The prose redaction of The Seven Sages usually titled 'Version A' is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential versions of the 'Western' tradition. It originated in Old French, likely in the late 12th or early 13th centuries (see Speer and Foehr-Janssens, pp. 64-74), and was eventually translated into English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, and Welsh. There is a consensus in scholarship that this version was also the source for Versions H, I, and M.
The original Old French prose redaction of Version A likely shared a source with Version K, and that text presumably also shared a source with Versions C and D. This proximity is assessed partially on the basis of embedded stories, and their order within the frame narrative. For example, Version A has the same embedded stories as Versions K and D, but their order differs. Version L, on the other hand, has exactly the same stories in the same order as Version A for the first 11 stories, but then varies dramatically, omitting Vidua and Vaticinium and instead including Filia and Noverca. Of all of these early Old French redactions, however, it was Version A that spread most rapidly and widely.
This narrative version is identified by the story order (below). In Version A, the emperor is often named Dioclecian; his first wife is sometimes named Milicent, or Helie. The prince is named Florentine in the Middle English version, and Stefano in the Italian.
Recorded secondary versions
|
|
Connected manuscripts
|
Manuscript | Language | Location | Date of Production |
---|
Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 2. | Latin Middle Welsh | Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru | 1451 - 1475 | Arras Médiathèque de l'Abbaye Saint-Vaast 657 | Old French | Arras, Médiathèque de l'Abbaye Saint-Vaast | 1278 | Bern Burgerbibliothek Cod. 388 | Old French | Bern, Burgerbibliothek | 1285 - 1315 | Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 10171 | Old French | Brussel, Koninklijke Bibliotheek | 1293 | Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 11190-11191 | Old French | Brussel, Koninklijke Bibliotheek | 1390 - 1400 | Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 9433 | Old French | Brussel, Koninklijke Bibliotheek | c. 1330 | Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek II 1171 | Dutch | Brussel, Koninklijke Bibliotheek | 1325/1350 | Cambridge Fitzwilliam Museum McClean 179 | Old French | Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum | 1275 - 1300 | Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17 | English | Cambridge University Library | 1350/1400 | Cambridge University Library MS Ff. 2, 38 | English | Cambridge University Library | 1400/1500 | Cambridge University Library MS Gg.1.1 | English Latin Old French | Cambridge University Library | 1307 - 1400 | Chantilly Musée Condé MS 683 | Latin | Bibliothèque et archives du Château de Chantilly (Musée Condé) | 1301 - 1400 | Edinburgh National Library of Scotland Advocates MS 19.2.1, Auchinleck Manuscript | English | Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland | 1331/1340 | Edinburgh National Library of Scotland Advocates MS 72.1.39 | Scots Gaelic Gaelic | Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland | 1690 - 1700 | Edinburgh National Library of Scotland MS. 16500, Asloan Manuscript | Scots | Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland | 1513/1542 | Firenze Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Ashburnham 49 (Libri 122) | Old French | Firenze, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana | 1300 - 1400 | Fribourg Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire L 13 | Old French | Fribourg, Bibliothèque cantonale et universitaire | 1425 - 1475 | London British Library Arundel 140 | English | London, British Library | 1400/1425 | London British Library Cotton Galba E IX | English | London, British Library | 1400/1425 | London British Library Egerton 1995 | English | London, British Library | 1475/1500 | London British Library Harley 3860 | Old French | London, British Library | 1315 - 1350 | Mons Université de Mons Bibliothèque Centrale cod. 330/215 | Old French | Mons, Université de Mons, Bibliothéque Centrale | 1300 - 1325 | Oxford Balliol College Library MS 354 (Richard Hill's Commonplace Book) | English | Oxford, Bodleian Library | 1501 - 1533 | Oxford Bodleian Library Jesus College MS. 111 | Welsh | Oxford, Bodleian Library | 1375 - 1415 | Oxford Bodleian Library Jesus College MS. 20 | Welsh | Oxford, Bodleian Library | 1400 - 1425 | Oxford Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 175 | English | Oxford, Bodleian Library | 1350/1400 | Oxford St John's College Library 102 | Old French | Oxford, St John's College | 1375 - 1400 | Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3152 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal | 1200 - 1300 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Moreau 1691 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1700 - 1800 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 1421 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1275 - 1300 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 20040 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1200 - 1300 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 2137 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1275 - 1300 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 22548-22550 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1300 - 1350 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 25545 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | November 1316 - 1317/04/03 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 5586 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1477 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 93 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1466 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, nouvelles acquisitions françaises, 1263 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1200 - 1300 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, nouvelles acquisitions françaises, 12791 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1300 - 1400 | Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, nouvelles acquisitions françaises, 13521 | Old French | Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France | 1275 - 1300 | Saint-Étienne Médiathèque Municipale 109 | Old French | Saint-Étienne, Médiathèque Municipale | 15th century? (See notes) | St. Florian Stiftsbibliothek Cod. XI 92 B | German (High and Low German) | St. Florian, Stiftsbibliothek | 1453 | Stockholm Kungliga biblioteket Cod. Holm. D 4 | Old Swedish | Stockholm, Kungliga biblioteket | 1400 - 1450 | Stockholm Kungliga biblioteket HS A 49 | Old Swedish | Stockholm, Kungliga biblioteket | 1400 - 1450 | Turin Biblioteca Nazionale MS L V 32 (lost) | Old French | | 1275 - 1325 | Wien Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Cod. 2937 | German (High and Low German) | Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek | 1400/1450 |
|
Language and Composition
|
Original language of version |
Old French
|
Language of text |
|
Regional or specific language of version |
|
Translated into (languages) |
English, Middle English, Middle Scots, French, German (High and Low German), Dutch, Italian, Old Swedish, Welsh, Swedish
|
Place of composition |
France
|
Date of composition
|
1175 - 1225
|
Islamic date of composition |
|
Hebrew date of composition |
|
Source for date of composition |
Campbell (1907), Speer and Foehr-Janssens (2017)
|
Modern Scholarship and Editions
|
Modern research literature |
Speer and Foehr-Janssens (2017), Foehr-Janssens (1994), Campbell (1907), Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984), Runte, Society of the Seven Sages Portal (2014), Coco (2016)
|
Modern Editions |
Runte, Les sept sages de Rome: An On-Line Edition of French Version A (2006), Coco, Il Roman des sept sages (2016), Brunner, The Seven Sages of Rome (Southern Version) (1933), Whitelock, The Seven Sages of Rome (Midland Version) (2005), Campbell, The Seven Sages of Rome (Northern Version) (1907)
|
Notes and Commentary
|
Note |
|
Notes on motifs |
|
Notes on the frame |
|
Pattern of embedded stories in this version
|
|
Connected prints
|
No connected prints
|