From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reynard the Fox may refer to:
- Reynard, a trickster fox in Western European folklore and fable
- Reynard cycle, the fabular cycle concerned with Reynard
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynard_the_Fox
Reynard the Fox
Reynard the Fox is the trickster hero of works known as “beast epics” from northern and western Europe. Reynard is first known to appear in the mock-epic Ysengrimus written by Nivardus between 1148 and 1149 in Ghent. Ysengrimus the wolf is repeatedly tricked by Reinardus. The character reappeared in the 1170s in the Roman de Renart, a series of narrative poems with the same characters, including Chanticleer the Rooster and Tibert the Cat. This anonymous series of works is often divided into “branches”, including the most famous Branch I, also known as “Le plaid” or “Reynard’s Trial”, in which Reynard is tried for crimes against the animal kingdom and eventually escapes punishment through trickery.
The next appearance of Reynard was in Alsace, in Heinrich der Glichsaere’s 1191 work Reinhart Fuchs, an adaptation of the Roman de Renart with additional original work. More versions followed, including texts in English, Swedish, and Latin.
Scholars have viewed the Reynard stories as social satire, with early versions being critical of the Roman Catholic church. Over the years, Reynard has reappeared in popular culture. Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky used the tale in a ballet commonly known under its French title, Renard: Histoire burlesque chantee et jouee (The Fox: Burlesque Tale Sung and Played, composed in 1916 and first staged in 1922). Drawing on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Reineke Fuchs (1794), Irene and Wladyslaw Starewicz made Le roman de Renard. and early French stop-action animation that premiered in 1937 in Berlin with a German soundtrack. An animated version was also made in Holland in 1943, based on Robert van Genechten’s anti-Semitic children’s story Van den vos Reynaerde (1937). In the twenty-first century, Reynard the Fox has made his appearance in the graphic novel series Fables (2002-) by Bill Willingham. One interesting societal effect of Reynard is that in the French language, the archaic word goupil was replaced by the modern renard, or fox.
Reynard the Fox and Isengrin the Wolf
(submitted by Jamie Kakacek)
Reynard the Fox wanted a drink. It was hot and he had been running all day.
It was night when he came across a well; there was a big moon in the sky. The Fox could see a bucket at the top of the well. But there was no water in the bucket.
Reynard looked into the well and could see the water at the bottom. The Fox jumped into the bucket and down he went to the bottom of the well. And as the bucket went down into the well, the other bucket came up to the top of the well.
The Fox drank all the water he wanted. Then he found that he could not get out of the well. The other bucket had gone to the top of the well.
“If someone would only get into the bucket at the top of the well,” said Reynard to himself, “that bucket would come down to the bottom of the well and the bucket that I am in would go to the top.”
It was while Reynard was talking to himself that Isengrim the Wolf looked over the edge of the well.
“I thought I heard someone talking down there,” said Isengrim.
“Hello, my good friend,” called Reynard.
“What are you doing down in the well?” asked Isengrim.
“I am having a great feast,” called Reynard. “Can’t you see the big cheese I am eating? It is so big that I cannot eat all of it.”
Isengrim the Wolf looked into the well. He saw the reflection of the big yellow moon and he thought it was a big cheese.
“Get into the bucket and come down and have a feast with me,” called Reynard.
Reynard had played many tricks on Isengrim and the wolf did not trust him. He looked down into the well again. There he saw what he thought was a big yellow cheese. And he began to want some of that cheese very much.
“On your way home,” called Reynard, “stop at my house and send my wife and children to me I would like them to have some of this cheese.”
“I would like to have some of that cheese, too,” said Isengrim. And the wolf got into the bucket.
Down went Isengrim to the bottom of the well. And as he went down to the bottom, the bucket with Reynard in it came to the top.
“Have a good feast on the cheese!” called Reynard.
When the bucket reached the top of the well the fox jumped out and ran home.
Isengrim, at the bottom of the well, howled and howled. Some farmers came and threw stones down into the well. When morning came, Isengrim the Wolf was dead.
