The fox’s name varies between Reynard, Renard, Renart, Reinard, Reinecke, Reinhardus, Reynardt, and Reynaerde. In France, ‘reynard’ replaced the older word for fox, ‘goupil’. There are carvings of the Reynard cast in Medieval churches and town halls. The portrayal of these proud and haughty dukes, lords, bishops, and cardinals as animals, constantly being tricked by Baron Reynard the fox, was amusing for centuries.

At this time, Europe was divided among a series of kingdoms, duchies, counties, principalities, bishoprics, free cities, and others of shifting borders, with generally weak monarchs and strong nobles who were always jockeying among themselves for power. It was also earthy modern linguists study the manuscripts for their documentation of 12th century insults, swearing, and scatology. Human characters were often peasants.” The tale was doubtlessly so popular with commoners because it was a savage burlesque of the courts and politics of the nobility. The various animals were represented as various members of the aristocracy and the clergy. William Caxton’s English translation of 1481 is one of the earliest printed English books.Īccording to WikiFur, “The stories are among the little political satire from the Middle ages that still survives. Cloud in Old French around 1170, and Reinhard Fuchs by Heinrich der Glïchezäre in Old German around 1180 but all are acknowledged to be based on then-well-known peasants’ folk tales. Reinardus Vulpes, by the Flemish poet Nivardus in Latin around 1150, Le Roman de Renart by Pierre St.

Three of the earliest written versions known are Ysengrimus, a.k.a. King Log and King Stork), is the Medieval folk tale of Reynard the Fox. One of the oldest talking-animal fables, as opposed to short parables such as Aesop’s tale of the frogs that wanted a king (a.k.a.

Van den vos Reynaerde by Unknown