Floire et Blancheflor en Europe. Anthologie
EDITED BY
Sofia Lodén is a researcher at Stockholm University and at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study in Uppsala, Sweden.
Vanessa Obry is Associate Professor of Medieval French Language and Literature at the University of Haute-Alsace (Mulhouse).
HIGHLIGHTS
– A legend widely circulated throughout Europe, possibly inspired by One Thousand and One Nights
– Bilingual edition: original texts alongside translations into modern French
– Previously unpublished French translations
– Critical overview in the introduction and presentation notes for each text
SUMMARY
The tale of the lovers Floire and Blancheflor achieved great success during the Middle Ages, as shown by its adaptation into numerous languages: French, Low and High German, English, Old Norse, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, and Greek. This wide circulation continued beyond the medieval period, and the story was even adapted into Yiddish in the eighteenth century. Gathered here for the first time are fourteen excerpts representing each of the surviving medieval versions, along with five excerpts from later works. The texts are accompanied by commentary placing them within their historical and cultural contexts, as well as translations into French. This anthology therefore provides access to works that until now had only been available in their original language, and in some cases had never been published before.
Written by specialists of the various linguistic traditions represented, the collection is intended both for scholars of medieval literature and for readers interested in the history of European culture or curious to follow the variations of a love legend across time and space. The selected excerpts show how the narrative material adapts to different contexts of reception, audiences, and social environments. By tracing the journeys of Floire and Blancheflor, one can see to what extent medieval and early modern European culture was shaped by circulation and exchange.
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Authors
Vanessa Obry
