Book People Archive

Aucassin and Nicolette: 13th Century 'chantefable'



Dear All,

I've added a translation of this charming anonymous medieval tale, a
mixture of poetry and prose, designed to be acted and sung, to the
free pages and downloads at Dante and Others:

http://www.tonykline.free-online.co.uk/AucassinandNicolette.htm

It introduces a subversive/heretical note of personal secular love
which is echoed in the Early Medieval Period by the letters of Heloise,
and the Tristan and Iseult tales. The essay by Walter Pater in 'The
Renaissance' titled 'Two Early French Stories' (1872) discusses this
idea in some detail. I haven't looked to see if Pater  ('the first of
the aesthetes') is on the Web anywhere, perhaps some of you may know.
If so he offers a fine read in that intriguing late-Victorian silvery
style of his.

Best Wishes

Tony



From: Tony Kline tonykline@[redacted]

'Ovid and Others' Website   http://www.tkline.freeserve.co.uk

'Dante and Others' Website http://www.tonykline.free-online.co.uk