Is it any wonder that no women were allowed (only 4 passed the audition) since 1634 when Cardinal Richelieu got the Académie Française started? This superstitious institution commonly known as the Catholic Church (a Roman flavor) has always ruled the Académie Française and to this day continues to let you know when you're committing a sin. It use to be that the Christian calendar of saints names were those allowed... and good luck getting your child baptized if you chose to deviate. But good news, there seems that some progress is being made though.
When our son was born in France, a midwife came into my hospital room with a pen and a piece of paper and asked me to write his name *very carefully*. She explained she was taking it directly to the Mairie to be registered, and that there could be no mistakes.
It felt sort of charming and old-school at the time, but I later learned it was actually a relatively recent reform (from 2005!) meant to correct a long-standing imbalance: it used to be that whichever parent showed up at the Mairie first had the legal right to name the baby. Since moms were typically still recovering in the hospital, this gave dads a clear naming advantage.
Now both parents have to agree in writing (and spelling really matters) because correcting an error on the "acte de naissance" is a bureaucratic nightmare I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Anyway, more grist for the French naming mill! Thanks for this delightful post.
The lady misidentified as Hillary Clinton is Dominique Bona. She was welcomed in 2014 into the Adademie Francaise with the words of Jean-Christophe Rufin:
« J’appartiens à la génération de celles et ceux qui ont toujours connu la mixité dans cette Académie. Et je suis frappé de constater combien il paraît désormais absolument naturel que les femmes y soient présentes. Il est presque inconcevable d’imaginer qu’on ait pu débattre ici d’une telle question et surtout qu’on y ait si longtemps répondu par la négative. Que de grands écrivains aient pu être si longtemps empêchés de nous rejoindre parce qu’il s’agissait de femmes, semble aujourd’hui incompréhensible... Grâce à chaque nouvelle femme, la Compagnie s’éloigne un peu plus de ces sociétés d’hommes entre eux (armées d’autrefois, monastères ou clubs anglais) pour lesquelles, en ce qui me concerne, je n’ai jamais montré aucune attirance ».
It is more than a bit funny, and it does sound like an overreach, until you look at the banned names!
Is it any wonder that no women were allowed (only 4 passed the audition) since 1634 when Cardinal Richelieu got the Académie Française started? This superstitious institution commonly known as the Catholic Church (a Roman flavor) has always ruled the Académie Française and to this day continues to let you know when you're committing a sin. It use to be that the Christian calendar of saints names were those allowed... and good luck getting your child baptized if you chose to deviate. But good news, there seems that some progress is being made though.
here are the names of the 11 female members:
https://www.academie-francaise.fr/les-immortels/les-quarante-aujourdhui?genre=2&trier_par=election_asc
From 4 females at the beginning in ~1640 to eleven today... Not bad, tmes are indeed changing!!
Yes 11 out of 33 (7 fauteuils out of 40 are not occupied in the moment) is a very good evolution. We hoping that they reach parity soon.
When our son was born in France, a midwife came into my hospital room with a pen and a piece of paper and asked me to write his name *very carefully*. She explained she was taking it directly to the Mairie to be registered, and that there could be no mistakes.
It felt sort of charming and old-school at the time, but I later learned it was actually a relatively recent reform (from 2005!) meant to correct a long-standing imbalance: it used to be that whichever parent showed up at the Mairie first had the legal right to name the baby. Since moms were typically still recovering in the hospital, this gave dads a clear naming advantage.
Now both parents have to agree in writing (and spelling really matters) because correcting an error on the "acte de naissance" is a bureaucratic nightmare I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Anyway, more grist for the French naming mill! Thanks for this delightful post.
That's fascinating!
This was enlightening AND humorous, exactly the sort of thing I like to read. Free the Kevins!
the man in the middle (Marc Fumaroli) wasn't at all against women in the Académie Francaise.
He supported also that more women should be honored n the Panthéon.
The lady misidentified as Hillary Clinton is Dominique Bona. She was welcomed in 2014 into the Adademie Francaise with the words of Jean-Christophe Rufin:
« J’appartiens à la génération de celles et ceux qui ont toujours connu la mixité dans cette Académie. Et je suis frappé de constater combien il paraît désormais absolument naturel que les femmes y soient présentes. Il est presque inconcevable d’imaginer qu’on ait pu débattre ici d’une telle question et surtout qu’on y ait si longtemps répondu par la négative. Que de grands écrivains aient pu être si longtemps empêchés de nous rejoindre parce qu’il s’agissait de femmes, semble aujourd’hui incompréhensible... Grâce à chaque nouvelle femme, la Compagnie s’éloigne un peu plus de ces sociétés d’hommes entre eux (armées d’autrefois, monastères ou clubs anglais) pour lesquelles, en ce qui me concerne, je n’ai jamais montré aucune attirance ».
This shows how open the Academie is now.