Reynard

Van den vos Reynaerde is the title of an animal epic in Middle Dutch language in verse that tells of a sly fox. It originated in the 13th century and was told as a history Reynaerts edited and expanded in the 14th century, which was the printed book in Europe as Reynke de vos increasing prevalence. The original epic is known in research as Reynaert I, the revision as Reynaert II.

Content

In a foreword by the epic Van den vos Reynaerde a Willem reports as a writer to speak, the noted another work Madock, than his; This work was, however, never be known.

Willem tells of a court day the king Nobel, the lion, Reynaert for the sole, the fox, is not published. The animals present lodge a complaint against the fox, especially Ysegrym, the wolf. The fox is summoned by the messenger Brun, the bear, and Tybeert, the cat; they are wicked out of the fox tricked and put in danger. Only Grymbert, the badger, to bring to the court Reynaert succeed. Reynaert is sentenced to death, but can save in dire need by inventing a last confession, a story that will appear in the Brun and Ysegrym as a traitor; to her emphasis to lend, he blackens to even his own father to have stolen a treasure to support the traitor. Nobel believes him and lets the bear and the wolf imprisoned. Reynaert pretends to embark on a pilgrimage to Rome, accompanied by Belin, the ram, and Cuwaert, the hare. Reynaert eats at the first opportunity, of Belin unnoticed, the hare and sends the unsuspecting Aries back with Cuwaerts head in the knapsack to the yard. After the discovery of betrayal and Brun Ysegrym be rehabilitated, Belin is outlawed and Reynaert occupied by eight.

This story was edited by an unknown agent about a hundred years later and expanded and written as Reynaerts history. In the continuation of the story Willems is Reynaert, this time during a Hoffestes, in which a second appeal against him is out, again summoned and brought to the court of Grymbert. Compared with the serious accusation of betrayal fabuliert the fox from his earlier lies history by picturing objects of hidden treasure and thus, similarly to the first part, to beguile the king, and in particular is able to pose as crooks Ysegrym; He finds support in Rukenau, the female monkey that defends him. Ysegrim now leads the rape of his wife Gyremod into the field and calls Reynaert to a duel. The Fox, physically inferior, is prepared and sent by the ape can assert itself in the duel. Nobel appoints him to his Thronrat.

Origin

The epic Van de vos Reynaerde shows origins of the ancient Aesop's fables, from the Ysengrimus, in the 12th century in the area of Ghent, and particularly from the Roman de Renart, an episodic -scale collection of animal tales, originated in the 12th century in northern France that illuminate courtly life parody.

Tradition

Van den vos Reynaerde than Reinaert out I, is completely preserved in two manuscripts. The one that called Dycksche manuscript dating from around 1375 in the area of Utrecht, is owned by the University and Regional Library Münster (NR 381 ); the other, the Comburgische handwriting, made ​​1380-1425, is held by the Württemberg State Library in Stuttgart ( Cod poet et philol. fol. 22). The only surviving manuscript of Reynaerts history or Reynaert II is located in the Royal Library in Brussels ( 14601 ); it was built around 1460 to 1480.

The Reynaert II has already been printed several times in the early days of the printing press in the Netherlands, by Gerard Leeu in Gouda in 1479 under the title History van Reynaert the vos and as commented prose version, again printed by Leeu, 1487-1490 in Antwerp. A reprint of the edition of Jacob Jacobsz van Gouda de Meer appeared in Delft 1485 In the 17th and 18th century, the work of more pressure pads in the Netherlands learned. ; some were banned and confiscated the conditions. Van den vos Reynaerde together with its extension is now one of the Dutch national literature. In the town of Hulst, which is mentioned in the epic, there is a Reynaert Memorial.

The prose version was printed by William Caxton in 1481 as The History of Reynard the Fox in an English translation. Appeared in 1498 in Lübeck transmission in Low German verses: Reynke de vos, which remained as Reineke Fuchs today.