Fabliaux

This chapter explores the fabliaux, amusing medieval tales that showcased the less refined side of human behavior often featuring peasants, the bourgeois class, and clergy. Fabliaux seem contradictory to the religious emphasis of the period, but explicit language and scandalous narratives, such as those in the work of William of Aquitaine, were not uncommon. Although scholars debate whether fabliaux targeted the nobility or the non-noble classes, these tales cut across the echelons of medieval society. Fabliaux were not necessarily equated with scandal at that time; authors like Bodel wrote without shame across various genres. The chapter provides a chart for locating the manuscripts of Jean Bodel's fabliaux, found throughout France and Germany. It also addresses the problem of translation. A guide to locating English translations of the works is provided, as well, along with original translations of works not previously rendered into English.