Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force
Encyclopedia
Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force or Mademoiselle de La Force (1654–1724) was a French
novelist and poet. Her best-known work was her 1698 fairy tale Persinette which was adapted by the Brothers Grimm
as the story Rapunzel
.
She was the daughter of François de Caumont de La Force (eighth son of Marshal de La Force
), marquis de Castelmoron and of Marguerite de Viçose. Raised as a Protestant, she converted to Catholicism in 1686 and received a pension of 1000 écu
s from Louis XIV
. Like other famous women writers of the 17th century, she was named a member of the Academy of the Ricovrati of Padua
.
Her first novels were in the popular vein of "histoires secrètes", short novels recounting the "secret history" of a famous person and linking the action generally to an amorous intrigue, such as Histoire secrete de Bourgogne (1694), Histoire secrète de Henri IV, roi de Castille (1695), Histoire de Marguerite de Valois, reine de Navarre (1696).
She had a long affair with the much younger Charles Briou, finally managing to marry him secretly with the king's permission, but her family and his father intervened to have the marriage annulled.
In 1697, due to gossip and scandalous rumors about her, the king forced Mademoiselle de La Force to take to the Benedictine
abbey of Gercy-en-Brie or risk losing her pension, and it was from here that she wrote her memoirs: Pensées chrétiennes de défunte de Mlle de La Force.
She is also well-known for participating in the 17th century vogue of contes des fées
along with Henriette-Julie de Murat
, Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy, Marie-Jeanne Lhéritier
, and Charles Perrault
. She wrote Les Contes des Contes (1698) and Les Contes des Fées. These works included the tale Fairer-than-a-Fairy
.
Her novels had a great deal of success in Europe in the 18th century.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
novelist and poet. Her best-known work was her 1698 fairy tale Persinette which was adapted by the Brothers Grimm
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...
as the story Rapunzel
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" is a German fairy tale in the collection assembled by the Brothers Grimm, and first published in 1812 as part of Children's and Household Tales. The Grimm Brothers' story is an adaptation of the fairy tale Persinette by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force originally published in 1698...
.
She was the daughter of François de Caumont de La Force (eighth son of Marshal de La Force
Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la Force
Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la Force was a marshal of France and peer of France.He was born in La Force, the son of Francois de Caumont and Philippes de Beaupoil....
), marquis de Castelmoron and of Marguerite de Viçose. Raised as a Protestant, she converted to Catholicism in 1686 and received a pension of 1000 écu
ECU
ECU may refer to:Automotive terms* Electronic control unit, a generic term for any embedded system that controls one or more of the electrical systems or subsystems in a motor vehicle...
s from Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. Like other famous women writers of the 17th century, she was named a member of the Academy of the Ricovrati of Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
.
Her first novels were in the popular vein of "histoires secrètes", short novels recounting the "secret history" of a famous person and linking the action generally to an amorous intrigue, such as Histoire secrete de Bourgogne (1694), Histoire secrète de Henri IV, roi de Castille (1695), Histoire de Marguerite de Valois, reine de Navarre (1696).
She had a long affair with the much younger Charles Briou, finally managing to marry him secretly with the king's permission, but her family and his father intervened to have the marriage annulled.
In 1697, due to gossip and scandalous rumors about her, the king forced Mademoiselle de La Force to take to the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbey of Gercy-en-Brie or risk losing her pension, and it was from here that she wrote her memoirs: Pensées chrétiennes de défunte de Mlle de La Force.
She is also well-known for participating in the 17th century vogue of contes des fées
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
along with Henriette-Julie de Murat
Henriette-Julie de Murat
Henriette-Julie de Murat was an aristocratic French writer of the late 17th century.She published fairy tales and slightly scandalous faux memoirs, one of which got her exiled to the provincial town of Loches for several years...
, Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy, Marie-Jeanne Lhéritier
Marie-Jeanne Lhéritier
Marie-Jeanne Lhéritier was an aristocratic French writer of the late 17th century, and a niece of Charles Perrault....
, and Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault was a French author who laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales. The best known include Le Petit Chaperon rouge , Cendrillon , Le Chat Botté and La Barbe bleue...
. She wrote Les Contes des Contes (1698) and Les Contes des Fées. These works included the tale Fairer-than-a-Fairy
Fairer-than-a-Fairy
Fairer-than-a-Fairy is a French literary fairy tale written by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont La Force. Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book.-Synopsis:...
.
Her novels had a great deal of success in Europe in the 18th century.