A Companion to WaceThe twelfth-century writer Wace is best known for his two influential works on the history of England (the Roman de Brut/I) and on the history of the Normans (the Roman de Rou), but despite this he has, until recently, been neglected. This book aims to provide a comprehensive overview of all his surviving works, including his hagiographical pieces, La Vie de sainte Marguerite, la Vie de saint Nicolas and La Conception Nostre Dame. Beginning with an examination of the historical and textual background necessary to an informed understanding of the poet, it moves on to discuss the manuscript tradition of each of Wace's poems, together with the sources that underlie each text, highlighting the additions, omissions and modifications made by the poet in adapting his material for new, non-Latinate audience. Particular attention is given to Wace's swan-song, the Roman de Rou, where his skill in combining history and romance is most clearly revealed. |
Contents
hagiographer | 11 |
La Conception Nostre Dame | 30 |
La Vie de saint Nicolas | 51 |
Conclusion | 79 |
Manuscripts sources and adaptation principles | 85 |
Britain Rome and the House of Constantine | 108 |
King Arthur and the passage of dominion | 125 |
Conclusion | 151 |
The ancestors of William the Conqueror | 160 |
William II of Normandy the Conqueror | 209 |
The aftermath of Hastings | 253 |
Conclusion | 279 |
| 287 | |
| 297 | |
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Common terms and phrases
abbey addition anecdotes Anglo-Norman appears Arthur Arthurian barons battle Bayeux bien Britain Britons Brittany brother Caen campaign characterised Christian clerics Conception Nostre Dame couplet death depicted Deuxième Partie direct speech Dudo duke of Normandy Duke Robert duke's echoes England English episode fact fait feast French poem Geoffrey of Monmouth Gesta Normannorum Ducum give grant Gyrth Harold Hasting Henry Henry of Blois Historia Regum Britanniae king of France knights land Latin texts lines main source manuscript Margaret material mentioned Merlin miracles mult narrative narrator Nicholas Norman octosyllabic Orderic Vitalis Paris passage phase poet poet's Prologue qu'il recounted reis Richard Robert Curthose Roman de Brut Roman de Rou Rome saint Nicolas sainte Marguerite Saxons scene sovent throne tion translation Troisième Partie Variant version Vie de sainte Virgin vulgate vulgate text vulgate version Wace Wace's Wace's account Wace's poem William of Jumièges William of Malmesbury William of Poitiers