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EARLY MEDIEVAL LITERATUREAuthor(s): Sara I. JamesSource: The Year's Work in Modern Language Studies, Vol. 65 (2003), pp. 51-69Published by: Modern Humanities Research Association

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FrenchStudies 51

EARLY MEDIEVAL LITERATURE

By SaraI. James, Honorary Research Fellow, University of ull

i. General

Catherine Hanley, War and Combat, 1130-1270: The Evidencefrom OldFrenchLiterature,Cambridge, Brewer, ix+ 261 pp., is an ambitious

project that should attract the attention of awide range of specialists.

Divided into two separate parts, this study firstanalyses what H. refersto as 'The reality and ideals of war' before progressing to its literaryrepresentation. In this first ection,H. brieflybut thoroughly sets the

stage by reviewing the context inwhich medieval people viewed war:

thebackground and ideologies of combatants, theirweapons, armour,and tactics all contribute to thebackground inwhich tales of conflictflourished.The second part, 'War and combat in literature', dividesthe texts studied into chronicle, epic, and romance. As H. judiciouslystates, it isnot always easy todefine works as belonging to one genreor the other; still less is it valid to accept chroniclers' accounts as

'true',while

dismissing epicpoetry as pure fiction. In

analysing

this

particularly rich and complex period ofhistory and literature,H. hasavoided thepitfalls ofmany interdisciplinaryworks and produced a

volume of sound scholarship.Sylvia Huot, Madness in edieval FrenchLiterature: dentities ound and

Lost,OUP, 224 pp., studies theways inwhich characters who gomad

through 'a dangerous excess of individuality', become bereft of both

personal and collective identity in the process. Drawingon an eclectic

range of recent critics (Foucault, Butler, and Zizec's interpretationsof Lacan), H. examines how medieval writers, in common withmodern theorists, define identity, social belonging, and exclusion.

H. divides the chapters into different representations ofmadness,with appropriate literary examples of each type.Ch. 1discusses the

'two poles of objection and sublimity', known by other theorists as

liminality,defining people who are excluded and revered on account

of theirdifference. Ch. 2 studies the communal function performed

by characters such as court fools and village idiots,while ch. 3 looks

at violent manifestations ofmadness. Ch. 4 is concerned with the

construction of heterosexual and heterosocial identity formen, and

the behaviour thatmay subsequently be classified as deviant. Ch. 5studies that great mainstay of romance, 'lovesickness', while ch. 6

looks at physical conditions such as lycanthropy and sleepwalking.

J.Maurice, 'Reecritures narratives et discours medical sur la folieaux Xlle et XHIe siecles', Romania, 120:432-48, studies recent

critical analyses and trends,both anachronistic and text-based, used







52 FrenchStudiesto interpretmedieval representations ofmadness (orwhat passes for

such) in theFolies Tristan.However, M. extends his study to include

Rainouart inAliscans and Lancelot in the Chevalierde la charrette.

P. Menard, 'Le sentiment de la decadence dans la litterature

medievale', Baumgartner, Progres, 137-53, draws on Guillaume de

Lorris's Roman de la rose,Wace's Roman deRou, La Vie de saintAlexis,Marie de France, and other sources, including Occitan and later

medieval texts, to contrastmodern optimism with what he sees as a

medieval nostalgia foran often-idealized past.What medieval authors

perceived as decadence is expressed through apocalyptic visions, theend of theArthurian world, an obsession with death, and laments for

past heroes ('Ubi sunt. ..?'), along with frequent ruminations on age

and ageing.

2. Epic

W. van Emden, 'Le chef-d'ceuvre epique', Bianciotto, UEpopee romane,

395-412, offers brief but invaluable overview of critical views of the

Roland, tracing polarized schools of thought on the poem and theireventual ramifications for the definition of'chef-d'ceuvre'

(ifindeed

such a thing exists). P. Menard, 'Humour, ironie, derision dans leschansons de geste', ib., 203-26, proposes a typology inwhich certain

types of humour are linked with women or men, friend or foe. He

concludes in echoing the traditional view that burlesque humour

cheapens the poems and disrupts their unity of tone. G. M. Jones,'Les chansons de geste et l'Orient', ib., 629-45, touches very briefly(as J. regretfully admits) on thedifferent 'Oriental' themes evoked inchansons egeste:geography, ideology, theHoly Land (which is equallya cursed land), exoticism, and eroticism. The reader is leftwantingmore from this surveywhich, for reasons of space, isnecessarily brief.

J. E. Merceron, 'Pardesoz terre ne volte oltive: tude du cliche narratifdu souterrain sarrasin utilise lors d'un siege ou d'une invasion epique',ib.,937-47, observes that such tactics elicit admiration, unease, and

contempt at the duplicity fromChristian characters (and, presum

ably, formedieval audiences). C. F. Clamote Carreto, 'Derision,division, deviation. Incidences poetiques de l'imaginaire marchandsurquelques chansons de geste des Xlle etXHIe siecles', ib., 265-80,looks at the 'mercantile' themes of purchase, exchange, and acquisition, as seen in the Chanson deRoland, the Charroi deNimes, Hervis de

Metz, the Enfances Vivien, and other texts. These themes not only

emphasize

class

differences,but also show tensions within the

aristocratic class at the centre of the epic. However, these tensionscontribute toan eventual renewal of thegenre, rather thanweakeningit.







EarlyMedieval Literature 53P. E. Bennett, 'Le norman, le picard et les koines litteraires de

Pepopee au Xlle et XHIe siecles', BDBA, 21:43-56, studies the

linguistic clues and comments on dialect available in excerpts fromGonon de Bethune, La Chanson deRoland, La Chanson de Guillaume,Aspremont, nd Le Couronnementouis. P. Kunstmann, 'Le lexique de lachanson de geste: etude du vocabulaire de trois chansons (Roland,Couronnement ouis, Prise d'Orange) en contraste avec des ceuvres

historiques deWace etdes romans de Chretien de Troves', Bianciotto,

UEpopee romane, 909-15, is an ambitious project for six pages.

