1. Tales of Renard

2. Ancient Beast Literature
(1) Aesop’s Fables
(2) Mock Epics e.g. Batrachomyomachia (Battle of Frogs and Mice)
(3) Encyclopedias of Animal (folk)lore e.g. Aristotle, Aelian, Pliny, Solinus
All three forms survived into 11th-12th century when Renard tales were collected.

3. (1)Fables of Marie de France
She wrote fables in vernacular, making them accessible to all
Used Aesop as source
Gave animals ‘stock’ characters
Used stories to comment on 12th century society
strong animals = aristocracy
weak animals = peasants
She popularized animal tales in the 12th century and influenced such authors as G. Chaucer.

4. (2)Beast Epics 1st written in monasteries in 8th century
Used animals in fictionalized Latin narratives
Composed to be read/sung/staged in monasteries or courts
11th Century they grew longer
12th century epic Ysengrimus introduced Renardus the fox as a standing character

5. (3)Physiologus and Bestiaries
Derived from ‘scientific’ works purporting to describe animal world
Used animals as vehicles to understand Christian truths
Extremely popular in 12th century.

6. All forms connected humans and animals in medieval imagination.

7. Impact
Tales were widely popular, both among peasants and aristocracy as entertaining satires
Renard portrayed feudal society, including the hypocrisies of nobles, peasants, and clergy
Tales were retold and expanded in many variations in many languages (e.g., French, Flemish, English, Italian, Greek)
N.B. Goethe’s Reineke Fuchs (1794)