We’re cruising through Normandy on the Seine river, heading back from the Atlantic coast toward Paris. Today we’re docked at Normandy’s capital, Rouen. It’s probably best-known for its massive cathedral, but history buffs know Rouen for being where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Julia Child fans know it because this is where she had a life-changing experience in a French restaurant. The restaurant is still here.
We Need to Talk…
Before we wander into Rouen, we need to talk, just for a minute. We need to be able to say “Rouen” without eliciting snickers, eye rolls, or looks of pity. The French don’t expect us to pronounce it the way they do, i.e., “correctly,” but we want to be able to say it without butchering it completely.
“Rouen” is one of the trickier French words for english speakers to deal with. The “R” in front is the real trouble-maker. As far as I can tell, even the French don’t agree on how to pronounce it. Sometimes when they say “Rouen,” I can hear a slight “R” sound. But most of the time, there’s no “R” sound at all. They start it with “oo” (as in “goo”).
On the back end, there’s “en.” The “en” in Rouen is pronounced, “onh.” It rhymes with “honk.” There’s no hard “n” sound – it’s completely nasal. If you pretend you’re Pepe le Pew and say, “honh honh honh!” you’ll probably be in the ballpark.
Put the two together and you have something that sounds like “oo-onh.” I know. It’s like, “this can’t be right.” But it is. If you don’t believe me, or if you’re just a glutton for pronunciation punishment, check out how “Rouen” is written in the International Phonetic Alphabet. It looks like this, “ʁuɑ̃,” and it sounds like this. See what I mean?
Rouen Back in the Day
To get to know Rouen, as with so many other French cities, it helps to go back in history. And this being Normandy, that means wars, fighting, blood, and guts. It’s ironic that this land of apple orchards and cows grazing in idyllic green pastures has seen so much bloodshed.
In the middle ages, Rouen was the capitol of the Duchy of Normandy. But who did the Duchy of Normandy belong to, the English-ruling House of Plantagenet, or the French-ruling House of Valois? Those two dynasties fought over Normandy and the Crown of France for more than a hundred years to settle the issue.
The Hundred Years War
As noted in a previous post, even way back in the 14th century, fighting in Normandy was nothing new. But in 1346, the Plantagenet, Edward III, upped the ante. He invaded and conquered lands deep into French territory. English longbowmen in particular tore up French armies. After sixteen years of fighting, the French king agreed to give up much of southwestern France if Edward would leave Normandy alone. They took a nine-year break, then started fighting again.
By 1389, both sides were war-weary. Taxpayers were tired of supporting armies at war. Revolt was in the air. They signed another treaty. But in 1415, a new English king, Henry V, smelled weakness in the Valois monarchy. He invaded Normandy with 10,000 troops, and made mincemeat of defenders across northern France. Rouen became “English” again.
When the English teamed up with the Duchy of Burgundy, it looked like curtains for the Valois monarchy. The French king signed the Treaty of Troyes, giving Henry his daughter’s hand in marriage, thereby giving his heirs the throne of France. The future king would be the king of England AND the king of France. Game over, eh? Not so fast…
A Girl from Arc Named Joan
The fighting continued. Then, as the English laid siege to the town of Orléans, Joan of Arc burst upon the scene. French defenders rallied behind her and gave the English a rare beating. Reinvigorated French forces scored a few more victories, but Joan of Arc was wounded and captured. She was taken to Rouen where she was burned at the stake.
The French kept driving the English back. Instead of recognizing their new (English) king, they crowned their own king. In 1449 they took back Rouen. By 1487, they had driven the Plantagenes and the English army out of France for good. The Hundred Years War, along with the plague of 1350 cost Normandy three-quarters of its population.
When the Hundred Years War started, there were no European nations, just feudal monarchies. By the end of the war, an “England” and a “France” had emerged, each with its own standing army. The feudal system was on the way out.
Rouen remained free until the Nazis showed up in 1940. The city got smashed up pretty badly in WWII, but in some areas, half-timbered buildings from back in the day still stand. Let’s go check ’em out.
To be continued…
Photo at the top of post: View of the Paris Quay and the Cathedral at Rouen, by Dutch painter Johannes Bosboom, (1817 – 1891). It’s in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Source: Wikimedia Commons/PD-US