K. concludes that his linguistic analyses of vocabulary indicate ageneric gap smaller than previously thought; however, he doesconcede that thismay well be due todifferences in style,rhetoric, andcontent. S.Marnette, 'Nord et sud: chansons de geste d'oc et d'oiT,ib., 927-35, explores the possibility that a comparative study ofnarrative voice and positioning can help define both genre and

dating. A. Moisan,'"Dieu qui maint en trinite." Presence du divin

dans Paction epique', ib., 959-67, surveys and lists the formulae

invokingGod, theTrinity, and other sacred beings, inwhat may beconsidered preliminary notes for a concordance. Y. Otaka's 'Lavaleur monetaire exprimee dans les oeuvres epiques', ib., 969-78,fulfils a similar function, although with almost no commentary.G. Buti, 'Christian anagoge and theGermanic worldcentric attitudein the romance epic and its reception', ib., 749-57, believes thatchansonsde gesteprovide proof thatGermanic folklore, surviving the

spread of Christianity, permeated epic. There are few texts cited in

support (primarily theRoland) and the excerpts chosen are notwhollyconvincing.

roland and gharlemagne. Cesare Segre's classic 1971 edition

of La Chanson de Roland has been re-published in a revised edition

(TLF, 968), 389 pp., with critical apparatus translated byMadeleine

Tyssensand the

glossaryestablished

byBernard Guidot. It isa

timelyproject that should be welcomed byRoland scholars.

Fierabras, chansondegesteduXlle siecle,ed.Marc Le Person (CFMA,142),Champion, 694 pp., is based on theMS Escorial M.111-21 (MS

E), narrating Charlemagne's adventures in Spain and the aid given

by the convert giant Fierabras. The tale is recounted in 13versions

(including one short) in langue 'o'il and one in langue 'oc.

Robert Morrissey, Charlemagne and France: A Thousand Tears of

Mythology,Notre Dame U.P., xv + 391 pp., isCatherine Tihanyi'stranslation ofM.'s original UEmpereur a la barbefleurie: harlemagnedans

lamythologie tVhistoire e France (Gallimard, 1997). Chs 2 and 3will

interest literary scholars themost as ch. 2, 'Poetic space, politicalreflection' (43-84), analyses the emperor's role in establishing and

maintaining religious, feudal, and national order in the Chanson de







54 French StudiesRoland, the Pseudo-Turpin, Galien, Fierabras, Aspremont,and the rebelbarons cycle,while ch. 3, 'Rewriting history' (85-111), examines the

construction ofCharlemagne's persona inMousket's chronicles and in

Aubert's GrandesChroniquesdeFrance.

J. V. Ganzarolli de Oliveira, 'Chanson de Roland: a beleza como

paradigma da moralidade na idade media', Bianciotto, UEpopeeromane, 527-40, sees the poem as the central work on war and

morality in theMiddle Ages. M. J. Schenck, 'If therewasn't a Song ofRoland,was therea "trial" ofGanelon?', Olifant,22:143-57, combines

close reading of theGanelon episode with reference to earlymedieval

legal practices, includingAnglo-Norman law,Danelaw, Frankish law,and 'folklaw'. H. D. Engelhart, 'Motivations religieuses dans la

Chanson deRoland: Ganelon comme anti-saint', Bianciotto, UEpopeeromane, 93-97, sees themoral and didactic value of the chansonsde

geste as a compelling reason for theirprobable recording by clerics.

A. Fasso, 'Roland est sage et Charlemagne injuste', ib., 499-507,considers Charles a perfect example of thekingwho, while veneratedfor being royal, is nevertheless inadequate; it is Roland whose

judgments prove most accurate and wise. D. Kullmann, 'Le debut de

l'episode de Baligant', ib., 577-87, draws attention to aspects of theepisode that she feelshave been neglected in thedebate over itsplacein the Roland. L. Duprez, 'La Chanson de Roland. Qu'est-ce qu'unosbercT, ib.,813-23, bases his work on the study of 32 translations ofthe poem, to amend what he perceives to be a loose translation ofosberc (usually rendered inEnglish as 'hauberk'). J. L. R. Belanger,'Women's equal rights in the twelfthcentury church in France, asseen in the old French epics, especially theChanson de Roland?, ib.,423-30, sees in the phrases 'Or seit fait par marrenes' (Roland,v. 3982, a propos of Bramimonde's baptism) and the formulaic 'amoillier et a per' clear evidence of gender

equality

that later critics

have overlooked or failed toattribute to theperiod.H. Tetrel, 'Le Pseudo-Turpin et YAspremont orrois: la branche iv de

laKarlamagnussaga est-elle une composition mecanique?', Romania,

120:326-52, studies the Agolant saga that comprises the fourthbranch in the lightofvarious theories as towhy thisparticular branchdeviates from the supposed model. It isnot clear whether this is dueto incompleteMSS serving asmodels, or to the compiler's innovatinginitiative. S. Lopez Martinez Moras, 'La prise de Nobles dans le

Pseudo-Turpin', Bianciotto, UEpopee romane,175-91, queries the iden

tity f the city,named as an object of siege and conquest in texts such

as the Chanson de Roland, David Aubert's Grandes Chroniques, the

Karlamagnussaga, the Chronique saintongeaise, nd others. A. Corbellari,'Parcours du desir et de la cruaute dans La Chanson dAspremont, ib.,







EarlyMedieval Literature 55465-73, continues the 'rehabilitation' (begun byW. Calin), of thistext.

M. Bonafin, Tl Voyage de Charlemagne e il riso', Muhlethaler,Parodie, 17-26, sees in this epic a demonstration of the anthropologistFabio Ceccarelli's theory of laughter as mechanism of expressingdomination and submission.

guillaume d'orange and the garin gygle. Le Moniage Guil

laume, d. Nelly Andrieux-Reix (CFMA, 145),Champion, 358 pp., isbased on the long version using as base MSS Paris, BnF, fr. 774 (A 1)

and the Milan Trivulziana (A4), to recount Guillaume's final(monastic) adventures, which close the cycle.N. Bard, 'Les fonctions

generiques du comique dans lesMoniages", Bianciotto, UEpopee romane,

245-51, sees the critical role of humour as defining these textswithintheOrange-Monglane cycle, bringing it to an end and providing a

point of departure for a new generation of chansonsdegeste.P. Rossi,'II cavaliere-eremita o il guerriero-asceta: epopea medievale francese

e epopea indiana a confronto', ib., 714-24, sees the two seeminglyopposite types brought together via a cross-cultural trifunctional

dynamic (echoing the research of G. Dumezil and J.-H. Grisward),

culminating in theMoniage Guillaume. P. E. Bennett, 'Carnaval

heroique et ecriture cyclique dans la geste de Guillaume', ib., 253-63,offers brief overview of his current research into the rich interpretivepossibilities in applying aspects of Bakhtinian theory to chansonsde

geste. Through the notions of carnival and dialogism, both the

dominant group and those reacting against it are defined, and the

official ideology better understood, ultimately reinforced. B. notesthat all the major characters, not only the obviously 'carnavalesque'

ones, such as Rainouart and Guielin, reinforce this dynamic. Thearticle is dense and leaves the reader eager for furtherdevelopmentsof this thesis.H. Galle, 'Optimisme ou pessimisme epique? L'eternel

retour dans Aymeri deNarbonne\ ib., 509-25, sees in this poem,apparently so buoyant and positive, a beginning of the prolongedcyclical struggles to save king, kingdom, and Christianity. Like

Charlemagne, theNarbonnais are fated to have no peace. M. Ott,'La Mort Aymeride JVarbonne:paradoxe de la tradition', ib., 617-52,includes GuibertdAndrenas inher study,which sees the twopoems as a

mini-cycle within themselves, each meaningless without the other.

