Roman de Renart
Quick Summary
The Roman de Renart is a collection of French verse tales from the late 12th century that satirize medieval society. These stories, often referred to as a "beast epic," primarily chronicle the rivalry between Renart the Fox and Isengrin the Wolf.12
Renart, though sly and self-serving, symbolizes the triumph of cunning over brute strength, often personified by the dull-witted wolf. The tales are filled with earthy humor and social observation, similar to the fabliaux of the time. Later branches of the Roman de Renart sharpened their focus into true satire, targeting abuses within the church and state, with friars and the nobility as frequent targets. The popularity of these tales led to the word "renard" (fox) replacing the older French word for fox, "goupil".12
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