On May 16, 1364, the Battle of Cocherel was fought between the forces of King Charles V of France, commanded by Bertrand du Guesclin, and those of Charles II of Navarre, known as Charles the Bad. The French victory was a turning point in the Hundred Years' War, as it secured Normandy for the French crown and established du Guesclin as the foremost military commander of his age. The battle also strengthened Charles V's authority, allowing him to pursue his policy of reconquest against English-held territories.

The Battle of Cocherel was celebrated in contemporary chronicles and poems that portrayed Bertrand du Guesclin as the ideal Christian knight and defender of France. Du Guesclin's life and exploits became the subject of chivalric biographies and epic poems, most notably the 14th-century 'Chronique' that inspired later French poets to idealize the warrior-hero. The battle's literary legacy is part of a broader tradition of French war poetry that celebrated national unity and martial prowess, themes that would be revisited in the works of poets like François Villon and Joachim du Bellay.