E. A. Heinemann, 'Patterns in thepresentation of discourse in the

CharroideNimes', Olifant, 22 :72-87, details the computer programmehe has developed to trace patterns of introductory speech in this

particular epic. C. Almeida Ribeiro, 'Renouart au tinel: endroit et

envers de la derision', Bianciotto, UEpopee romane,237-44, sees thecreation of a cycle-within-a-cycle, starringRainouart, as a poeticmeans of framing and containing a character whose intervention,







56 FrenchStudiesthough necessary to save a paralysed 'ideal', seems absurd, almost

accidental. S. Dieckmann, 'Le styleepique et les fonctions narratives

dans Girart de Vienne\ ib., 481-91, sees the judicial conflict between

Girart and thequeen as an example of how epic construction, while

formulaic, allows forhighly individualized poetic variation. *Le SiegedeBarbastre, ed. Bernard Guidot, Champion, 2002.

other epics. S. Kay, 'Singularity and specularity: desire and

death in Girart deRoussillorf, Olifant, 22:11-38, posits the chansonde

geste as a genre of individualism, realized best through the acts of

killing and dying.Here, Charles's and Girart's attempts toassert eachone's will and individuality over the other, even at the expense of

their given word, reinforce theirmutual dependence as victor and

vanquished. Each attempt to better their standing only succeeds in

levelling, and thenarratormakes itclear that his characters' excessive

singularity is not a model to follow. D. Maddox, 'Du declin au

renouveau: Vezelay, Girart deRoussillon, et Yinventio es reliques de la

Madeleine', Baumgartner, Progres,95-109, suggests that the historyof the abbey atVezelay, and the creation of legends associated with

it,mirrors a pattern of decadence, reaction, and progress. The epicpoem, with its references to the

origins

of

Vezelay,

is thuspart of this

'rehabilitation' campaign, according toM.A. Labbe, 'Sous le signe de saintJacques: chemins et routes dans

la representation epique de l'espace', Bianciotto, UEpopee romane,

99-116, evokes Raoul de Cambrai, Gerbert deMetz, and Renaut de

Montauban to demonstrate the importance of Compostella on the

collective medieval imagination.M. Botero Garcia, 'Les deux imagesdu roi Louis dans Raoul deCambra?, ib., 431-39, sees the traditionallyweak Louis as farmore complex a character thanpreviously thought.D. Boutet, 'Fonction et signification du personnage de Gautier dansRaoul de Cambrat, ib.,441-48, argues thatGautier, far from being a

simple narrative tool, adds furtherdimensions to thecast ofmasculinecharacters, notions ofgood and evil, and the definition ofknighthood.

M. Madureira, 'Les enjeux dumonde feodal: l'ordre impossible dansRaoul deCambrat, ib.,601-09, examines the complex role of law in the

poem, and the distinctions between right and wrong, between

upholding feudal order and establishing practical solutions in the faceof flouted 'ideals'. S. Kinoshita, 'Fraternizing with the enemy:Christian-Saracen relations inRaoul de Cambrat, ib., 695-703, sees

Bernier's penitential travels in Saracen Spain as conducive to his

redemption. However, inmaking thepoint about themutual respectshown between opponents inRaoul, K. over-emphasizes thenegativeportraits of some Saracens in the Chanson de Roland. F. E. Sinclair,'Loss, re-figuration and death inRaoul de Cambrat',FS, 57:297-310,

boldly claims that thepoem's inherent lack (offather, of patriarchal







EarlyMedieval Literature 57authority, of cogent feudal order) characterizes all chansons de geste.J. Chaurand, 'L'onomastique de Raoul de Cambrai. Les noms de

personne', BDBA, 21:145-56, considers the names of characters

directly linked to theaction, with familyand geographical provenance

playing a determining role.S. C. O. Malicote,' "Gil novel jougleor": parody, illumination and

genre renewal in AioF, Romania, 120:353-405, gives a lengthyintroduction about the court of Flanders and its role in thepatronageand production ofboth re-workings and original pieces. The court of

Jeanne, countess ofFlanders, isgiven especial attention in this study,which is thorough and flowswell, coveringmuch of the circumstancesof a literarywork's creation, all ofwhich are key to interpretingwhat

might have been deliberate allusions to contemporary figures.M. considers AioPs reference to itsjongleur, itsrelationship to thework

Audigier nd theparodic Prise deNeuville,concluding that the traditionalview of shifting tastes from epic to romance is far too simplistic.

Works from differinggenres borrowed from, commented upon, and

parodied themselves and others. F. Denis, 'Ironie ethumour dans GuideBourgogne\Bianciotto, UEpopee romane,281-89, sees the poem as

typifyingthe dynamic by which epic uses humour and laughter to

relieve the tension of conflict.J.-H. Grisward, 'La cuisine et la guerre:

aspects de la fonction guerriere dans la Geste des Lorrains', ib.,

549-65, demonstrates that Begon's presence is not for purelyhumorous effect, but in fact necessary to the bipartite structure

embodied inGarin and Begon. One is neither lessnormore than theother: theycomplement and complete each other. D. Ion, 'La parentecomme outil narratif dans Garin le Lorrain', ib., 567?75, shows how

familydefines groups, values, and loyalties, and provides a rich source

of both alliances and conflicts, all of which are exploited in epic.N. Lenoir, 'L'eau et lamer dans la Chanson dAiquin (ca 1190-1200)',

ib.,917-25,admires the

poet's greatskill in

weavinginto his work the

theme, rare for the epic genre, ofwater. The poet thereby acknow

ledges both the local geography (Brittany) and exploits water's

symbolic significance.

