This is something I have let lapse. Regrettable, it's true--but the old English (or "Middle") for any academics out there, is such incredibly dense stuff to get through. It is like hacking away at stones to get the meaning released from inside them. Nevertheless, the words themselves are wonderful, and I have a great deal of empathy for the fox, who is just doing what foxes do. He should not be condemned for that, for he is being true to himself and to the family to which he belongs. Although, in all fairness, the other foxes mentioned in the tale do not seem to uphold the sneaky standards of foxdom with the zeal and relentlessness that Reynard displays. He is a standout, to say the least.
I will pick up the thread of the story after revisiting my last installment, then finding where I left off in the transcribed manuscript. For those interested in looking at the translation as I am reading it, here is a link:
http://bestiary.ca/etexts/morley1889/morley%20-%20history%20of%20reynard%20the%20fox.pdf
This translation, as the preface notes, is from 1481.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
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