toleration of injustice on a small scale can lead, step by step, to great evil
- Could have used more light moments, but, as with stories about the Holocaust era, humor and good times would not ring true with the facts of history
Hindsight shows us the tragic choices made by France’s leaders hundreds of years ago and their impact on that nation and the world. They couldn’t embrace the idea that a cultural melting pot could enrich their society.
We can learn from their mistakes and reach out to people of diverse backgrounds, breaking down stereotypes and prejudice.
I wish you peace and health in this holiday season.