3. Romance

Derek Pearsall, Arthurian Romance: A Short Introduction,Oxford,

Blackwell, viii + 182pp., is an accessible, broad survey of much of

European Arthurian lore, as well as commentary on later,modern

reworkings (Twain, White, and others) and film. Ch. 2, 'The

romancing of theArthurian story:Chretien de Troyes' (20-39), andch. 3, 'The European flourishing of Arthurian romance: Lancelot,

Parzival, Tristan' (40-59), are appropriate for undergraduates or







58FrenchStudiesnon-specialists embarking on a study of early medieval French

literature;notes, index, and bibliography are accordingly brief.

C. Ferlampin-Acher, 'Merveilleux et comique dans les romans

arthuriens francais (Xlle-Xve siecles)', ArLit, 19:17-47, sees the two

topoicome together in their common attributes both depend on

perception and play with it and their common effect, to throw

hero and audience off-guard. Paradox, exaggeration, and ellipticalmoments leading to bafflement occur throughout works such as Le

Chevalierau lion, es ContinuationsPerceval,LesMerveilles deRigomer, e Bel

Inconnu, neas, Le Livre dArtus, and many later texts.N. Ciccone, To love or not to love', ICLS g, 231-37, traces the

development of self-conflict in romance and its philosophical

emphasis on reasoning and willpower. M. Lignereux, 'Approche de

la notion de contexte en ancien francais', ib., 189-97, studies the

performative verbs linked tooaths, vows, and promises, quoting from

Chretien's and Beroul's texts.B. Ramm,' "Por coi la pucele pleure":the feminine enigma of theGrail Quest', Neophilologus, 87:517-27,

analyses the emerging feminine role in theGrail narratives, from

Perceval through theTristan enprose to theQueste.Although initially an

openly misogynistic tale, fromwhich women are banned, theQuestdevelops intoone inwhich women, according toR., play roles crucial

in underpinning the essentially male venture. N. J. Lacy, 'Namingand the construction of identity inLi Chevaliers as deus espees\RPh,

56: 203-16, studies not somuch naming conventions in thisneglectedtextas theunusual character development of the heroine.

V. Gontero, 'UAnelfae. Analyse d'un motif merveilleux dans la

litterature arthurienne en vers desXlle etXHIe siecles', LR, 57:3-18,

analyses the development of the ring as symbol of affection, loyalty,and (through lapidary associations) various virtues. The narrativescited include Amadas etTdoine,Floire etBlanchejlor, the laisDesire,Melion

and Tonec, the Chevalier de la charrette, he ContinuationsPerceval, theChevalierau lion, nd theMerveilles deRigomer.The supernatural aspectand powers of gems give rings their own narrative within the tales,

according toG.Chretien de troyes. Dana E. Stewart, The Arrow of ove: Optics,

Gender and Subjectivity inMedieval Love Poetry,Lewisburg, Bucknell

U.P. ?London, Assoc. Univ. Press, 186 pp., interests us here

because of the firstchapter, 'Through a glass brightly: vision and thearrow of love in Chretien de Troyes' Cliges' (33-48). ExaminingAlexander's and Soredamors's respective monologues analysing the

linkbetween sightand love, S. debates whether themetaphor relatesmore toAristotelian optical theory than toMarian imagery. S. Bian

chini, 'Interpretatio ominis e pronominationel Cliges di Chretien de







Early Medieval Literature 59

Troves', VR, 61:180-221, compares the Celtic and Christian significance of names.

K. Casebier, 'Ovid's medieval metamorphosis: techniques of

persuasion inChretien de Troyes' Philomena\PQ, 80, 2001:441-62,compares rhetorical and narrative strategies used by both authors to

provoke moral reaction and to enhance authorial commentary. E. J.

Mickel, 'Mercury's Philologia and Erec's Enide', RPh, 56:1-22, uses

close textual analysis to support K. Uitti's view that Enide is

influenced byMartianus Capella's work.

A. Rieger, 'La bande dessinee virtuelle du lion d'Yvain: sur le sensd'humour de Chretien de Troyes', ArLit, 19:49-64, contains an

anachronistic insistence on Chretien's provision of a 'virtual' comic

strip.The idea of re-reading the text as a series of vignettes thatilluminate the lion's 'personality' and give it another, comic dimen

sion, is appealing. However, the continual reference to 'bande

dessinee', combined with the lack of any reference to illustrations in

theMS tradition,weakens the article.M. M. Pelen, 'Madness inTvain

reconsidered', Neophilologus, 87:361-69, sees the vocabulary andtheme of madness as not limited to the 'wildman' episode, but

integral

to the entire story.C. Luttrell, Le Conte del Graal et d'autres sources francaises de

YHistoirePeredur',Neophilologus, 87:11-28, views the I3th-c.Welsh

poem Historia Peredur abEfrawg as definitely influenced by Chretien's

Conte delGraal, as well as by Le Bliocadran, the SecondContinuation, ndtheprose Lancelot.M. T. Bruckner, 'L'imaginaire du progres dans les

cycles romanesques du Graal', Baumgartner, Progres, 111-21, sees

Chretien's work evoke the Biblical wastelands of theprophet Isaiah

and offer itscontinuators an ambiguous and ambivalent moral vision.R. Deist, 'Perceval's innerwanderings: growing out of childhood inChretien de Troyes's Conte du GraaP, ICLS g, 223-29, observes

parallels between the forest episodes, the female characters ofPerceval's mother and Blanchefleur, and the relationship betweenPerceval and his mother, all of which contribute to his coherent

development as a knight. L. Gowans, 'The Eachtra anAmaddinMhoiras a response to thePerceval ofChretien de Troyes', ArLit, 19:199-230,

argues for the close relationship between the two texts and for a

greater appreciation of the former.C. Guardado da Silva, 'Aflorestae o medos na "epica" de Chretien de Troyes', Bianciotto, UEpopeeromane,859-66, sees both the Chevalier de la charrettend Perceval as

epics. For the Chretien specialist in search of (very) light relief, there

is H. Arden and K. Lorenz, 'The Harry Potter stories and French

Arthurian romance', Arthuriana, 13.2:54-68.other Arthurian. C. Girbea, 'Royaute et chevalerie celestielle

a travers les romans arthuriens (Xlle-XIIIe s.)', CCMe, 46:109-34,







6o FrenchStudiesobserves parallel systems of regal (Arthurian) authority and of that

