A Flemish Peasant Feast
in Celebration of
The Battle of the Golden Spurs

Come sit with your compatriots in the Cloth Hall of Ghent and feast in celebration of the victory of Count Guy of Dampierre and the Flemish citizenry over the cream of the French chivalry, now thrown down in shame on the fields of Kortijk.

James Brewer is a tavern owner and hops trader in Brugge, Flanders in the late 16th century. He travels extensively between the Lowlands and England after the hops harvest but manages his tavern, de Gouden Bij, the rest of the year.

Jim DeSchinckel is a stay at home dad, at least until he finds a real job. His interests are brewing, cooking, Flemish history and sitting around the campfire drinking multitudinous beers and singing at the top of his lungs.

Clearly Lord Abraham was not murdered with a pair of spurs since every pair was on the battlefield.

A Brief History

The popular uprising leading to the Battle of Kortrijk originated when the King of France, at the time in titular control of Flanders, provoked the Counts of Flanders and the Flemish citizenry with heavy-handed taxation and revocation of the charters and privileges of the major cities. The Flemish count, Guy of Dampierre, and his most important lords were seized and imprisoned by the French. Unrest among the working class became widespread and the citizenry rallied around the sons of the Flemish count and two of their own from the town of Brugge; Jan Breydel, a weaver, and Pieter de Coninck, a baker. This was a struggle of common people against a lord (the French king), not a struggle between two lords.

The Flemish army, some 9,500 soldiers made up of common people, farmers, artisans, and patricians, concentrated around the town of Courtrai. Courtrai was the gateway to Flanders from France, so it was of the utmost importance to fully control this town. The French understood this, so the French king sent the best and most beautiful army ever to Flanders. About 2,500 knights and squires made up the core. 1,000 crossbow men, 1,000 pike men and 2,000 other light infantry aided them for a total of 6,500 men. This seems a small force in comparison to the 9,500 Flemish, but the French army was by far better equipped and trained. A knight was valued as much as ten men on foot.

Early morning July 11th 1302, both armies formed up outside of Kortrijk. The men confessed their sins and received instructions from their leaders. The Flemish army was forbidden to take any booty from the battlefield, and they were instructed to take no prisoners which was a very unusual thing in medieval warfare. It meant that the battle would be fought fiercely, without any mercy. The Flemish citizens fought for their freedom and to protect their lives. They could expect no mercy of the French if they would lose the battle.

Just before noon the forces engaged. Both sides deployed archers but little advantage was gained. After the Flemish archers ran out of arrows, the pressure from the French cavalry became too great. The Flemish troops retreated to their own lines, cutting the strings of their bows and throwing them to the ground to make the charge of the French knights on horse more difficult.

The French charged into a wall of Flemish pikes and goedendags, producing a thundering noise as they tried to break the Flemish ranks, but only at isolated spots did some knights manage to penetrate the line. They were quickly taken care of by the second rank and chopped into pieces. No major break through happened.

The Flemings advanced and the remaining French knights tried desperately to run. The Flemish soldiers didn't allow this and the battle turned into a slaughter. The French rearguard hung their shields on their backs and ran, but they too were caught and killed without mercy up to 10km from the battlefield. The Flemings fulfilled the orders to kill all those that wore spurs. The Flemish victory was complete!

The next day the booty was collected. From the battlefield some five hundred pairs of golden spurs, worn only by knights, were found. This gave the battle its modern name.