Gruselkabinett 166 - Bisclavret

by Marie de France

On sait peu de choses de Marie de France. Elle écrit depuis l'Angleterre anglo-normande (d'où la précision, dans son nom, de son origine). Elle s'inspire des chansons (des lais) qu'elle entend chez les jongleurs venus de Bretagne armoricaine.

Bisclavret est un de ses lais. Ce nom signifie "Loup-garou".

La présente édition comporte un dossier pédagogique sur le loup en littérature.

Genres: Classics, Fantasy, Poetry, Horror, Fiction, Short Stories, School

1 pages, Audio CD

First published January 23, 2010

About the author

Marie de France ("Mary of France", around 1135-1200) was a poet evidently born in France and living in England during the late 12th century. Virtually nothing is known of her early life, though she wrote a form of continental French[citation needed:] that was copied by Anglo-Norman scribes. Therefore, most of the manuscripts of her work bear Anglo-Norman traits. She also translated some Latin literature and produced an influential version of Aesop's Fables.

Reviews

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe I haven't added this one yet! My favorite gay medieval werewolf.

[Emily M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this a while back. Would never have expected a medieval tale to have a SYMPATHETIC werewolf, but this one does! He even gets a happy ending.

A certain baron seems like the perfect knight, but his wife wonders why he disappears for three days each week. She wheedles the secret out of him and is disgusted to learn that he turns into a wolf. So she goes to a knight she knows has a crush on her and says she'll marry him if he steals her husband's clothes, trapping him in wolf form. But the baron is such a courtly gentleman that when - after living for years at the king's court as kind of a super-smart hunting dog - he attack his treacherous wife and her lover, everyone's reaction is: "Weird. That wolf is such a good boy, those people MUST have done something to offend him. Wait...isn't that the wife of that nobleman who disappeared mysteriously? Hmm. Fishy."
Like 'Gawain and the Green Knight', this is a story that lends itself well to queer readings.

One translation, with the original French:https://www.madbeppo.com/text/bisclav...

[Cat Carstairs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read this in French, if you were wondering. Somehow I picked the wrong version because I have a big brein. XD

This was pretty dope as a werewolf story, just bland because basically every book assigned by high school English teachers is boring. But don't quote me on that.

[silke · Rating 3 out of 5]

i know what you are

[Kitty Red-Eye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these short, easy classics. Reminds me of some of the Norwegian folk tales, except in them, the (often young and beautiful) wife is faithful and saves the man inside the beast. Had no idea that there were Icelandic sagas like this too.

And it taught me a new favourite word! GARWAF, werewolf in Normannic(?). So gonna make that my chihuahua’s new nickname :)

[Alainee Coleman]

I enjoyed analyzing this in terms of gender roles. She feared her husband at the start, afraid he would be mad if she asked where he was. She fears losing him and says she would die without him. She is portrayed as a nag and villain. Spoiler: After his wife betrays him, her husband tears her nose off (to destroy her beauty and show her beastly side). But it almost sends a message that the violence towards her was okay because she provoked him. France even says “don’t doubt my word” as a woman. I think the overall theme is that women should respect their husbands if they are treated well by them… especially considering the context of when this was written.

[Freya Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite lai by Marie de France that I have read so far. I found it very interesting that the king and members of his household tried to understand and rationalize the bisclavret's behavior. The king recognized it as having a mind like a human. This story is ahead of its time and says a lot about what it means to be human and possess reason.

[Scott Done · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically gay werewolf smut minus the smut. We love renaissance homo relations HAHAHA💅

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

beauty and the beast but make it gay

[Majka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah oui, les loup-garous, les dames sans nez et les nobles rois 😍😍😍

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Werewolf." My favorite part was how the woman had 7 children with missing noses after having her own pulled off.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Konnte mich sehr begeistern

[Lauren McLaughlin]

Had to read about the original gay werewolf! It was very cool to be able to half understand the medieval French

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Betray your handsome werewolf husband, get your nose torn off. Fair is Fair.

[Shan]

c’est vraiment intéressant de lire du vieux français, c’est beaucoup plus similaire au français de maintenant que je ne l’aurais cru.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

based, my favos of the lais as well. the king actually acts rationally and it kinda subverts the typical trope of "now that they've transformed there's no way anyone will be able to tell them apart from a beast." i liked how the king treated the bisclarvet super well and they even slept together lmao. cute

satisfying ending. wise man was the mvp

[Rob Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this tale so much and it's also one of my prime go-to sources if I want to try and show examples of homosexual allegory in works of older fiction. I do love it for being it's own werewolf tale too though.

[Cami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reminds me of the short story "The Compleat Werewolf." I liked it a lot!

[adi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le pauvre loup :( Il est très doux. Il n’était pas même un loup-garou meurtrier. Je penserais que si tu aimes vraiment quelqu’un, tu essayerais de comprendre. Quitte juste ton mari, pourquoi le condamner?

J’ai lu Yonec aussi, mais je ne peux pas le trouver sur goodreads, alors:

Un autre métamorphe. Celle fois, le chevalier est un oiseau. Il me rappelle de Lady Jane 😭. Je veux une émission des lais avec un épisode pour chaque lai. Le mari est fou. Qu’est-ce que la raison de mariage si tu enfermer ta femme? Dans les lais de Marie de France, d’où est-ce que ces amantes magique viennent?

[Acadia Wynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting take on werewolves, and just how they came to be. Also an interesting take on what, exactly, makes someone a man instead of a monster. Definitely a thought-provoking short story, and seeing Bisclavret succeed in the end is absolutely fantastic. Short, sweet, and with mideval werewolves—what else could you want? (I also read this in English, not French, but I couldn't find the English listing for this book, unfortunately)

[cc · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite gay werewolf romance! Okay but seriously, going into this I did not think I would enjoy Bisclavret. Personally, I am not a big fan of poems. However, this proved me wrong. It was an entertaining read and I ended up really liking it. Would recommend to others.

[Brody Salazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it for my first medieval literature class, and it literally changed my life and view of the possibilities of medieval literature. The unexpected romance in this story makes it an instant favorite.

[Luc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended to me by a friend, a fascinating tale of Werewolves, in a style I'm not used to reading.

[River · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely one of the most enjoyable medieval lit pieces I've read so far.

[em · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sorry this was fucking hilarious what the hell

[Gianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAY WEREWOLF GAY WEREWOLF GAY WEREWOLF

[Sabrina Blandon]

Norton anthology of middle ages- Man turned beast is betrayed by his powerful wife in a patriarchal narrative. The king helps this man beast and persecutes the wife and her new husband

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good doggy.

[masi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

based