Bodel, Jehan

Bodel, Jehan

▪ French writer
Jehan also spelled  Jean  
born c. 1167, Arras, Artois [France]
died 1210, Arras

      jongleur, epic poet, author of fabliaux, and dramatist, whose Le Jeu de Saint Nicolas (“Play of St. Nicholas”) is the first miracle play in French.

      Bodel probably held public office in Arras and certainly belonged to one of its puys, or literary confraternities. He planned to go on the Fourth Crusade but, stricken with leprosy, was admitted to a lazar house, where he died. He wrote five pastourelles (four in 1190–94; one in 1199), nine fabliaux (1190–97), La Chanson des Saisnes (before 1200; “Song of the Saxons”), Le Jeu de Saint Nicolas (performed c. 1200), and Les Congés (1202; “Leave-Takings”), his poignant farewell to his friends, a lyrical poem of 42 stanzas.

      Le Jeu de Saint Nicolas treats a theme presented in Latin, notably by Hilarius (flourished 1125), giving it new form and dimensions by relating it to the Crusades. In Bodel's play the saint's image, to which the sole survivor of a Christian army is found praying, becomes the agent of a miracle. The image is found by the victorious Saracens, but when placed upon the Saracen king's treasure it does not prevent the treasure's removal by thieves, who interrupt their dicing, drinking, and brawling (in tavern scenes given local colour by their portrayal of the people and manners of Arras) to carry it away. The saint himself appears, however, and compels the rogues to return the treasure, and as a result the Saracen king and his people are converted to Christianity.

      In its crusading fervour, piety, and satirical wit, Bodel's Le Jeu is outstanding. It is also of importance because of the introduction of comic scenes based on contemporary life and for being possibly the first of the Latin college plays to be translated into vernacular verse. La Chanson des Saisnes, a successful late epic, adds roman d'aventure episodes to a historical narrative of Charlemagne's Saxon wars.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Jehan Bodel — Jean Bodel, eigentlich Jehan Bodel, (* um 1165 in Arras; † um 1209 ebenda) war ein altfranzösischer Spielmann (Menestrel) und mittelalterlicher Dichter. Bodel lebte in der damals zu Burgund gehörigen reichen Tuchweberstadt Arras und verfasste… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jehan Bodel — Jean Bodel Jean Bodel ou Jehan Bodel (1165 1210) fut un trouvère qui vécut vers la fin du XIIe siècle à Arras. Ce poète a écrit un certain nombre de chansons de geste en ancien français. Biographie Bodel est l auteur de la Chanson des… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Jean Bodel — Born 1165 Died 1210 (aged 44–45) Arras Occupation poet Nationality French Period Medieval …   Wikipedia

  • Jean Bodel — ou Jehan Bodel (1165 1210) fut un trouvère qui vécut vers la fin du XXIe siècle}} à Arras. Ce poète a écrit un certain nombre de chanson de geste et de fabliau en ancien français. Biographie Bodel est l auteur de la Chanson des Saisnes relatant… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Jean Bodel — Jean Bodel, eigentlich Jehan Bodel, (* um 1165 in Arras; † um 1209 ebenda) war ein altfranzösischer Spielmann (Menestrel) und mittelalterlicher Dichter. Bodel lebte in der damals zu Burgund gehörigen reichen Tuchweberstadt Arras und verfasste… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • French literature — Introduction       the body of written works in the French language produced within the geographic and political boundaries of France. The French language was one of the five major Romance languages to develop from Vulgar Latin as a result of the …   Universalium

  • Villon, François — Vil·lon (vē yōɴʹ), François. 1431 1463?. French poet. His satirical lyrics are contained in Le Petit Testament (c. 1456) and Le Testament (c. 1461). * * * orig. François de Montcorbier or François des Loges born 1431, Paris, France died after… …   Universalium

  • fabliau — /fab lee oh /; Fr. /fann blee oh /, n., pl. fabliaux /fab lee ohz /; Fr. /fann blee oh /. a short metrical tale, usually ribald and humorous, popular in medieval France. [1795 1805; < F; ONF form of OF fablel, fableau, equiv. to fable FABLE + el… …   Universalium

  • romance — romance1 romancer, n. n., adj. /roh mans , roh mans/; v. /roh mans /, n., v., romanced, romancing, adj. n. 1. a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds, pageantry, romantic exploits, etc., usually in a historical or… …   Universalium

  • Бодель, Жан — Жан Бодель Jean Bodel (Jehan Bodel) Дата рождения: 1165 год(1165) Место рождения: Аррас Дата смерти: 1210 год …   Википедия

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”