“ Seeing the Blues almost masters of the Chouans, the marquis and his friends rushed into the valley of the Nancon to support their men. The rocks were now covered with straggling groups of furious combatants deciding the question of life or death on a ground and with weapons that were more favorable to the Goatskins. Slowly this moving arena widened. The Chouans, recovering themselves, gained the rocks, thanks to the shrubs and bushes which grew here and there among them. ”
Chouans
Definition and stakes
The Chouans were royalist rebels active during the French Revolution, especially in Brittany, where they opposed revolutionary forces through guerrilla warfare. This subject is examined by authors such as Honoré de Balzac, whose novel The Chouans vividly depicts their covert activities, strategic brilliance, and connection to local identity, as illustrated in scenes of ambushes and skirmishes set against the harsh terrain of Brittany.
Other writers, including Alexandre Dumas and Baron Bulwer Lytton, also explored the Chouans’ place in the wider narrative of royalist opposition, though with differing focuses on their ethical complexity or historical importance. The theme connects with related ideas such as brigandage, royalist beliefs, and the Vendée’s troubled past, highlighting a nuanced blend of allegiance, endurance, and regional pride.
Quotes about “Chouans”
“ Marche-a-Terre laid his large hand over his friend’s mouth; then an order muttered by him went from rank to rank of the Chouans suspended as they were in mid-air among the brambles of the slate rocks. Corentin, walking up and down the esplanade had too practiced an ear not to hear the rustling of the shrubs and the light sound of pebbles rolling down the sides of the precipice. Marche-a-Terre, who seemed to possess the gift of seeing in darkness, and whose senses, continually in action, were acute as those of a savage, saw Corentin; like a trained dog he had scented him. ”
“ Instead of fighting only at one point, the Republicans spread themselves to three different points on the table-land of La Pelerine, and the rattle of musketry woke all the echoes of the valleys, hitherto so peaceful beneath it. Victory might have remained doubtful for many hours, or the fight might have come to an end for want of combatants, for Blues and Chouans were equally brave and obstinate. Each side was growing more and more incensed, when the sound of a drum in the distance told that the body of men must be crossing the valley of Couesnon. ”
