Bisclavret: Old French Text, Translation, and Word List
Marie De France
(Author)
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Description
Marie de France (fl 1160 to 1215) was a poet born in France who lived in England during the late 12th century. She was well known at the Plantagenet royal court of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and she is believed to have been an abbess of a monastery. Her poems or 'Lais' are believed to have been written some time between 1160 and 1175 drawing upon Breton and Arthurian myths and legends. It is written in a form of Old French known as 'Anglo-Norman', which came from 'Old Norman', part of the 'Langues d'oïl' dialect continuum of Gallo-Romance languages. Old French is the result of a gradual separation from Vulgar Latin and Common Romance, coming into contact with influences from Gaulish (Continental Celtic), and Frankish (Germanic). The text is presented in the original Old French, with a literal word-for-word line-by-line translation, and a Modern English translation, all side-by-side. In this way, it is possible to see and feel how Old French worked and how it has evolved. Also included is a word list with 1,318 Old French words translated in to English, and 1,271 English words translated into Old French. This book is designed to be of use and interest to anyone with a passion for the Old French language, French history, or languages and history in general.
Product Details
Price
$7.63
Publisher
Independently Published
Publish Date
September 22, 2021
Pages
56
Dimensions
8.5 X 11.0 X 0.12 inches | 0.34 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9798482489857
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Marie de France (1160 to 1215) was a poet, likely born in what is now France, who lived in England during the late 12th century. She lived and wrote at an unknown court, but she and her work were almost certainly known at the royal court of King Henry II of England. Virtually nothing is known of her life; both her given name and its geographical specification come from her manuscripts. However, one written description of her work and popularity from her own era still exists. She is considered by scholars to be the first woman known to write francophone verse. Marie de France wrote in Francien, with some Anglo-Norman influence. She was proficient in Latin, as were most authors and scholars of that era, as well as Middle English and possibly Breton. She is the author of The Lais of Marie de France. She translated Aesop's Fables from Middle English into Anglo-Norman French and wrote Espurgatoire seint Partiz, Legend of the Purgatory of St. Patrick, based upon a Latin text. Recently, she has been (tentatively) identified as the author of a saint's life, The Life of Saint Audrey. Her Lais were and still are widely read and influenced the subsequent development of the romance/heroic literature genre. Her stories exhibit a form of lyrical poetry that influenced the way that narrative poetry was subsequently composed, adding another dimension to the narration through her prologues and the epilogues, for example. Additionally, Marie de France brought to the fore a new genre known as chivalric literature.