Facts (and some suppositions), from the historical record, about the Martin Guerre story…
- Martin's family –the Daguerres--moved from Basque country to Artigat in Languedoc (over the Pyrenees)
- They were barely literate—Basque language complex and not generally amenable to writing; never signed contracts with family name
- They changed Daguerre (Basque) to Guerre (to fit in)
- Guerres were prosperous; owned a tileworks
- Martin was not a usual name in Artigat: it would have attracted ridicule
- Martin was 14 years old when he was married; i.e. he was still a boy
- Bertrande was married to Martin at the age of 8 or 9. This was younger than usual and probably a violation of canon law. But the marriage was sanctioned by the local curate—this permissiveness can be partially be explained by the fact that Artigat was somewhat independent: it had no seigneur (lord)
- Artigat was prosperous and to a large extent self-governing-- more or less outside the orbit of the feudal French church and state
- Bertrande's family, the Rols, were well- to-do peasants and prominent in the region
- Bertrande would have stayed at home helping her mother spin wool until marriage, with little exposure to the outside world
- The Guerres would have been eager to marry their only son up into her family.
- The very fact of their marriage is a demonstration of the openness of Languedocans to newcomers
- Bertrande's dowry was likely the equivalent in value of a vineyard or a field
- Her failure to become pregnant would have been cause for ridicule by the townsfolk (e.g. the "charivari")
- Martin's impotence was blamed on powerful "outside" women – as was typical--who were perhaps jealous of his good fortune of marrying well
- Bertrande was also "bewitched"—(or was she just very young and in a strange house…perhaps she was relieved that she could not have intercourse).
- She refused to leave Martin and have the marriage annulled, which her mother was pressuring her to do; when SHE was ready, the witch "appeared from heaven" to undo the spell…
- Can Martin's flight be partly attributed to his being uncomfortable with the new language, his dominating father, as well as his longstanding impotence?
- It was typical for young peasant men to take some time for "sowing oats" –as shepherds (or in Basque country, going to see, whaling)—Martin, married young, did not have this opportunity
- Joining the army was another option and there were plenty of chances to do that under King Francois I.
- After the theft of his father's grain, Martin ran away and ended up a "lackey" in the Spanish court of the Catholic Cardinal of Burgos.
- Martin joined the Spanish army of Philip II; he fought against the French (this was high treason!)—and lost a leg at the 1557 Battle of San Quentin, an important Spanish victory over the French in the Habsburg-Valois Wars.
- "Martin's" practice of selling off parcels of family land, while common in Languedoc, was contrary to Basque custom
- The Village was split over Martin's identity: NZD speculates that perhaps the split was along Catholic-Protestant lines
- Some people suspected him of utilizing magic to assume another's personality and life…this must have created tremendous unease
- NZD speculates that in the traditional interdependent world of the village, relationships built on big lies were not sustainable…
- "Martin" is convicted in his first trial in Rieux, after the court hears testimony from 150 people—under threat of excommunication if they lie. Forty-five testified he was Pansette; 30-40 said he was MG –including his four sisters--and the rest (60 or so) were uncertain.
- The trial in Toulouse was "Martin's" appeal of the guilty verdict (paid for by him)
- Coras is convinced by "Martin" and considers torturing Pierre to see whether he will admit to conspiring to kill "Martin."
- According to NZD, the movie portrays Bertrande as a 19th century "romantic" who acts without practical concern for her own (or her children's interest), following only her heart. The real Bertrrande plays a double role. She is concerned about protecting her honor (and inheritance) and hedges her bets regarding the outcome. She becomes a party to the lawsuit against him. She then tells the judge she was coerced into it by Pierre—but refused to take an oath that "Martin" was her husband.
- NZD does not think Bertrande was a victim at all. Far from it; all indications are that she was a party to the deception: she was making independent choices about what she wanted in her life and her body
- She speculates that this was (at least partly) a result of the fact that there were new ideas (Protestant ideas) about...including new ideas about marriage. "It was no longer a sacrament" – an abandoned wife could divorce. Also, Martin and Bertrande, living as "true married people" could "tell their story to God and need not communicate it to any human intermediary"
- There is good reason to believe B errand and "Martin" were touched by the new ideas. We know that the Rols family converted to Protestantism.
- It is significant that NO priests from Artigat played a role in the trial.
- Unlike the public spectacle of the film, trials in 16th century France always heard testimony in secret. They were intended to be "fearsome" for the defendant not forums for grandstanding speeches. They were also apt to torture the accused to get them to confess.
- There were other minor deviations from the record in the film--for cinematic and financial considerations (e.g. color of judges gowns)
- Jean de Coras was already becoming attracted to Protestantism when the trial was in progress. He was expelled from the Toulouse Parlement in 1568 for his sympathies and was among those Protestant judges who were lynched in 1572 by a Catholic mob.
- NZD , analyzing his book about the "Prodigious Imposter, " sees a degree of admiration in Coras' attitude about "Martin"/Arnaud du Tilh (his real name). He admires his intelligence and especially his "self-fashioning" behavior.
