Nicole Aubrey
Encyclopedia
Nicole Aubrey or Obry was a young married woman, 15 or 16 years of age, who was publicly exorcised
in 1566 in the French
city of Laon
. Occurring during the French Wars of Religion
, the so-called Miracle of Laon was almost immediately seized upon for polemic by proponents of the Counter-Reformation
, and it is from those polemics that the account survives.
, tensions between Catholics and Huguenots remained high in France, including in the city of Laon, which lay in the domain of the Prince of Conde
, a Protestant.
In November 1565, Nicole Obry, a resident of Vervins
, became so sick she was unable to eat, and claimed to be possessed by an evil spirit that she thought was the ghost of her deceased grandfather. Her family obtained the services of a Dominican
priest, Pierre de la Motte, who attempted to exorcise the young woman. He rid her of a number of demons, who promptly "fled to Geneva
," the center of the Calvinist movement. The chief demon, however, who identified himself as "Beelzebub
, the Prince of the Huguenots," refused to leave for any personage less than the Bishop of Laon.
On January 4, 1566, Bishop Jean de Bours arrived in Vervins, but was unable to exorcise the demon. On January 29, the Bishop led a procession to the cathedral of Laon, where the demon engaged in a theological discourse with the Bishop, alleging that the Huguenots were cruel and infidel, that they stole the communion wafer, cut it up, boiled it, and burned the pieces. According to "Beelzebub," the Huguenots would do more evil to Jesus Christ than the Jews had done. After daily processions to the cathedral, on February 8, the "miracle of Laon" occurred when the bishop held up the communion wafer, and drove the remaining demons from Obry's body.
of Christ in the Eucharist
: a refutation of Protestant heresy
. For Protestants, the event was an obvious hoax, and Louis, the Prince of Conde imprisoned Obry until he was ordered to free her by Charles IX
.
Louis, believing that persecution
of Protestants was imminent, attempted to overthrow Charles
, and war broke out again.
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
in 1566 in the French
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...
city of Laon
Laon
Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
. Occurring during the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
, the so-called Miracle of Laon was almost immediately seized upon for polemic by proponents of the Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
, and it is from those polemics that the account survives.
Events leading up to the exorcism
In the aftermath of the Edict of AmboiseEdict of Amboise
The Edict of Amboise was signed at the Château of Amboise on March 19, 1563 by Catherine de' Medici, acting as regent for her son Charles IX of France. The treaty officially ended the first phase of the French Wars of Religion...
, tensions between Catholics and Huguenots remained high in France, including in the city of Laon, which lay in the domain of the Prince of Conde
Prince of Condé
The Most Serene House of Condé is a historical French house, a noble lineage of descent from a single ancestor...
, a Protestant.
In November 1565, Nicole Obry, a resident of Vervins
Vervins
Vervins is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Population:-References:*...
, became so sick she was unable to eat, and claimed to be possessed by an evil spirit that she thought was the ghost of her deceased grandfather. Her family obtained the services of a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
priest, Pierre de la Motte, who attempted to exorcise the young woman. He rid her of a number of demons, who promptly "fled to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
," the center of the Calvinist movement. The chief demon, however, who identified himself as "Beelzebub
Beelzebub
Beelzebub -Religious meaning:Ba‘al Zəbûb is variously understood to mean "lord of flies", or "lord of the dwelling". Originally the name of a Philistine god, Beelzebub is also identified in the New Testament as Satan, the "prince of the demons". In Arabic the name is retained as Ba‘al dhubaab /...
, the Prince of the Huguenots," refused to leave for any personage less than the Bishop of Laon.
On January 4, 1566, Bishop Jean de Bours arrived in Vervins, but was unable to exorcise the demon. On January 29, the Bishop led a procession to the cathedral of Laon, where the demon engaged in a theological discourse with the Bishop, alleging that the Huguenots were cruel and infidel, that they stole the communion wafer, cut it up, boiled it, and burned the pieces. According to "Beelzebub," the Huguenots would do more evil to Jesus Christ than the Jews had done. After daily processions to the cathedral, on February 8, the "miracle of Laon" occurred when the bishop held up the communion wafer, and drove the remaining demons from Obry's body.
Effect on the Wars of Religion
Within months of the event, multiple eyewitness accounts had been published and spread throughout Europe. For Catholics, the exorcism was a miracle and proof of the real presenceReal Presence
Real Presence is a term used in various Christian traditions to express belief that in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is really present in what was previously just bread and wine, and not merely present in symbol, a figure of speech , or by his power .Not all Christian traditions accept this dogma...
of Christ in the Eucharist
Transubstantiation
In Roman Catholic theology, transubstantiation means the change, in the Eucharist, of the substance of wheat bread and grape wine into the substance of the Body and Blood, respectively, of Jesus, while all that is accessible to the senses remains as before.The Eastern Orthodox...
: a refutation of Protestant heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. For Protestants, the event was an obvious hoax, and Louis, the Prince of Conde imprisoned Obry until he was ordered to free her by Charles IX
Charles IX of France
Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
.
Louis, believing that persecution
Religious persecution
Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or lack thereof....
of Protestants was imminent, attempted to overthrow Charles
Surprise of Meaux
The surprise of Meaux was a conspiracy organised in 1567 by Louis I de Bourbon, prince de Condé to capture Charles IX and the rest of the French royal family...
, and war broke out again.
Sources
- Backus, Irena Dorota, Guillaume Postel et Jean Boulaese: De Summopere (1566) et Le Miracle De Laon (1566) (Droz 1995).
- Kuntz, Marion, Guillaume Postel: Prophet of the Restitution of All Things, His Life and Thought (Martinus Nijhoff 1981).
- Pearl, Jonathan L., The Crime of Crimes. Demonology and politics in France 1560-1620 (Waterloo 1999) 43-45.