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Le village des "cannibales"
In August 1870, during a fair in the isolated French village of Hautefaye, a gruesome murder was committed in broad daylight that aroused the indignation of the entire country. A young nobleman, falsely accused of shouting republican slogans, was savagely tortured for hours by a mob of peasants who later burned him alive. Rumors of cannibalism stirred public fascination, and the details of the case were dramatically recounted in the popular press. While the crime was rife with political significance, the official inquiry focused on its brutality. Justice was swift: the mob's alleged ringleaders were guillotined at the scene of the crime the following winter.
The Village of Cannibals is a fascinating inquiry by historian Alain Corbin into the social and political ingredients of an alchemy that transformed ordinary people into executioners in nineteenth-century France. Corbin's chronicle of the killing is significant for the new light it sheds on the final eruption of peasant rage in France to end in murder. No other author has investigated this harrowing event in such depth or brought to its study such a wealth of perspectives.
Corbin explores incidents of public violence during and after the French Revolution and illustrates how earlier episodes in France's history provide insight into the mob's methods and choice of victim. He describes in detail the peasants' perception of the political landscape and the climate of fear that fueled their anxiety and ignited long-smoldering hatreds. Drawing on the minutes of court proceedings, accounts of contemporary journalists, and testimony of eyewitnesses, the author offers a precise chronology of the chain of events that unfolded on the fairground that summer afternoon. His detailed investigation into the murder at Hautefaye reveals the political motivations of the murderers and the gulf between their actions and the sensibilities of the majority of French citizens, who no longer tolerated violence as a viable form of political expression. The book will be welcomed by scholars, students, and general readers for its compelling insights into the nature of collective violence.
The Village of Cannibals is a fascinating inquiry by historian Alain Corbin into the social and political ingredients of an alchemy that transformed ordinary people into executioners in nineteenth-century France. Corbin's chronicle of the killing is significant for the new light it sheds on the final eruption of peasant rage in France to end in murder. No other author has investigated this harrowing event in such depth or brought to its study such a wealth of perspectives.
Corbin explores incidents of public violence during and after the French Revolution and illustrates how earlier episodes in France's history provide insight into the mob's methods and choice of victim. He describes in detail the peasants' perception of the political landscape and the climate of fear that fueled their anxiety and ignited long-smoldering hatreds. Drawing on the minutes of court proceedings, accounts of contemporary journalists, and testimony of eyewitnesses, the author offers a precise chronology of the chain of events that unfolded on the fairground that summer afternoon. His detailed investigation into the murder at Hautefaye reveals the political motivations of the murderers and the gulf between their actions and the sensibilities of the majority of French citizens, who no longer tolerated violence as a viable form of political expression. The book will be welcomed by scholars, students, and general readers for its compelling insights into the nature of collective violence.
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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About the author
Alain Corbin
141 books88 followersAlain Corbin is a French historian, specialist of the 19th century in France.
Trained in the Annales School, Corbin's work has moved away from the large-scale collective structures studied by Fernand Braudel towards a history of sensibilities which is closer to Lucien Febvre's history of mentalités. His books have explored the histories of such subjects as male desire and prostitution, sensory experience of smell and sound, and the 1870 burning of a young nobleman in a Dordogne village.
Trained in the Annales School, Corbin's work has moved away from the large-scale collective structures studied by Fernand Braudel towards a history of sensibilities which is closer to Lucien Febvre's history of mentalités. His books have explored the histories of such subjects as male desire and prostitution, sensory experience of smell and sound, and the 1870 burning of a young nobleman in a Dordogne village.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 26, 2019
What drives a mob to murder?
Village of Cannibals* explores a single act of mob violence in rural France, in 1870. Peasants from several neighboring villages suddenly tortured a nobleman to death, then tormented his body. Alain Corbin's genius is to tease out the social and historical elements of this act, which in turn illuminate French history.
