Legacies of
Mercy
page 5
E d i t or s P i c k
distinguished and noble men to him. Their attire was to
be rags and nooses were to be tied around their necks
and they shall come to him with bare feet for him to do
with them as he saw fit.
M e r c y i n t h e h e r oi c t r a d i t i on
The six that went were volunteers whose selflessness and
spirit of sacrifice is captured by Rodin in his
In 1884, Auguste Rodin – perhaps France's most
monumental work. These six represent all the goodness
famous sculptor – was commissioned by the city of
of France and the honor of her people (though I would
Calais for a piece that would reflect French national
argue these qualities are nonexistent in France today).
history and pride. The Burghers of Calais it was called,
Yet a similar sculpture sits proudly outside the great
and it serves as a monument to the siege of Calais that
British house of parliament! Why? When these six
had happened many centuries ago during the 100
humiliated men were brought before the King of
years war between France and their English
England, Edward in a great show of mercy, forgave them
neighbors. Six men it portrayed, with nooses around
and let them free. The sculpture outside parliament
their necks and their feet bare. After his sudden
captures this quality of a monarch so powerful that he
landing at Normandy and his soul crushing victories
can afford to show mercy.
at Cannes and Crecy, Edward III – one of England's
These are the heroes of Western tradition and Edward's
most celebrated kings (and also responsible for the red
pardon of the six men of Calais is still seen as a great feat
cross on the flag) – marched to Calais, a key fortified
in the eyes of many (though they conveniently leave out
city near a port that would most certainly secure the
the part where the queen persuaded him).
success of his campaign in France.
What ensued was one of the longest sieges ever
Is this the extent of mercy in western heroic tradition?
recorded in Medieval warfare with the common
Perhaps.
people of Calais and a handful of French troops
Limiting our study of the world to western tradition robs
holding out to Edward (who had razed and killed all
us of knowledge concerning true heroic deeds done in
that lived in the surrounding countryside) for almost a
the past. What is a true heroic deed in the realm of
year. The situation inside the city was so dire that at
mercy? To me (and to those with a hint of common
it's darkest days, the men, women and children of
sense), it must be a situation in which a person has every
Calais were forced to eat rats to survive. The French
right to be unmerciful and vengeful, but chooses mercy.
king watched helpless, as a great share of his forces
Edward's mercy is faux; his campaign in France
and his nobles had been slaughtered on the fields of
invalidates any iota of goodness that he may have shown
Crecy mercilessly by Edward; thus, no reinforcement
to the six at Calais. He intentionally commanded his
came to the oppressed people of Calais.
soldiers to raid the country side, burn crops and kill
Starved, defeated and abandoned, they held up the
innocent civilians where ever they were found.
white flag and prepared for a humiliating surrender.
His invasion of France was not only an act of supreme
Just as the English would barge into the city to loot it
aggression by modern standards, but an act of a power
and rape its women, Edward stopped them. He
hungry and lustful man seeking dominion.
commanded Calais to send six of its most
But is there no instance of true mercy in Western
history? Perhaps there is. But one of the most striking
cases arises in Islamic history.
Such was the case when the Prophet of Islam,
Muhammad peace be upon him entered into the city of
Mecca in 630 AD, many centuries before the English
knew the meaning of 'civilization'. If a man had a greater
right to exact vengeance on a people, it would be
Muhammad as he looked on the faces of the dishearten
Meccans, the oppressors, killers, and bullies of him and
his followers. These were the people that would take a
continued on pg 7 ...
A MUNA Youth Publication