Bisclavret
Encyclopedia
"Bisclavret" is one of the twelve Lais
of Marie de France
written in the 12th century. Originally written in French, it tells the story of a werewolf
who is trapped in lupine form by the treachery of his wife. The tale was popular and was reworked as The Lay of Melion, and is probably referenced in Sir Thomas Malory
's Le Morte d'Arthur
.
who is well-loved by the king, vanishes every week for three full days. No one in his household, not even his wife, knows where he goes. His wife finally begs him to tell her his secret, and he explains that he is a werewolf. He says also that while in werewolf form he needs to hide his clothing in a safe place so he can return to human form. The baron's wife is so shocked by this news that she tries to think of ways she can escape her husband. She no longer wants to "lie beside him anymore." She conspires with a knight who has loved her for a long time. The following week, the baron's wife sends the knight to steal her husband's clothing. When her husband fails to return, she marries the knight. The baron's people search for him but finally relent, feeling that their absentee ruler has left for good.
A year later, the king goes hunting, and his dogs corner Bisclavret who is now fixed in wolf form. As soon as he sees the king, Bisclavret runs to him to beg for mercy by taking the king's stirrup and kissing his foot and leg. This behavior so astounds the king that he has his companions drive back the dogs, and everyone marvels at the wolf's nobility and gentleness. The king takes Bisclavret, still in wolf form, back to the castle to live with him.
The knight who had married Bisclavret's wife is invited to the castle for a celebration, along with all the other barons. As soon as Bisclavret sees the man he attacks him. The king calls to Bisclavret and threatens him with his staff. Because the wolf had never acted so violently before, all in the court think that the knight must somehow have wronged him. Soon after, the king visits the area where the baron used to live and brings the werewolf along with him. Bisclavret's wife learns of the king's arrival and takes many gifts for him. When Bisclavret sees his former wife, none can restrain him. He attacks her, and tears off her nose.
A wise man points out that the wolf had never acted so before, and that this woman was the wife of the knight whom Bisclavret had recently attacked. The wise man also advises the king that this woman is the former wife of the missing baron. The king has the wife questioned under torture. She confesses all and yields up the stolen clothing. The king's men put the clothing before the wolf, but he ignores it. The wise man advises them to take the wolf and the clothing into a bedchamber, and let Bisclavret change in privacy. Bisclavret does so and when the king sees again his beloved baron, he runs to him and embraces him giving him many embraces and kisses. The king restores Bisclavret's lands to him and exiles the baroness and her knight. Many of the wife's female posterity were afterwards born without noses and all of her children were "quite recognizable/ in face and appearance."
The Lais of Marie de France
The Lais of Marie de France are a series of twelve short narrative Breton lais by the poet Marie de France. They are written in the Anglo-Norman and were probably composed in the late 12th century. The short, narrative poems generally focus on glorifying the concept of courtly love through the...
of Marie de France
Marie de France
Marie de France was a medieval poet who was probably born in France and lived in England during the late 12th century. She lived and wrote at an undisclosed court, but was almost certainly at least known about at the royal court of King Henry II of England...
written in the 12th century. Originally written in French, it tells the story of a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
who is trapped in lupine form by the treachery of his wife. The tale was popular and was reworked as The Lay of Melion, and is probably referenced in Sir Thomas Malory
Thomas Malory
Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur. The antiquary John Leland as well as John Bale believed him to be Welsh, but most modern scholars, beginning with G. L...
's Le Morte d'Arthur
Le Morte d'Arthur
Le Morte d'Arthur is a compilation by Sir Thomas Malory of Romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table...
.
Background
Marie de France claimed that she translated this lay, as well as the other eleven she wrote, from the Breton language, in which she claimed to have heard them performed. There have been many translations of her work into the English language, the translation linked below was done by Eugene Mason.Synopsis
Bisclavret, a baron in BrittanyBrittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
who is well-loved by the king, vanishes every week for three full days. No one in his household, not even his wife, knows where he goes. His wife finally begs him to tell her his secret, and he explains that he is a werewolf. He says also that while in werewolf form he needs to hide his clothing in a safe place so he can return to human form. The baron's wife is so shocked by this news that she tries to think of ways she can escape her husband. She no longer wants to "lie beside him anymore." She conspires with a knight who has loved her for a long time. The following week, the baron's wife sends the knight to steal her husband's clothing. When her husband fails to return, she marries the knight. The baron's people search for him but finally relent, feeling that their absentee ruler has left for good.
A year later, the king goes hunting, and his dogs corner Bisclavret who is now fixed in wolf form. As soon as he sees the king, Bisclavret runs to him to beg for mercy by taking the king's stirrup and kissing his foot and leg. This behavior so astounds the king that he has his companions drive back the dogs, and everyone marvels at the wolf's nobility and gentleness. The king takes Bisclavret, still in wolf form, back to the castle to live with him.
The knight who had married Bisclavret's wife is invited to the castle for a celebration, along with all the other barons. As soon as Bisclavret sees the man he attacks him. The king calls to Bisclavret and threatens him with his staff. Because the wolf had never acted so violently before, all in the court think that the knight must somehow have wronged him. Soon after, the king visits the area where the baron used to live and brings the werewolf along with him. Bisclavret's wife learns of the king's arrival and takes many gifts for him. When Bisclavret sees his former wife, none can restrain him. He attacks her, and tears off her nose.
A wise man points out that the wolf had never acted so before, and that this woman was the wife of the knight whom Bisclavret had recently attacked. The wise man also advises the king that this woman is the former wife of the missing baron. The king has the wife questioned under torture. She confesses all and yields up the stolen clothing. The king's men put the clothing before the wolf, but he ignores it. The wise man advises them to take the wolf and the clothing into a bedchamber, and let Bisclavret change in privacy. Bisclavret does so and when the king sees again his beloved baron, he runs to him and embraces him giving him many embraces and kisses. The king restores Bisclavret's lands to him and exiles the baroness and her knight. Many of the wife's female posterity were afterwards born without noses and all of her children were "quite recognizable/ in face and appearance."
The Word “Bisclavret”
In the first part of the poem, Marie de France seems to use the Norman French word for werewolf, garwaf, interchangeably with the Breton term, bisclavret. However, she draws a distinction between ordinary werewolves and Bisclavret. One scholar specifies three evidences for this. “First, [Marie de France’s] statement implies that he is unlike the violent werewolves that she has just described; second, her use of the definite article combined with the fact that Bisclavret is capitalized also implies that he is unique, that he is perhaps the only Bisclavret. Finally it is also noteworthy that Marie uses the term “garwalf” when describing the traditional werewolf. She thus once again distinguishes it from Bisclavret.”See also
- "The She-BearThe She-Bear"The She-bear" is an Italian literary fairy tale, written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work, the Pentamerone.Ruth Manning-Sanders included it in A Book of Princes and Princesses....
" - Anglo-Norman literatureAnglo-Norman literatureAnglo-Norman literature is literature composed in the Anglo-Norman language developed during the period 1066–1204 when the Duchy of Normandy and England were united in the Anglo-Norman realm.-Introduction:...
- Medieval literatureMedieval literatureMedieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works...
- Medieval French literatureMedieval French literatureMedieval French literature is, for the purpose of this article, literature written in Oïl languages during the period from the eleventh century to the end of the fifteenth century....