In a sense the killing of Alain de Moneys is unsurprising and almost timeless. His assailants were all men (women stayed away) and ill educated, even for the time (58). Local authorities gave way before the mob (68). We can transpose the event to many other places and times.
It is also a story of wartime. It took place as the Franco-Prussian War was in full swing and starting to go very badly for the French. The mob linked the victim to the advancing Prussian army. One of its members had just lost a son in battle days before the murder.
Yet this is a modern narrative. For one, it is a story of modern nationalism. As the war continued and worsened, nationalist feeling grew and deepened among the French. That love of the nation in danger authorized force against the nation's enemies.
For another, it is a story of peasants who adored their monarch in the time after 1789. The story forces us to consider ways of political thinking that aren't necessarily the most obvious or accessible. Students of the French Revolution recall the surprising Vendée rebellion against the revolution, when peasants demanded a return of their priests and king - an attitude that may shock the liberal-minded academic or progressive. Similarly the folk of Hautefaye saw as their enemies a mix of priests, nobles, republicans, and Prussians, with only Napoleon III as their protector. Indeed, Corbin's book reminds us that while the Second Empire often seems comically incompetent in retrospect, it had a well of support beyond the imperial court. I am reminded of Russian peasants who worshipped their tsar even as WWI tore the empire apart, believing the emperor to be good, just misled by evil councilors.
In this very short book Alain Corbin draws out these connection with carefully chosen anecdotes and a firm grasp of French history. He also offers the occasional sardonic or chilling line:
I recommend this to any student of history. I also commend it to those interested in crime and violence. Chapter 4 ("Monstrous Brutes") is a powerful meditation on violence in everyday life that is worth reading on its own. It reminds me of Georges Bataille.
My son read this for an undergrad history of France class, and I admire the choice. The book is very short, yet deeply scholarly. It gives students a taste of actual historical research, after which they have a much deeper understanding of French history in general.
*The book's title comes from a contested passage in the murder trial:
Village of Cannibals* explores a single act of mob violence in rural France, in 1870. Peasants from several neighboring villages suddenly tortured a nobleman to death, then tormented his body. Alain Corbin's genius is to tease out the social and historical elements of this act, which in turn illuminate French history.
In a sense the killing of Alain de Moneys is unsurprising and almost timeless. His assailants were all men (women stayed away) and ill educated, even for the time (58). Local authorities gave way before the mob (68). We can transpose the event to many other places and times.
It is also a story of wartime. It took place as the Franco-Prussian War was in full swing and starting to go very badly for the French. The mob linked the victim to the advancing Prussian army. One of its members had just lost a son in battle days before the murder.
Yet this is a modern narrative. For one, it is a story of modern nationalism. As the war continued and worsened, nationalist feeling grew and deepened among the French. That love of the nation in danger authorized force against the nation's enemies.
For another, it is a story of peasants who adored their monarch in the time after 1789. The story forces us to consider ways of political thinking that aren't necessarily the most obvious or accessible. Students of the French Revolution recall the surprising Vendée rebellion against the revolution, when peasants demanded a return of their priests and king - an attitude that may shock the liberal-minded academic or progressive. Similarly the folk of Hautefaye saw as their enemies a mix of priests, nobles, republicans, and Prussians, with only Napoleon III as their protector. Indeed, Corbin's book reminds us that while the Second Empire often seems comically incompetent in retrospect, it had a well of support beyond the imperial court. I am reminded of Russian peasants who worshipped their tsar even as WWI tore the empire apart, believing the emperor to be good, just misled by evil councilors.
In this very short book Alain Corbin draws out these connection with carefully chosen anecdotes and a firm grasp of French history. He also offers the occasional sardonic or chilling line:
[T]he Dordogne peasants' hostility towards the nobility... fed on rancor that festered behind a mask of sly deference, waiting for the day when open irony would become possible. (7)
On the afternoon of the fair the peasant lost track of time, and the slow pace of Alain de Moneys' torture reflected this carefree attitude. (54)
I recommend this to any student of history. I also commend it to those interested in crime and violence. Chapter 4 ("Monstrous Brutes") is a powerful meditation on violence in everyday life that is worth reading on its own. It reminds me of Georges Bataille.
