Jan-Maat’s Reviews > Breydel > Status Update

There were several chronicle writers who wrote their texts in prison...

- prison can work from a literary point of view; think Don Quixote, Pilgrim's Progress, later Dostoevsky. Perhaps it is good for people prone to procrastination or being distracted? 😁

Jan van Dadizele had a rapid rise at the court of the rulers of Burgundy, unfortunately this led to his murder in October 1481, he was stabbed by five assailants, but luckily survived long enough to die of his wounds in bed. His murderers were protected by the Duke & Duchess. Brutal office politics.

June 1455; Catalina Breydel great great granddaughter of the horse trading butcher, married the young nobleman Jan van Dadizele, she provided the wealth and connections to the urban elite, while he had the status.

Although members of the mobility competed in tournaments organised by Bruges in the 14th century, the driving force in the tournament society was the urban elite - generally from the leading guild families.

Om kritiek te geven op het heden, keken de middeleeuwwers naar het verleden.

- I don't think that technique has ever been limited to medieval people!

From a 1451 pamphlet nailed to Ghent townhall's door: "ghy slapscheten van Ghent, die nu hebt 't regiment..."
This is translated into (modest) modern Dutch as " jullie zwakkelingen van Gent, die nu de macht hebben..." while I'd suggest in english: "oi sloppy shitters of Ghent who now are in charge..."

In the early 14th century in Bruges some brewers were part of the butcher's guild. One such brewer, Jan Breydel the son of Michiel also did some butchery, & a bit of horse trading , for which at least he has the right surname (bridle). Author believes it is this man who layer joins the town council & not the veteran of the battle of the Golden spurs

Also during the 14th & 15th centuries, women were pushed out from selling meat at the market. This seems to have been about money, women were permitted to sell cheaper sausages at the edge of the market but not cuts of butchered meat.

In the 14th & 15th centuries the amount of meat eaten in Bruges & Ghent was increasing, but the number of families in the butcher's guild fell dramatically from 28 to 9 & circa 85 to 14 respectively. Medieval market consolidation.

This is a book about Jan Breydel who it came to be believed played an active role in the battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 and his descendants; however it has been known since 2004 that there is evidence of at least 3 Jan Breydels active in Bruges around 1302, all of whom each had a son named Jan Breydel 😁