{"id":237,"date":"2012-08-09T12:17:57","date_gmt":"2012-08-09T12:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/labs.stefanschleifer.com\/codex\/?p=237"},"modified":"2013-04-02T16:07:31","modified_gmt":"2013-04-02T16:07:31","slug":"paris-bibliotheque-nationale-de-france-fonds-francais-837","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everycodextellsastory.eu\/?p=237","title":{"rendered":"A Veritable Cornucopia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paris, Biblioth\u00e8que nationale de France, fonds fran\u00e7ais 837<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Paris, BNF, fr. 837 is a large manuscript collection which contains an incredible array of medieval French texts<\/a>. It\u00a0constitutes one of the most important witnesses of thirteenth-century vernacular (?<\/a>) literature produced in northern France. Moreover, the manuscript\u00a0also bears witness to what might be described as a boom in the production of large literary multi-text codices. Find out more\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At first sight, it seems to be a highly disparate miscellany. Indeed, the generic diversity of this codex has left many critics bedazzled. Learn more about the the codex’s complex cocktail of\u00a0genres<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, is it possible to identify any principles of organisation that govern its arrangement? And can\u00a0the\u00a0first text<\/a>\u00a0provide any significant clues?<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The beginning of Rutebeuf’s author collection in BNF, fr. 837, f. 283vb
Reproduced by courtesy of Biblioth\u00e8que nationale de France: http:\/\/gallica.bnf.fr\/?lang=EN<\/p><\/div>\n

In its current condition all of the texts are exceptionally short in length. Why is this? Did\u00a0length<\/a>\u00a0play a role in the various stages of its organisation?<\/p>\n

At a time when most short texts were transmitted anonymously, what is the significance of an\u00a0author collection<\/a>\u00a0in this codex?<\/p>\n

The codex appears to have passed through the hands of various readers, with quite different concerns. Interested in finding out more about their scribblings? Click here.<\/a><\/p>\n