My son read this for an undergrad history of France class, and I admire the choice. The book is very short, yet deeply scholarly. It gives students a taste of actual historical research, after which they have a much deeper understanding of French history in general.
*The book's title comes from a contested passage in the murder trial:
Jean Maurel... the most zealous of the murderers allegedly told the mayor, at a point when the victim had "stopped in front of the inn," that "we want to kill him, burn him, and eat him." The mayor allegedly replied, "Eat him if you like." Word of this frightening injunction seems to have spread rapidly. (73-74)
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January 29, 2022Pretty fucked up story! Zola makes more sense after reading what was actually going on in the French countryside. The book itself is too short to tease out the more interesting concepts but the final section, which traces changing understandings/reactions to mob violence and human suffering in general, is fascinating.
November 4, 2023
Fascinerende case study in de trant van de Franse mentaliteitsgeschiedenis. Twee nadelen: het is bepaald niet geschreven in de traditie van de 'vertellersgeschiedenis' voor groot publiek, integendeel. Corbin schrijft voor een publiek van collega-historici die de Franse geschiedenis al goed kennen, stipt allerlei historische feiten en ontwikkelingen aan zonder ze uit te leggen, terwijl de gemiddelde lezer helemaal niet zal weten waarover hij het weet. De vertaler heeft dat deels ondervangen door een verklarende woordenlijst aan de vertaling toe te voegen, maar constant heen en weer bladeren wordt ook vervelend, en bovendien: er valt niet tegenop te verklaren. Er blijven dingen over die niet in de lijst staan en toch vrij obscuur blijven. Ten tweede die vertaling zelf: die helpt ook niet mee, die is nogal stram en stroef. De voortdurend terugkerende, in het Nederlands vreemd aandoende constructie 'Blijft dat...' als begin van een zin valt nogal op. En ik maak me sterk dat een zin als 'Het verdient aanbeveling aandacht te hebben voor de korte opbloei van deze opschepperij' ook best vertaald had mogen worden als 'Het is goed om even bij de opbloei van deze opschepperij stil te staan'. Enz. Ik heb de indruk Corbins stijl in deze Nederlandse versie stijver en formeler wordt dan hij in het Frans (vermoedelijk) is.
Maar dan, voor wie zich hierover heen kan zetten, de inhoud: die is fascinerend. Een lynchpartij op het Franse platteland in 1870. Boeren folteren en verbranden een edelman die ze er (ten onrechte!) van verdenken een tegenstander te zijn van de door hen aanbeden Napoleon III. Een perfecte zondebok om al hun angst en zorgen over de politieke toekomst (vanwege de oorlog met Duitsland, het dreigende einde van Napoleons heerschappij, stijgende belastingen, enz.) op te projecteren en op uit te leven.
Als dit boek uit 1990 over een orgie van geweld op het Franse platteland in 1870 me ergens aan deed denken, was het wel aan de politieke polarisering van de laatste decennia, en de bestorming -- om maar iets te noemen -- van het Capitool door Trump-aanhangers. Van de oorzaken voor die geweldsuitbarsting (de afwezigheid van het bevoegd gezag) tot de wilde verspreiding van geruchten en complottheorieën en de (misschien al te) strenge berechting van de daders aan toe. Trump als Napoleon III -- of Napoleon III als Trump. Het is te veel eer voor die laatste, maar ik vond het toch een interessante parallel.
Juist door de afstandelijke en analytische wijze waarop Corbin de gruwelijke gebeurtenissen beschrijft, zet hij aan tot het nadenken over de diepere oorzaken en de betekenis ervan, in plaats van alleen maar met het vermanende vingertje te zwaaien.
