M ('Male Marastre')

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The Old French Ystoire de la Male Marastre, also known as Version M, is a particularly anomalous redaction of the Roman des Sept Sage narrative. It was composed the late thirteenth or early fourteenth centuries, with a ("much mutilated") text of the French Version A as its probable source, judging from the style and order of the first few stories (Campbell 1907).

Unusually, this version not only gives the name of the emperor (Dioclesien), but also the name of the prince, who is called Phiseus (or Fiseus). It also contains six unique stories, found nowhere else in the tradition, titled Filius, Nutrix, Antenor, Spurius, Cardamum, and Assassinus (replacing Puteus, Senescalcus, Tentamina, Virgilius, Sapientes, and Roma in Version A). Almost all of these additional stories (with the exception of Nutrix) have orientalised settings, and an unusually overt focus on religious conversion and/or conflict between Christianity and Islam.

In his introduction to his 1974 edition of the Ystoire, Runte notes that although all seven sages are introduced by name, two of them - Malcuidanz and Martins - do not appear to tell their stories (1974, p. xxiii). Runte suggests that Lentulus appearing twice to tell both Vidua and Cardamum is simply due to scribal error. However, the fact that the final story is told by Markes (or Marcus), the son of the sage Cato/Chaton, is indicative of his unusual prominence in the narrative. This also serves as evidence of the links between Version M and the 'continuations' (or sequels) to the Seven Sages material, in particular Le Roman de Marques de Rome, which continues the story of Markes.

Identification and general Information
Reference Number
Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages	M
Version Number
Title	Ystoire de la Male Marastre
Author

Tradition and Lineage
Branch of the tradition	West
Adapted from (version)	A (Seven Sages)
Adapted into (version)
Source for composition and adaptation information	Runte (1974)

Recorded secondary versions
M ('Male Marastre') French Version M

Connected manuscripts

Manuscript Language Location Date of Production Firenze Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Ashburnham 52 Old French Firenze, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana 1300 - 1350 Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 2998 Old French Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 1400 - 1500 Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 2999 Old French Paris, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 1400 - 1500 Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 573 Old French Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France 1400 - 1450

Language and Composition
Original language of version	Old French
Language of text	Old French
Regional or specific language of version
Translated into (languages)
Place of composition
Date of composition	1250 - 1350
Islamic date of composition
Hebrew date of composition
Source for date of composition	Runte (1974)

Modern Scholarship and Editions
Modern research literature	Runte (1974), Runte (1971), Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984), Foehr-Janssens (1994), Runte, Society of the Seven Sages Portal (2014), Campbell (1907)
Modern Editions	Runte, Li Ystoire de la Male Marastre (Version M) (1974)

Notes and Commentary
Note
Notes on motifs
Notes on the frame

Pattern of embedded stories in this version
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Connected prints
No connected prints