which governs the 'celestial' knight,who must sometimes bypass the

earthly representatives of divine order and justice. G. draws on

examples from the Queste del Saint Graal, Perlesvaus, theDidot Perceval,

PartonopeusdeBlots,he Chevalierde la charrette,erlin (and Suites),La Mort

Artu,Free etEnide, Jaufre,Rigomer.R. Barber, 'Chivalry, cistercianism and theGrail', Dover, Compan

ion,3-12, demonstrates how the Queste combines reflections on the

secular institutionof chivalry, the status ofknighthood, and Cistercian

theological underpinnings. E. Baumgartner, 'The Questedel saintGraal:from semblance to veraie semblance', trans. C. Dover, ib., 107-14,

demonstrates how the author takes pre-existing Arthurian themes,

episodes, and characters and imbues themwith his broader eschatolo

gical message.E. Kennedy, 'The making of the Lancelot-Grail Cycle', Dover,

Companion, 13-23, gives a briefyet thorough and compelling overview

of themain points of debate about the unity of the cycle. Given the

overarching themes of theGrail quest and theMSS developing them,K. concludes, rightly, that it is toomuch to expect 'unity' (especially

in themodern sense) from such a work. F. Bogdanow, 'The VulgateCycle and thePost-VulgateRoman du GraaF, ib., 33-51, discusses the

intertextual clues in various Arthurian texts and MSS that haveallowed reconstruction of the Cycle. B. sees the Post-Vulgate as an

underappreciated work, one that has done much to knit togetherapparently heterogeneous incidents of the Arthurian tradition.D. Kelly, 'Interlace and the cyclic imagination', ib., 55-64, wondersif orace's condemnation of cyclical poems and theirauthors isjust.

He concludes that, in the case of theGrail narrative, thework is bothcoherent and deliberate. C. J. Chase, 'The gateway to theLancelotGrail Cycle:UEstoire del saintGraaF, ib.,65-74, analyses themanner in

which the Estoire sets itselfup as an introduction to the cycle. She

points to the elaboration ofgenealogies and geographies thatestablishthe context inwhich 'later' events in earlier texts unfold, creatingboth parallel and flashback effects.P. Tylus, 'Fragment de Cracoviede VEstoire del saintGraaF, CL, 63:73-81, provides an edition andtextual analysis, with full codicological details, of this MS.

R. Trachsler, 'A question of time: romance and history', Dover,

Companion, 24-32, continues the debate about medieval perceptionsof the relative veracity of epic and chronicle by turningour attentionto romance as historiography. As he justly points out, collections

show romance interpolated with 'historical' accounts in such a wayas tomake clear thatmedieval audiences did not distinguish betweenthe two in theway that later readers have done. The Lancelot-Grail







EarlyMedieval Literature 61Cycle inparticular falls between historiography and romance, accord

ing to T., drawing as it does upon both Wace and Chretien.A. Combes, 'The Merlin and its Suite', trans. C. Dover, ib., 75-85,likens the corpus o a polychrome print, each textand successive inkingleading to a richly-coloured whole. C. Dover, 'The book ofLancelot',ib., 87-93, compares the representation of Lancelot in verse and

prose, noting thedifferences inhistorical and spatial context. She alsodiscusses at some length thenecessary link between rhetorical devicesand the audience's subsequent enjoyment of such a lengthywork.

M. T. Bruckner, 'Redefining the center: verse and prose Charrette\ b.,96-105, examines theprose romance's canny amplification of certain

aspects ofChretien's tale,which is subsumed into the Lancelot. Other

aspects are severely abbreviated. The effect is to develop theindividual character as well as key themes such as the definition of

heroism, through the cart and tomb episodes. N. J. Lacy, 'The sense

of an ending: La Mort leRoi Artu\ ib., 115-23, acknowledges that,

following theQueste,La Mort le oiArtu can be seen as something of an

anti-climax. However, its foreshadowing, use of portents, and

emphasis on the destructive nature of Lancelot and Guinevere's

affair,add to the interpretation that the ends ofLancelot, Arthur, the

Round Table, and Camelot have indeed been long foreordained.

Codicologists, art historians, and generalists will all enjoy A. Stones,'"Mise en page" in the French Lancelot-Grail: the first150years of the

illustrative tradition', ib., 125-44.B. Milland-Bove, 'La pratique de la "disconvenance" comique

dans leLancelot enprose: lesmesaventures amoureuses de Guerrehet',ArLit, 19: 105?15, sees the episodes she cites as not simply nods to the

fabliau andfarce traditions, but as serving a more serious function of

questioning the courtlymodel. This function is of a piece with the

entirework, enhancing itscomplexity. F. Brandsma,'LancelotTart 3',

ib., 117-33, reflectson

themaking of theprose work, lookingat

issuesofMS tradition and compositional unity. F. Zambon, 'Dinadan en

Italie', ib., 153-63, examines how thisparticular character from the

Lancelot enprose not only flourishes in Italian literature, but crosses

genres.tristan and iseut. Thomas, Le Roman deTristan, suivi de laFolie

Tristan de Berne et la Folie Tristan d'Oxford, ed. Felix Lecoy, trans.

Emmanuele Baumgartner and Ian Short (CCMA, 1), Champion,445 pp., gives a facing-page translation inprose. The introduction's

focus ison certain keywords and phrases and their role in unveilingthe text'smajor themes. Critical apparatus is limited: information on

the base MS covers just over three pages, and rejected readings,bibliography, glossary, and index are all brief, indicating perhaps a

student audience for thiswork.







62 FrenchStudiesRomans d'antiquite. Thomas de Kent, Le Roman dAlexandre ou

Le Roman de toutechevalerie, d. Brian Foster and Ian Short, trans.

Catherine Gaullier-Bougassas and Laurence Harf-Lancner (CCMA,

5), Champion, lxxxii+ 741 pp., provides a serious introduction,

including study of the plot, author, source documents, historical

remaniements,nd the influence of epic and romance. The translation

is in prose, given on the facing page to the original, with variants,

bibliography, glossary, and index at the end. P. Kunstmann, 'Les

campagnes d'Alexandre: de Phistoire a l'epopee', Olifant,22:131-42,

compares classical accounts with theRoman dAlexandre to confirm thathe isportrayed as amedieval paragon of knighthood and a crusader.