Maar dan, voor wie zich hierover heen kan zetten, de inhoud: die is fascinerend. Een lynchpartij op het Franse platteland in 1870. Boeren folteren en verbranden een edelman die ze er (ten onrechte!) van verdenken een tegenstander te zijn van de door hen aanbeden Napoleon III. Een perfecte zondebok om al hun angst en zorgen over de politieke toekomst (vanwege de oorlog met Duitsland, het dreigende einde van Napoleons heerschappij, stijgende belastingen, enz.) op te projecteren en op uit te leven.
Als dit boek uit 1990 over een orgie van geweld op het Franse platteland in 1870 me ergens aan deed denken, was het wel aan de politieke polarisering van de laatste decennia, en de bestorming -- om maar iets te noemen -- van het Capitool door Trump-aanhangers. Van de oorzaken voor die geweldsuitbarsting (de afwezigheid van het bevoegd gezag) tot de wilde verspreiding van geruchten en complottheorieën en de (misschien al te) strenge berechting van de daders aan toe. Trump als Napoleon III -- of Napoleon III als Trump. Het is te veel eer voor die laatste, maar ik vond het toch een interessante parallel.
Juist door de afstandelijke en analytische wijze waarop Corbin de gruwelijke gebeurtenissen beschrijft, zet hij aan tot het nadenken over de diepere oorzaken en de betekenis ervan, in plaats van alleen maar met het vermanende vingertje te zwaaien.
December 10, 2020
Alain Corbin, historien des sens et du sensible, se situe ici au carrefour de la nouvelle histoire et de la micro-histoire en racontant, minute par minute, comment, à l'occasion d'une foire à Hautefaye, en aout 1870, des paysans ont massacré en le traitant de "prussien" un noble qu'ils connaissaient pourtant parfaitement pour être du château voisin, comment ils l'ont battu à mort, traîné puis brûlé. Avant cela, il recherche comment cela a été rendu possible (l'antagonisme entre les paysans et le groupe nobles/curés, attisé par la bourgeoisie rurale, l'inquiétude pour l'empereur en danger à Sedan alors qu'il bénéficiait d'une vive dévotion, l'effacement des autorités, le rassemblement un jour de foire qui permet l'expression d'une identité collective entre des individus habituellement dispersés le goût pour la rumeur... )Et après cela, comment le récit de ce fait a suscité une horreur unanime et une répression sévère, l'auteur montrant (et c'est la partie la plus intéressante du livre) comment cette horreur ressentie témoigne de la rapide progression des mentalités, car les massacres populaires étaient monnaie courante en 1792, du fait de la propagation de l'humanisme des Lumières et de l'humanisation de la mort par la guillotine.
June 15, 2022
Un livre très intéressant, mais pas particulièrement agréable à lire.
C'est bien écrit et très documenté et l'auteur donne une vision claire des états d'esprits des protagonistes, ainsi que des tensions politiques et religieuses qui ont pu conduire au drame.
Pour se faire il multiplie les références, les citations, les allusions, etc, rendant la lecture un peu lourde.
Je m'attendais à un essai plus accessible, et à un style plus léger.
C'est bien écrit et très documenté et l'auteur donne une vision claire des états d'esprits des protagonistes, ainsi que des tensions politiques et religieuses qui ont pu conduire au drame.
Pour se faire il multiplie les références, les citations, les allusions, etc, rendant la lecture un peu lourde.
Je m'attendais à un essai plus accessible, et à un style plus léger.
June 21, 2017
Good introduction to grassroot-level history. I found bouncing between different events from 1870 until 1790 a bit distracting yet I was oddly satisfied that I could keep out. Altogether it's a fascinating albeit disturbing look into 19th century France and it's history of violence.
October 27, 2018
A really interesting microhistory that functions also as a horrid true crime tale
September 18, 2024
Like seriously peasants?
April 26, 2025
How do we know you are NOT a Prussian?
July 29, 2025
Un classique. Dédicace au cousin
August 3, 2025
When anger makes decisions instead of reason and human logic is blocked, humans become more cruel than even the lowest animals.
