Today is a day which marks a sad anniversary, that of the taking of Israeli hostages by Hamas on October 7, 2023 with numerous victims, a frightening act which has since had serious consequences with hostages who are still in the hands of Hamas .
And Jean, I believe you had planned to talk to us about autumn, but autumn has barely begun, and you chose to mention to us the word “hostage” which has a history that is both terrible and quite singular.
Indeed, Pierre-Hugues, and we hardly dare to express it, as the notion of hostage is so revolting,
more the word “hostage” paradoxically has a beautiful etymological origin since it is associated with the “host”, from the Latin “hospes”, the one who offers hospitality or who receives itit is therefore in the same family as the word “hotel” and “hotelier”. Funny “hotel” in fact, the one in which you are taken by force, imprisoned violently, and funny “hotelier” which rhymes with “jailer” the one who keeps you prisoner. The hostage, unfortunately a very old word since it is already found in the “Song of Roland” in the 12th century, is therefore originally a “host” by the very fact that he is lodged near the one to be who it was sent to. In fact, the “ostage”, with or without “h” even designated accommodation, such as the “hotel”, or the lease of a house. We see that the origins of the word “hostage” are delicate, while the reality is unbearable.
In fact, when the word appears in, it is already part of unfortunately established practices…
It is already present in 1080 in the “Song of Roland”, therefore, in the Middle Ages and of course in Antiquity, and it must be admitted, hostage-taking was constantly associated with conflicts, with war. Froissart, who became the chronicler of the Hundred Years’ War, describes it without qualms: “The people of Ghent [les habitants de Gand] had […] of Bruges taken good hostages. » We will read again in the 16th century, by Mr. Du Bell “…was bailed – that is to say given – to the said king of England eight gentlemen to hold hostages [orthographiés donc avec un h] until the said sum is paid…” This being the case, it is important to dissociate, on the one hand, the war situation where, as a guarantee of an agreement, a person, so to speak, consenting was handed over during the negotiations, thus François I He accepted the Treaty of Madrid by giving his two sons as hostages to his enemy, hostages obviously very well treated. And on the other hand, the person who was seized as a means of blackmail, let us think of the hostages taken by the German forces during the Resistance, or during a hold-up which
goes wrong, finally, today, by raising international disapproval, to the hostages taken in the name of
political positions. There was also once a frightening phrase regarding a “hostage law”.
We always believe that the word “law” is associated with a form of justice, but then we are taken aback. What is it actually about?
Well, the said law is a formula that was in force during the French Revolution, under the Directory, and it stipulated that the Parents of the Emigrants were responsible for their flight and their plots. We also called Hostage Law, the attitude consisting during the same period of exposing to enemy fire four of the most notable among the supporters of the Chouannerie, as soon as the Chouans had killed a Blue, soldier of the Republic . It is difficult to conclude lightly on this subject. We will only say that the only acceptable hostage taking is the metaphorical one that two lovers exchange. “I am your hostage” they say together! “The beautiful inhumane”, as Racine put it, took me hostage. This is the only acceptable case.
