The Lost Literature of Medieval England by R. M. Wilson

Author:R. M. Wilson [Wilson, R. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Great Britain, General, Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780429515705
Google: PTuhDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-07-08T01:36:36+00:00

However, nothing is known of any vernacular version of this story, and a reference such as this is hardly proof of its former existence.

In addition, there is a good deal of evidence from pictorial representations of various kinds to suggest that beast tales were as popular in this country as on the continent. It has been possible to collect references to some 250 illustrations in manuscripts, carvings, and stained glass which bear witness to the popularity of the subject, and these can only represent a fraction of those once existing. Representations of several branches of the French Roman de Renart are to be found in such illustrations. From Branch I Reynard’s trial and some of the incidents leading up to it are well represented, and Reynard the Minstrel also seems to have been a popular subject (Ib). Other episodes evidently well known were those of Reynard and Chantecler (II), Reynard the Physician (X), and Reynard’s funeral procession (XVII). There is also considerable such evidence for the alliance between Reynard and the ape which is only rarely referred to in the Roman de Renart, as well as for Reynard in his various religious roles.1 Altogether it seems clear that the lack of extant written works on the subject in Middle English is due more to accident than to lack of contemporary interest.

1 L. Hervieux, Les Fabulistes Latins (Paris 1884) ii, 610–11. For variants of the English, see T. Wright, Latin Stories (Percy Society viii), pp. 55, 229, and Speculum ix, 219, n, 2.

2 W. W. Skeat, The Bruce (EETS. ES. 1870–7) xix, 645ff.

Eight Breton lays, written at various dates, survive in English, and there is some evidence that there may have been others. Marie de France, in the twelfth century, is usually supposed to have been the first to versify the prose contes of the original lyrics, yet in one of her lays she seems to imply that other versions of them were extant – possibly written even before her own translations into Anglo-French. She speaks of an English lay named Gotelef, as if she knew of its existence, though if it ever did appear in English it has long since been lost. But it is difficult to be certain that Marie really is referring to an actual English work, since in another of her lays she promises:

Une aventure vus dirai,

dunt li Bretun firent un lai.

Laüstic a nun, ceo m’est vis,

Si l’apelent en lur païs;

ceo est russignol en Franceis

e nihtegale en dreit Engleis.2

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.