December 11, 2018
Had to read this monograph for university, and it wasn't as painful a read as I expected. It's a relatively short read about a very interesting event, and though it can jump around quite a bit (which can be really distracting) it's thought provoking and a good introduction to micro-history.
March 16, 2017
I thought that the author did a great work by explaining not just the act, but the concept of the act throughout time
January 9, 2020
Mikrohistorická edice Arga málokdy zklame a ani Vesnice kanibalů není výjimkou, i když v ní vlastně žádní kanibalové nejsou. Tahle knížečka pojednává o jednom masakru z dob prusko-francouzské války, při kterém přišel o život mladý šlechtic.
Z mého pohledu je na celé knize nejzajímavější metodologický přístup a interpretace celé události. Na první pohled pohled ojedinělý exces zaostalých venkovanů se tak nakonec ukazuje jako v jistém ohledu smysluplný akt bonapartistických venkovanů, kterým ani církev, ani šlechta, ani republikáni či městská buržoazie nedokáže ani porozumět ani pomoci. A tak se upnou k Napoleonovi III. a v době ohrožení během války mu "pomáhají" lynčováním domnělého nepřítele, v němž jsou ztělesněny všechny výše zmíněné třídy.
Když člověku trochu přivře oči a podívá se na výsledky posledních parlamentních/prezidentských voleb v Česku, vidí leccos z podobného nepochopení i dnes.
Z mého pohledu je na celé knize nejzajímavější metodologický přístup a interpretace celé události. Na první pohled pohled ojedinělý exces zaostalých venkovanů se tak nakonec ukazuje jako v jistém ohledu smysluplný akt bonapartistických venkovanů, kterým ani církev, ani šlechta, ani republikáni či městská buržoazie nedokáže ani porozumět ani pomoci. A tak se upnou k Napoleonovi III. a v době ohrožení během války mu "pomáhají" lynčováním domnělého nepřítele, v němž jsou ztělesněny všechny výše zmíněné třídy.
Když člověku trochu přivře oči a podívá se na výsledky posledních parlamentních/prezidentských voleb v Česku, vidí leccos z podobného nepochopení i dnes.
August 10, 2008
A frightful story about mob violence, and a great little piece of history, one which makes a strong case for histories written with special concern for local attitudes and events. It is the story of how a poor, peaceful rural community suddenly and momentarily turned savagely violent in an anti-Republican frenzy at the time of the Franco-Prussian War, seemingly against all reason and political sense.
A short book, worth reading for people curious about any number of things, from France, to mob violence, to how to be more careful when traveling to the county fair. Not exactly the rosiest picture of small town life.
A short book, worth reading for people curious about any number of things, from France, to mob violence, to how to be more careful when traveling to the county fair. Not exactly the rosiest picture of small town life.
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September 28, 2015A "microhistory" of a small town in southern France during the Franco-Prussian War, and how the local peasantry reacts to the ousting of Napoleon III. His writing style is a little hard to get used to, but it's an interesting tale of shifting ideas of social class and political thought in a particular setting. Bonus feature: gory murders of French noblemen! (well, one French nobleman, but you can't have everything)
January 29, 2016
A close examination of the Hautefoye mob murder of 1870. There is no shoot-from-the-hip psychoanalysis in here; the author discusses the political, financial and social tensions of the time and how they all converged into a shocking moment of violence. The author does a very good job of explaining how this sort of event went from being fairly common and accepted to a bizarre anomaly in the space of just a few years. A very short read that explains a great deal. Worth a look.
February 22, 2016
Interesting historical event but not anywhere in my interests. I could have been hampered by the fact that I was going through something very big in my personal life that distracted me.
February 9, 2025
Alain Corbin mon hOmme par contre le monde est mauvais 😔😔😔
Spoiler : un mec se fait littéralement massacre et si vous êtes un peu sensible bah pas ouf
Mais le livre et le récit sont sublimes
Spoiler : un mec se fait littéralement massacre et si vous êtes un peu sensible bah pas ouf
Mais le livre et le récit sont sublimes
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