Madness in the Realm: Narratives of Mental Illness in Late Medieval France

Because the mentally ill could not seek pardon from the king on their own behalf, getting letters of remission for the mad involved the extended family. Thus, entire kin networks participated in the legal process. Through these letters, petitioners actively imagined themselves as partaking in larger communities, as well as in their villages and neighborhoods. Individuals and groups interacted with the legal system, negotiating with royal notaries in Paris who helped them forge their narratives. As a result, the madness of individuals played a role in engaging people with legal mechanisms and proto-national identity constructs, as petitioners sought the king's mercy as an alternative to local justice.