THE FABLIAU IN MEDIEVAL ENGLAND Jane Frank Allinson, Ph.D. The University of Connecticut, 1981 Fabliaux ace short narrative poems written in England and in France during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. In England they were composed in Anglo-Norman and in English verse. The Anglo-Norman fabliaux have received little critical attention. This dissertation establishes a corpus of nine Anglo-Norman fabliaux: Romaunz de un chiyaler et de sa dame et de un clere, Lai du Corn, Les .1111. souhais saint Martin, Le heron. De .III. dames, De le chevalgr e la corbaylle. La qaqeure, Le chevalier gui fist parier les cons, and La housse partie. Seven of the nine stories have continental fabliau analogues. A comparison between these insular and continental fabliaux indicates that insular stories consistently eliminated obscenity, elevated the social level of the characters, presented a more cordial relationship between the sexes and were less anti-feminine than their continental counterparts. Anglo-Norman fabliaux consistently introduced motifs from courtly literature. A corpus of seven English verse fabliaux was established: Dame Sirith, A Penniworth of Witte, and five stories from Jane Allinson — The University of Connecticut, 1981 Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales: The Miller's Tale, The ESSYS's Tale, The Friar's Tale, The Surrmoner' s Tale and The ShiEEDSD r§ These stories were discussed in terms of the characteristics of Anglo-Norman and continental French fabliaux. The examination indicated that fabliaux written in English verse incorporated fewer noble and more bourgeois characters than those composed in Anglo-Norman. English fabliaux were similar to the insular corpus in their relative lack of violence and anti-feminism. The English fabliaux reflect the influence of both insular and continental French fabliaux. It was concluded that the continental French genre influenced both Anglo-Norman and English fabliaux from the mid-thirteenth through the end of the fourteenth centuries. There was also an indication of an Anglo-Norman fabliau tradition in medieval England. Transcriptions of three Anglo-Norman texts are included in the Appendix: A "dit” appended to Les .IIII. souhais Saint Martin from oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Digby 86, and two fabliaux from London, British Library, ms Harley 2253: De le cheyaler e la corbaylle and La qaqeure. The Appendix also contains a list of the printed editions of Anglo-Norman fabliaux THE FABLIAU IN MEDIEVAL ENGLAND Jane Frank Allinson D.S., Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1S6 M.A., Michigan State University, 1965 A Dissertation Sumbitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The Department of Medieval Studies The University of Connecticut Copyright by Jane Frank Allinson 1981 APPROVAL PAGE Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation THE FABLIAU IN MEDIEVAL ENGLAND Presented by Jane Frank Allinson, B.A., M.A. Associate Adviser Associate Adviser i/^ The University of Connecticut 1981 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation could not have been written without the aid of many helpful persons. First, I would like to thank my major advisor. Professor Charles Owen, Jr. for his continued support and advice. Professor Fred Cazel, Jr. read the draft several times and gave invaluable textual and bibliographical advice. Professor Michael McHugh aided with the Latin translations and background. Dr. Donald Maddox enriched the critical and literary background of the continental fabliaux. Professor Keith Sinclair, a former committee member, checked all of the transcriptions and gave valuable advice on medieval manuscripts. Microfilm copies of medieval manuscripts have been invaluable in the dissertation. I would like to thank the following libraries for their prompt and courteous attention to microfilm requests: Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (Hamilton 257); Burgerbibliothek, Berne (Bern 354); Bibliotheque Albert ler, Brussels (536); Niedersashsische Staats- und Universitatsbibliothek, Berlin (Codex Theol. 126 and 140); Bodleian Library, oxford (Digby 86, Rawlinson ill): Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris (BN fr. 837, 1593, 2173, 12603, and 19152). iii The staff at the Wilbur Cross Library has cheerfully obtained numerous books and articles, often with a minimum of information. All of the librarians have been helpful, especially the Interlibrary Loan staff, Isabelle DiCenzo, Charles Searing and Robert Vrecenak. Richard Schimmelpfeng of special collections has also provided valuable advice. The staff at the computer Center has been most patient to a neophyte computer typist. Kevin Kearney, Joe Lubszewicz, Steve Morytko, Jeff Smith and Don Proulx have been most understanding. Sally Stake and Linda Polcari gave up their time to help type the final corrections. My husband, Derek, and my daughters, Rebecca and Deirdre, have provided much needed moral support. Thank you, everyone. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Title I. Literary Criticism of the Fabliau The Continental French Fabliau 1 The Anglo-Norman Fabliau 21 II. The Vernacular Background of the Fabliaux in England Petrus Alfonsus 27 Le Castplement d^un pere a son fils. Marie de France 42 Fables. III. Anglo-Norman Fabliaux: Thirteenth-century MSS Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 50 56 Romaunz de uq ch^yalep et de sa dame et de un clerk 56 Oxford, Bodleian Library, ms Digby 86 72 Lai du Corn 73 Les .1111. souhais saint Martin 90 Clermont, Archives Departmental du Puy de Dome 99 Le heppn 99 IV. Anglo-Norman Fabliaux: Fourteenth-Century MSS London, British Library, MS Harley 2253 109 Qe •III. dames ill De chevaler e de ja corbaylle 121 L2 qaqeure 129 Le chiyaler gui fist parler les cons 137 v Pieces in Harley 2253 related to the fabliau genre 145 Le roi d^nqleterre et le jongleur d‘Ely 147 LiSE^Ee de bel ayse 150 Ex-Cheltenham, Phillipps Library, MS 25970 153 L§ h2ii§§£ partie 153 V. Characteristics of the Anglo-Norman Fabliaux 161 VI. The Fabliau in English Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Digby 86 170 Dame Sipi^h 172 Edinburgh, National Library, Advocates’ MS 19.2.1 178 A Penniworth of Witte 178 Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales Peniarth MS 392(D) 183 lb® Miller's Jale 186 The Reeve’s Tale 192 The Cook’s Tale 197 The Friar’s Tale 199 The Summoner's Tale 202 The Merchant *s Tale 207 IbS Shipmap's Tale 211 London, British Library, MS Harley 78 216 IbS LSjY Prioress and Her Three wooers 216 Edinburgh, National Library, MS Bannatyne 1568 220 The Freiris of Berwick 220 vii. Conclusion 224 vi Appendix I. oxfocd, Bodleian Library, MS Digby 86 Les .1111. sohaits saint Martin 232 Appendix II. London, British Library, MS Harley 2253 De le cheyaler et de la corbaylle 234 La gageure 240 Appendix III. Printed editions of Anglo-Norman Fabliaux 243 Footnotes chapter I 245 chapter II 253 Chapter III 264 chapter iv 283 Chapter V 298 chapter vi 299 chapter vii 310 Bibliography Primary Sources 311 Secondary sources 325 vii > Chapter I LITERARY CRITICISM OF THE FABLIAU GENRE The Continental French Fabliau Narratives have flourished in every literary epoch. During the European Middle Ages, the tale was popular in numerous literary forms. Often the same story is found in more than one genre, in such diverse contexts as the prose exemplum and the verse fabliau; form rather than subject differentiated the genres. From, the various literary types of the narrative emerged several closely related genres -- the long courtly romance and the shorter lai, dit and fabliau — that flourished in France and in England from the twelfth through the fourteenth centuries. These closely related genres are difficult to isolate for they were not seen uniformly as distinct forms during the Middle Ages. Paul Zumthor has argued that "entre les genres narratifs brefs traditionellement ecrits en cctcsyllabes, fabliau, lai et 'dit', il est impossible de relever des distinctions valables."1 Judging from the terminology in the bodies of the texts themselves as well as in the rubrics in the manuscripts, there was no universally-held medieval idea of 1 2 cither a fabliau or a hit or a lai; the terms were used interchangeably. When the twentieth-century critic attempts to isolate one of these genres, he is faced with a problem. The body of material is too vast to discuss under the categorization of short narrative literature, yet consistent genre distinctions were not made during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. In effect the critic must make an artificial literary distinction and definition. In this dissertation fabliaux will be defined as short narrative tales in verse, either humorous or serious, structured about one incident and its consequences. For the sake of analysis, fabliaux will be treated as distinct from the other genres. They will be distinguished from lais in that they take part in a pseudo-realistic world, usually devoid of supernatural and legendary characters; other-worldly figures and places are present occasionally, but they are not of interest in themselves and are subordinate to the essential irreverence of the theme. Fabliaux are distinct from dits in that their language is colloquial rather than lyrical and their primary interest is in plot rather than dialogue. In the fabliaux, character and theme are usually subordinate to the plot. These distinctions are academic and are not always clear-cut. The absence of distinct literary genres is reflected by the absence of a standard medieval definition of the fabliau. 3 Literary critics have discussed the tabliau ns a genre since the eighteenth century. An examination of the critical commentary on