P.Menard, 'Les illustrationsmarginales du Roman dAlexandre (Oxford,Bodleian Library,MS Bodley 264)', Braet, Laughter,75-118, strongly

rejects the interpretations of S. Huot, M. Camille, and S. K.

Davenport, all ofwhom, in his view, over-interpret illustrations that

often bear no relation to the text at hand, much less seek to subvert it.

Their intention,M. contends, was primarily to amuse.

C. Sanok, Almoravides atThebes: Islam and European identity in

the Roman deThebes',MLQ, 64:277-98. The Roman de Thebes differs

from other contemporary romansantiques;whereas theyuse themythsof Troy to establish parallels with the Anglo-Norman court and

culture in a linear fashion, theRoman de Thebes emphasizes a cyclicalview of history. However, it does propose a newer and broader view of

theworld through its inclusion and depiction ofvarious otherwarrior

races, e.g., theAlmoravides. IL, 55.2, is a special dossier entitled

Autour du Roman de Thebes': S. Franchet-d'Esperey, cLaThebaide de

Stace et ses rapports avec leRoman de Thebes (prologue, epilogue et

causalite)' (4-10), studies the technical and narrative commonplaceswithin the twoworks, but in the context of the epic tradition. F.-d'E.

concludes that the older work is darker in tone,more tragic, less

attentive to the 'plaisir de la narration' ? but is this a change of

philosophy, style,or both?M.-M. Castellani, 'Genealogies thebainesetpasse mythologique dans leRoman de Thebes' (15-22), contends that

these passages reveal themythology thatunderpins the entire poem:humans and gods interact farmore than elsewhere in thework, and

the importance of thesepassages is,according toC, disproportionateto the space assigned to them. A. Petit, 'Capanee dans le Roman de

Thebes' (23-29), analyses this character's singularity; given an importance in theFrench work that he lacks in theLatin original, Capaneepossesses what P. calls 'desmesure'. His gigantism, his rage, his

'desmesure', all mark him as an epic hero of the French tradition.M.-M. Castellani, 'Le programme iconographique du manuscrit

de Saint-Petersbourg dAthis etProphilas', Ateliers, 30:27-37, studies







EarlyMedieval Literature 63both the artistic and codicological aspects of the illuminations,

analysing the careful and detailed linkbetween textand image.other romances. Robert d'Origny, Le conte de Floire et de

Blancheflor, ed. Jean-Luc Leclanche (CCMA, 2), Champion,xxviii + 222 pp., discusses the phonology of fourMSS (three com

plete plus one fragment) in some detail in the introduction, which

also analyses themes of conjointure,pace, and time. The translation

provided isa facing-page prose version ofMS A.

Renaut de Beaujeu, Le Bel Inconnu, ed. Michele Perret, trans.

Michele Perret and Isabelle Weill (CCMA, 4), Champion,xix + 415 pp., gives a facing-page prose translation. The introductionis thematic, with especial attention to the notion of courtliness

subverted, but there isno information on theMS used for the edition.Le Roman de Gliglois, ed. Marie-Luce Chenerie (CFMA, 143),

Champion, 208 pp., shows a knight tornbetween duty to serve and

his love for a disloyal lady. Loyal to friends and lord, he is finallyrewarded. The tale is contained inone (burned)MS.

Nancy B. Black, Medieval Narratives ofAccused Queens,Gainesville,Florida U.P., xviii + 261 pp., studies the topos f noblewomen unjustlyaccused,

sorelytested, then restored to former status. Given the

prevalence of the narrative in various cultures and ages, it is afolkloric theme that has been little studied in medieval literarycriticism. B. furthers her scope by analysing the texts inmanuscriptswithin thepictorial and textual context that gives themmeaning. Of

particular relevance here is ch. 2, 'The handless queen', in which

B. studies the heroine of La Manekine, a powerless victim who falls

prey to the sins of others. (Unlike some critics,B. rejects outright thenotion of the heroine's self-mutilation as 'justified' self-punishment.)

Although B. does not make this explicit, the heroine, who spendsmost of the storya cipher, yet recovers name, status, and identityat

the end, is the opposite of the Empress of Rome in Gautier deCoinci's tale (see below, p. 000), whose name, status, and identityare

stronglyreiterated throughout her tale, and all ofwhich she gives up.C. J.Harvey, 'Incest, identityand uncourtly conduct inLaManekine\ICLS g, 161-68, sees the work as questioning identity, especially

socially constructed identity,which is undermined by the unworthybehaviour displayed by some of the highest-born protagonists.

Philippe de Remi, saysH., therebydistorts an ideal vision of love and

gender. B. N. Sargent-Baur, 'PrologusIepilogusest, non legitur\ oQ,

50:2-11, is an introduction and general reflection on trends in

scholarship over the past generation, veering (in S.-B.'s view) from

simplistic to cynical ('ironic'). She then examines Philippe de Remi'sManekine and Jehan etBlonde and the relationship between themain

texts and their prologues and epilogues. These are deliberate







64 FrenchStudiesguidelines for reading and S.-B. explicitlywarns readers against theanachronism and arrogance of medievalist critics who all too often

presume toknow the author's meaning better than he did. C. Harvey,'The discourse of characterization inJehan etBlonde', Godsall-Myers,Speaking, 145-66, is interested inhow Philippe de Remi, unlikemanymedieval authors, notes differences in languages and customs.

H. studies the use of language in particular to denote foreignness,courtliness, and individuality.

H. Braet, 'Entre folie et raison: les droleries du MS B.N., fr.25526',

Braet, Laughter, 43-74, observes that, likemuch illumination, thatwhich 'illustrates' the Roman de la rose in thisMS is ambiguous andresists both interpretation and over-interpretation.

P. Eley et al., 'CristaletClarie and a lostmanuscript ofPartonopeusde

Blois', Romania, 120:329-47, studies the use of Cristal etClarie in

establishing other texts, as it borrows from a variety of sources,

includingAthis etProphilias,Wace's Brut,Erec etEnide, Tvain, Le Conte du

Graal, PartonopeusdeBlois, and JVarcisus.he authors furtherprovideextracts fromboth Cristal etClarie andMS V ofPartonopeusde Blois inorder to compare them.

