God moete ons ziere hulpen jonnen! : approaching the Middle Dutch «Van den vos Reynaerde» through the Old French Roman de Renart

Tudor, Adrian

Abstract

The remit for this essay was intriguing. To read and react to the Middle Dutch masterpiece Van den Vos Reynaerde with no expectation of prior knowledge, linguistic competence or further research: simply to read the splendid new English prose translation by Thea Summerfield, and the accompanying learned introductory material by André Bouwman and Bart Besamusca, through the eyes of a scholar better acquainted with the Old French tradition. Of course, I had come across Van den Vos Reynaerde many times, in references, in papers given at the bi-annual colloquium of the Société Renardienne Internationale, and in conversation with friends and others Reynardians. From Kenneth Varty and Bart Besamusca to Paul Wackers and Jean Batany, from Japanese members of the Reynardian family to Brian J. Levy and Tony Lodge, the Dutch text had been lent a reputation by immediate colleagues that could not be ignored. Scholans of old French literature are naturally aware that Flemish aristocracy commonly used French and commissioned literature in French. I had been told that Van den Vos Reynaerde was the greatest of the burgeoning literature in Middle Dutch during this period. But I had never read it. Below is my initial reaction to the delight of discovering what is, for me, a new Reynardian masterpiece.

Citation

Tudor, A. (2011). God moete ons ziere hulpen jonnen! : approaching the Middle Dutch «Van den vos Reynaerde» through the Old French Roman de Renart. Queeste. Tijdschrift over middeleeuwse letterkunde in de Nederlanden, 18(1), 18-31

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2011
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: Queeste
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 18-31
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/469329
• Publisher URL: https://queeste.verloren.nl/archief-2011/10018/2127/adrian-p-tudor