Read more
"A high-stakes wager placed on a woman's virtue; men who spy on bathing women; tell-tale birthmarks; cross-dressing; dragons; tournaments; and aristocrats bursting into song--these features and more appear in the three stories translated here, all versions of the folktale known as 'the wager tale.' Such stories were especially popular in thirteenth-century France, when noblemen fulfilled their feudal duties far from home. Did their women remain faithful? A pressing question, for only female chastity guaranteed the legitimacy of heirs. This collection offers the first translations into English of The Romance of the Violet and The Count of Poitiers, along with a new version of The Tale of King Flore and the Fair Joan. The first paints a vivid portrait of thirteenth-century courtly life. The second, set in the eighth-century court of King Pepin, includes both a wager tale and a bride quest, the latter involving a shocking scene of female group nudity. Flore and Joan takes a different tack, presenting a clear-eyed heroine who overcomes daunting odds by posing as a man. These medieval tales portray strong women who gainsay social control of their bodies, thereby winning the respect of men--a scenario that resonates even today"--
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Preface
Introduction to Le Roman de la Violette
The Romance of the Violet
Introduction to Le Roman du Comte de Poitiers
The Count of Poitiers
Introduction to Li Contes dou roi Flore et de la bielle Jehane
The Tale of King Flore and the Fair Joan
Appendix I: The Songs of The Romance of the Violet
Appendix II: Clothing, Textiles and Armor in the Thirteenth Century
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Nancy Vine Durling has taught French and comparative literature at Princeton, UC Santa Cruz, Florida Atlantic University, University of Oregon (Eugene), and UC Berkeley. The author of numerous articles on Old French literature, and several translations, she lives in Austin, Texas. To learn more about the author, please visit her website NancyVineDurling.com.