P. S. Noble, 'Le comique dans LesMerveilles deRigomeretHunbaut',ArLit, 19:77-86, shows how the authors of both textsdraw heavilyupon Chretien's work, but differgreatly in theirapproach to theuseof humour. Whereas the author of Rigomer mocks and satirizes his

characters and, by extension, theArthurian courtlyworld, the authorofHunbaut is farmore sober. K. Pratt, 'Humour in theRoman de

Silence', ib.,87-103, questions the conclusions drawn bymany moderncritics. Fascinated by the complex play on gender in Silence, and

thereby inferring proto-feminist agenda, have theyperhaps ignoredthemisogyny implied in intertextual references to thefabliaux andother genres?

4. Lais

R. L. Krueger's chapter onMarie de France inDinshaw, Companion,172-83, surveys all too brieflyMarie's work in its historical and

literary context. It is not clear for whom the article is written,however, as the complete lack of anymeaningful excerpts from theworks themselves, even in translation, seems to be at odds with thevolume's prefatory statement that itspurpose is to study texts and

'writings of remarkable women'. J. Brumlik, 'Incest and death inMarie de France's Deus Amanz\ ICLS 9, 169-77, considers Marie's

possible allusions to the themes of father/daughter incest and thefolkloricmotif of the tested suitor. E. Datta, 'Variations sur l'espacedans le lai du ChaitiveF, ib., 215-21, muses on the different types of







EarlyMedieval Literature 65space characters inhabit (towers, towns, etc.) as well as the largerframework of the 'espacecourtois\ . Hopkins, 'Bisclavret oBisclarel via

Melion and Bisclaret: thedevelopment of amisogynous lai\ .,317-23,looks at thediffering presentations of thewife, her actions and guilt,in each version.

R. Brusegan, 'La plaisanterie dans leLai de abaret, Braet, Laughter,129-41, analyses at length the simple joke of a brief lav. scolded by

her husband forvanity, awomen suggests he become equally vain bygrowing his beard and sideburns, thereby turning the joke against

him. F. Le Saux, 'The theology of love in theLai de VOiselet, ICLS 9,91-97, determines that the lai is farmore morally ambivalent than it

may appear at first.The bird, who sets itself up as a teacher,

pronouncing on love spiritual and secular, isno less flawed than thevilainof thepiece.

5. Religious Writings

Guillaume de Berneville's La Vie de saintGilles, ed. and trans.Francois

Laurent, Champion, lxiv+ 308 pp., is based on the Biblioteca

Laurentiana MS and provides a facing-page translation. The intro

duction is considerable, treatingnot only theplot, but also theLatinsource, Vita sanctiAegidii,published with a translation at the end of thevolume. L. further analyses the saint as literary character and thework's style.The critical apparatus includes a discussion of theMS

tradition, principles of edition, rejected and amended readings, and

brief index, glossary, and bibliography. In addition to the Latin

source, L. also providesan edition and translation of various

fragments in French verse.

S. I. Sobecki, 'From the desert liquide to the Sea of Romance:Benedeit's Voyagede saintBrendan and the Irish immramd!, Veophilologus,

87:193-207, challengesthe view that Benedeit's source was the

Navigation rather, he was more influenced by the immrama,whichS. defines as 'maritime voyage-tales'.

O. Collet, 'Gautier de Coinci: les ceuvres d'attribution incertaine',

Romania, 121:43-98, provides an edition of theNativiteNostreDame as

well as an analysis.M. Okubo, 'Autour de laNativiteNostreDame et deson attribution a Gautier de Coinci', Romania, 121:348-81, uses

O. Collet's article in the previous issue of Romania as a point of

departure to re-open the question, seemingly closed by the research

of P. Langfors and F. V. Koenig. The firstchapter of Black, Accused

Queens (see above, p. 63), 'The Empress ofRome' (20-36), emphasizes

the textual prominence given to this tale by Gautier de Coinci, as itis placed at themid-point of the later, two-volume MS, a stark

contrast to tales of repentant sinners. The empress is a person







66 FrenchStudiescharacterized by virtue and strength, unlike somany of Gautier's

protagonists. Offered riches and glory by her repentant husband, the

emperor who has unjustly banished her, the empress underlines both

her secular power and her sanctity by choosing instead the cloistered

life.B. notes that, although the empress warns against the lusts and

evils ofmen, her final choice is to submit tomale authority (asB. interprets it).

E. Campbell, 'Separating the saints from theboys: sainthood and

masculinity in the old French Vie de saintAlexis', FS, 57:447-62,

analyses gender identity in the context of exchange, both worldly and

spiritual. The saint's role as giver and given affects his status as,

respectively, subject and object and, by extension, his masculinityand femininity.

C. R. Sneddon, 'On the creation of the Old FrenchBible', NMS,

46:25-44, dates thework no earlier than 1230 and speculates on its

composition (inspired by the Bible moralisee)and intended recipients.D. Robertson, 'Or escoutez,signor

. . . si com lisant trovon: a chanson

biblique d'Herman de Valenciennes', Bianciotto, UEpopee romane,

1001-08, provides a useful introduction to the Roman deDieu et sa

Mere, a late 12th-c. version of selections of theBible in, according toR., epic form.

A. P. Tudor, 'Past and present: the voice of an anonymousmedieval author', Mediaevalia, 24:19-44, explores towhat extent the

character and opinions of a nameless author can become known to

us. Using the Vie desPeres as a case study,T. considers the text in

relation tohow itechoes thepast (sources and analogues) and reflects

the present (the society for and within which itwas produced).T. concludes that a sensitive examination of textual evidence does

indeed allow us to know quite intimately an anonymous medieval

author. C. Galderisi, 'Le "crane

qui parle":

du motif aux recits.Vertu

chretienne et vertu poetique', CCMe, 46:213-31, studies theways inwhich this toposoccurs in literature, folklore and, in particular, in

Crane and Paien from the Vie des peres.M. G. Dawson, 'Readingconversion in French medieval saints' lives', ib., 325-50, considerstwo influential saints' lives,Guernes de Pont-Sainte-Maxence's Vie de

saintThomasBecket and Rutebeuf's 'Vie de sainteMarie l'Egyptienne'.D. concludes that although

? or because ? there is a huge gapbetween the saint's heroic life and the audience's more prosaicexistence, stories of saintly conversion do not need to be imitated in

order to be transforming.

J. Batany, 'Quelques effetsburlesques dans le Livre des manures',Braet, Laughter, 119-28, sees inEtienne de Fougeres's didactic work a

humorous criticism of thepretensions ofburghers and women, whose







EarlyMedieval Literature67lofty social aspirations contrast amusingly with the reality of their

respective estates.

