The Burghers of Calais

Have you ever heard of the Burghers of Calais? If you haven’t, let me tell you their story.  In 1347, during the Hundred Years’ War, Edward III laid siege to Calais, a French port town on the English Channel.  The French were unable to break the siege, and eventually the people were on the point of starvation.  Edward told the people that he would spare them if six of their leaders would give themselves up, presumably to be killed.  The six were to surrender themselves with nooses around their necks and carrying the keys to the city and to the castle.  First one, then another of the leaders of the city volunteered themselves until there were six.  Their act saved the city.

So why do I tell you this story?  I don’t have a lot of favorite sculptures (it’s not a subject in which I’m super well-versed), but one of them is The Burghers of Calais by Rodin (1889).  There are only twelve copies based on the original cast, and one of them just happens to be in DC.  And I just happened to be walking by the sculpture garden yesterday, and I looked down, and there it was!  It made me so happy.  Rodin captures the six burghers as they’re leaving the city, ready to surrender.  Like the scene with the Bishop, this statue reminds me of the impact that a single person’s act of love and selflessness can have.  I know most of us won't have such a dramatic occasion as the Burghers' to prove ourselves, but we can be conscious of the small opportunities we have to show love and compassion in our daily lives.  That’s something I need to work on.

PS In case you were wondering, the story goes that Philippa, Queen of England, intervened on their behalf and convinced her husband not to kill them.