Tales of Renard

Ancient Beast Literature (1) Aesop’s Fables (2) Mock Epics e.g. Batrachomyomachia (Battle of Frogs and Mice) (3) Encyclopedias of Animal (folk)lore e.g. Aristotle, Aelian, Pliny, Solinus All three forms survived into 11th-12th century when Renard tales were collected.

(1)Fables of Marie de France She wrote fables in vernacular, making them accessible to all Used Aesop as source Gave animals ‘stock’ characters Used stories to comment on 12th century society strong animals = aristocracy weak animals = peasants She popularized animal tales in the 12th century and influenced such authors as G. Chaucer.

(2)Beast Epics 1st written in monasteries in 8th century Used animals in fictionalized Latin narratives Composed to be read/sung/staged in monasteries or courts 11th Century they grew longer 12th century epic Ysengrimus introduced Renardus the fox as a standing character

(3)Physiologus and Bestiaries Derived from ‘scientific’ works purporting to describe animal world Used animals as vehicles to understand Christian truths Extremely popular in 12th century.

All forms connected humans and animals in medieval imagination.

Impact Tales were widely popular, both among peasants and aristocracy as entertaining satires Renard portrayed feudal society, including the hypocrisies of nobles, peasants, and clergy Tales were retold and expanded in many variations in many languages (e.g., French, Flemish, English, Italian, Greek) N.B. Goethe’s Reineke Fuchs (1794)