6. Lyric

Les LHts d'Henri d'Andeli, ed. Alain Gorbellari (CFMA, 146), Cham

pion, 227 pp., provides a brief but thorough introduction and critical

apparatus for 'La bataille des vins', 'La bataille des sept arts', 'Le lai

d'Aristote', and 'Le dit du chancelier Philippe', accompanied by a

diplomatic edition of six extantMSS. C. has also published 'Aristotele bestourne: Henri d'Andeli et la "revolution clericale" du XHIe

siecle', Miihlethaler, Parodie, 161-85, according to which the Laid'Aristote sboth a subject forgeneric debate and an important stagein the development of the cleric as interventionist author. C. viewsthis lai is the last instance of a subtle and optimistic view thatprevailedbefore the appearance of such 'misogynistic' authors as Rutebeuf,

Jean deMeun, and Richard de Fournival. M. L.Meneghetti, 'Parodiaet auto-parodia. II caso Conon de Bethune (R 1325)', ib., 69-85,compares the apparent inherent structural contradictions in 'Beledoce dame chiere' with Raimbaut de Vaqueiras's 'Eras quan vey

verdeyer', proposing that the work resulted from a set poeticcompetition.

J. T. Grimbert, 'Songs bywomen and women's songs: how usefulis the concept of register?', ICLS g, 117-24, uses the chansons efemmesto suggest that,with such borrowing from and interplay between

registers (the registresristocratisant nd popularisant, in P. Bee's terms,

requite 3amour nd la bonnevie in P. Zumthor's), it iswell to review the

number, classification, and inherent justification of such typologies.W. Pfeffer,meanwhile, revisits the question of textual clues to an

author's gender in 'Complaints ofwomen, complaints by women:can one tell them

apart?', ib., 125-31.

7. Roman de Renart

K. Sullivan, '"Filz a putein, puant heirites": the heterodoxy of

Renart', Reinardus, 16:183-94, studies the seeming contradiction in

Renart's being appreciated for the same trickery and deviousness

associated with heretics. J.R. Simpson, 'The fox and the lion's share.

Tyranny, textuality and jouissance in the Roman de Renart (Leportagedes

proies)\ Horn, Possessions, 21-36, firstly establishes the theoretical

(Lacanian) underpinning tohis study, that of the father/ruler's being

required to sacrifice enjoyment in himself and repress it in others

(and Others) in order tomaintain the statusquo. S. re-reads Noble's

insistence on sharing caught prey as a witting, but not explicit,







68 FrenchStudies

acknowledgement that he must renounce jouissance to retain the

illusion of his legitimacy as king.Moreover, in duping the duper,Noble dispossesses Renart of his own tale.

8. Fabliaux

Chevalerie etgrivoiserie:abliaux de chevalerie, d. Jean-Luc Leclanche

(GCMA, 3), Champion, xxii + 281 pp., places all the critical apparatus at thebeginning of the volume. The texts included are Le Pretreet

le chevalier,eranger au longcul,LaMegere emasculee,Guillaume aufaucon,and Le Fouteur,with facing-page prose translations. Le Jongleurpar luimeme: choixde dits etdefabliaux, ed. Willem Noomen, Lou vain-Paris,

Peeters, vi + 365 pp., offers 16 textswith facing-page translation into

modern French. There isa brief introduction on theprovenance and

history ofjongleurs,dits,andfabliaux and a page on editorial decisionstaken with theversions N. has chosen from the ouvel recueilcomplet es

fabliaux or themost recent edition of the relevant dits. Each text is

preceded by a brief introduction, discussing theMS and edition,

dating, and literaryaspects of thework inquestion.

J.Merceron,'Des souris et des hommes:

peregrinationd'un motif

narratif et d'un exemplum 'lslam en chretiente. A propos de la fablede "L'Hermite" de Marie de France et du fabliau de La Sorisete des

Estopes\ CCMe, 46:53?69, places theseworks in the context of an

existing tradition,which includes Arabic versions of the fable. C. A.

Adkins, 'Beastlymothers ?beastly sons:Richeut, Reinardus, 16:3-17,

analyses the effectsofRicheut's immoral, often animalistic behaviouron her son, Samson. Not only is the tale a cautionary one about the

importance ofupbringing, but itparallels human and animal activity,referring not only to examples from the animal world, but also toRenart. T. Hunt, 'Les us des femmes et la clergie ans Richeut, Braet,

Laughter, 155-72, finds this somewhat sinister tale, often classed as afabliau, better defined not as a parody of the courtly novel, but as a

travesti f the genre, with thewomen on top. C. Begin, 'Le fabliau,genre didactique (etude surLa Damoisele qui nepooit oirparlerdeJoutre)'',Reinardus, 16:19-29, believes the work is an object lesson throughhumour, reflectingon thenature of chastity, ignorance, andmeaning.

9. Drama

L. T. Ramey, Jean Bodel's Jeu de saint icolas: a call for non-violent

crusade', FrF,27.3:1-14, argues

that a closereading

of the textreveals Bodel to have been a prophetic pacifist. N. Pasero, 'Satira,

parodia e autoparodia: elementi per une discussione (in particolaredi Guido Cavalcanti e Adam de la Halle)', Muhlethaler, Parodie,







EarlyMedieval Literature 6927-44, sees m me Jeu de lafouillee a parodic interplay between theidealized courtly lady and the disillusioned author.

10. Historiography and Chronicle

The History of theHoly War: Ambroise's eEstoire e la GuerreSainte\ ed.Marianne Ailes andMalcolm Barber, 2 vols,Woodbridge, Boydell,xv + 211, xix + 214 pp., is a valuable and accessible edition and

translation. Vol. 1 (Text), includes a relatively brief introduction

covering theMSS and previous editions, language, and principles ofedition,with an index following theoriginal text.Vol. 11(Translation)offersa chronology and maps, a comprehensive introduction aboutthe author, dating, historical setting and importance, literaryvalue,and notes on translation.A further index follows themodern Englishprose translation.

W. Sayers, 'Ships and sailors inGeiffrei Gaimar's "Estoire des

Engleis'", MLR, 98:299-310, studies the sea-faring vocabulary of

thework, adding toA. Bell's previous lexical notes.

E. Mullally, 'Did John of Earley write theHistoire de Guillaume le

MarechaR\ ICLS 9, 255-64, is strongly infavour of the attribution on

stylistic nd practical grounds and vigorously refutesP.Meyer's viewthatJohn ofEarley only commissioned thework, another John beingthe actual author.

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