The "Dogged" Duel: Trial by Combat with a Canine Witness

 

The "Dogged" Duel: Trial by Combat with a Canine Witness

Story: The year is 1386, and France is gripped by a curious legal case that would become a famous example of trial by combat, made even more unusual by the involvement of a dog. The story revolves around the murder of Jean de Carrouges, a knight, whose wife, Marguerite de Carrouges, accused his former friend and squire, Jacques Le Gris, of rape. Le Gris vehemently denied the accusation, and because there was no direct human witness to the alleged crime, the French Parliament, under the authority of King Charles VI, ordered a trial by combat between Carrouges and Le Gris. This was one of the last legally sanctioned judicial duels in French history.

However, adding a truly bizarre twist, a separate and earlier incident involved a squire named Aubry le Chien (meaning "Aubry the Dog"). Aubry had been found dead in a ditch in Montargis, with signs of foul play. His dog, who had reportedly been with him, repeatedly barked and showed aggression towards a specific man named Richard de Macaire whenever he encountered him. The dog's persistent actions convinced the authorities that Macaire was the killer, even though no human witness could confirm it. Thus, a "trial by combat" was ordered between the dog and Macaire. The legend states that the dog was granted the right to fight its accuser, and Macaire was given a stick for defense while the dog had its natural weapons. During the ensuing "duel," the dog famously managed to subdue and bite Macaire, who then reportedly confessed to the murder under pressure. While the Macaire story is more folklore, it serves as a powerful precursor to the actual judicial duel between Carrouges and Le Gris, which Carrouges won, thus "proving" Le Gris's guilt according to the medieval legal system. Both tales highlight the medieval belief in divine judgment through physical combat, often with unusual twists involving animal witnesses.

• Date: 1386 CE (Jean de Carrouges vs. Jacques Le Gris duel); the Aubry le Chien story is often attributed to the same period or slightly earlier.
• Key Characters: Jean de Carrouges, Jacques Le Gris, Marguerite de Carrouges, King Charles VI, Aubry le Chien (the dog), Richard de Macaire.
• Historical Reference: Jean Froissart, Froissart's Chronicles (Vol. VIII); Eric Jager, The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France (2004).