Le Grand Ferré

This illustration depicts Le Grand Ferré, a peasant who became a heroic figure of village resistance during the Hundred Years’ War. The scene shows him wielding a heavy axe and violently confronting several armored men-at-arms, while bodies already lie on the ground around him. It refers to the famous episode of 1359 in which, according to tradition, Le Grand Ferré helped defend the village of Longueil-Sainte-Marie against a band of Navarrese or English raiders. Through its dramatic character, the image emphasizes the extraordinary physical strength of the figure and the ability of ordinary villagers to take up arms in a time of war, disorder, and devastation. Produced long after the events, this representation belongs to the historical and popular imagination that turned Le Grand Ferré into a symbol of rural courage and local resistance.