The year 1461 turned out to be a year of great changes for Europe and was associated with some curious, perhaps accidental, and possibly of considerable importance, coincidences associated with the number 22. On June 22, the French king Charles VII died, who ruled the country since 1422 (by the way, Charles VI died on October 21, so we must assume that Charles VII felt like king on October 22). For 22 years the throne was occupied by Louis XI.
The nephew of Charles VII, the English king Henry VI, who ruled like his uncle since 1422, in the same year 1461 was deposed by his son Edward IV, who, like Louis XI, remained on the throne for 22 years. Is it any wonder that the time turned out to be rather vague, and very strange events took place in the areas separating France from Britain?
Messages, first alarming and then horrifying all of France, came from the small town of Arras. In those days, it belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy.
It all began with the fact that one after another women began to appear who, according to their own confessions, participated in the witches' sabbaths, and were not ashamed to describe in detail what they did there, how they moved through the air, changed their appearance, entered houses through locked doors and windows, what disgusting assignments they carried out and in what ingenious ways they spoiled people and livestock.
The witches were listened to attentively and accurately by recordings of terrible stories filled with details that often turned out to be new and unexpected even for seasoned judges. The veracity of the witches was not in doubt. Their candor was overwhelming.
There was no time left for long proceedings. Almost always, the sentences were as obvious as the guilt of those who confessed. Criminals who bragged about their audacious antics were burned alive at the stake. Meanwhile, the inquisitors, who were sent to Arras, quickly discovered that only a few openly declare their guilt, and here they practice black magic at every step.
Experienced professionals who set out to eradicate witchcraft found a lot of work for themselves. They argued that one in three Christians in Arras had tainted themselves with some heresy.
Arras was spoken about all over France, in Spain and Italy. Incredible stories about the terrible crimes happening there frightened and agitated the population and could end in riots. The authorities did not want to tempt fate and let things take their course. It was urgent to explain everything to the common people and name the source of the infection.
Soon a suitable explanation for all the mysterious events in Arras was found. It was stated that a sect of followers of Pierre Waldo (1140 - 1217), a merchant from the city of Lyon, excommunicated in 1179, operates in the city.
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The followers of Waldo, the Waldensians, who called themselves "the poor of Lyons," called for abandoning luxury and unnecessary property, living an ascetic life and basing their actions not on the speeches of vagrant preachers who flooded Europe, inclined to idle talk, but only on the text of Holy Scripture. It is unlikely that they were addicted to witchcraft.
The Waldensians were very active in spreading their teachings throughout France. They made it to the Netherlands and Switzerland, and when the Protestants appeared, they joined them.
So, all of Europe knew: no business with the people of Arras was allowed. You shouldn't buy anything from them and it is better not to sell anything to them.
It was difficult for the people of Arras to get a loan. The city of artisans and merchants was isolated and doomed to extinction.
The Duke of Burgundy Philip the Good (1396 - 1467) was informed every day new details about the atrocities of the Arrasians. But he did not believe a single word and strove for scholarly authorities and church authorities to recognize that in most cases it was not about real witchcraft, but about the play of the sick imagination of old women who had gone out of their minds.
Thanks to the duke's persistence, the persecution of the witches in Arras did not last long. They ended as suddenly as they began. When the arrests, interrogations, torture and executions ceased, the jubilant townspeople, at one point forgetting about the fear and the many tortured innocent victims, took to the streets and staged lush and cheerful festivities with singing, dancing and copious drinking.
People laughed at the ridiculous accusations. In fact, it was difficult to think of anything more absurd than the Arrazians' fascination with the Waldensian ideas. For anyone who has even a small idea of Arras, it is clear that its inhabitants could suffer for addiction to witchcraft, but they could not pay for their hatred of luxury and a penchant for asceticism in any case.
Already in the IV century, the city was famous for its wonderful carpets. The word arras (wall hanging, theater curtain) entered the English language. Arazzo is a luxurious Italian style wall rug. Silk and velvet products by Arras craftsmen were remarkable. Arras passed from hand to hand. It belonged now to France, now to the Netherlands, now to Burgundy, but whoever ruled it, the fame of its weavers grew steadily.
The witch hunt in Arras went down in French history under the name "Vauderie d'Arras" (Arras Waldenism). Curiously, V is the 22nd letter of the Latin alphabet. Many historians have concluded that no Arras Waldenism ever existed. There would be no ground for the doctrine propagated by the "poor of Lyons".