Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis

The anonymous Older Scots narrative The Buke of the Sevyne Sagis is preserved in the Asloan manuscript (Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Advocates 16500), which was composed ca. 1515. The manuscript's name comes from its scribe, John Asloan, a copyist and notary public living in and around Edinburgh.

Like the contemporaneous Middle English manuscripts, the Scottish narrative is also part of the Version A branch of the tradition, and also likely had a French Version A text as its primary source, judging by the stories and their order. Also like the English texts, the Buke is in octosyllabic tail-rhymed verse. However, the Buke also diverges from the Version A/English narratives' pattern in a few key ways that suggest narrative proximity to the Historia tradition as well. Catherine van Buuren notes that there are several points when the Buke uses language identical to that found in some of the Latin Version H texts, with narrative details further exemplifying the influence of the Historia tradition (Van Buuren (1982), pp. 136-81). Critically, this includes the revelation and gender-reveal of the empress's lover at the end of the frame story, something that is not found in the Version A narrative pattern. Van Buuren notes that while this could suggest a lost, early A/H source that blends the two traditions, it is perhaps more likely that the author of the Buke was familiar with both the Version A and Version H narratives.

It is worth noting that the narrative in its current form contains only thirteen stories. There is a lacuna between Sapientes (the 11th story, told by the Empress) and Inclusa; according to Catherine van Buuren (1982), this likely included the sixth sage's tale, and the Empress's reponse to it.

General Information
Language within Version	Older Scots
Narrative / Scholarly Group
Parent Versions	A (Seven Sages)
Child Versions
Author
Title
Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages	Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis
Version Number
Branch of the tradition	West

Language & Composition
Original language of version	Older Scots
Translated into (languages)
Place of composition	Scotland
Date of composition	1513 - 1542
Source for date of composition	https://digital.nls.uk/235163104

Literature & Editions
Modern research literature	Van Buuren (1982), Cragie (1923), Van Buuren (1978)
Modern Editions	Craigie, Buke of the Sevyne Sagis (1923, 1925), Van Buuren, The Buke of the Sevyne Sagis (1982)

Recorded branch of this secondary version
A (Seven Sages) French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Group U Group V Group W Group X Group Y Group Z German Version A: Allegatio/Libellus Latin Version A: Allegatio/Libellus Middle English Version A Midland Version Y Group Northern English Southern English Old Swedish Version A: Sju vise mästare Old Swedish Redaction A Old Swedish Redaction B Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis Scots Gaelic Version A Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Early Modern and Modern Welsh Version A Middle Welsh Version A

Connected prints
No connected prints

Adaptations
Adapted from (version)	French Version A, H (Historia Septem Sapientum)
Adapted into (version)
Source for composition and adaptation information	Van Buuren (1982)

Languages in Use
Language of text	Scots
Regional or specific language of version	Middle Scots

Notes
Note
Notes on motifs
Notes on the frame

Pattern of embedded stories in this version

Connected manuscripts