Catalan Version L: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:34, 18 February 2026

The metrical Catalan text Libre (or Llibre) dels Set Savi de Roma is an adaptation of the Version L narrative. The poem - consisting of some 3244 octosyllabic rhyming lines - survives in two manuscripts, one fragmentary and one complete, dating from the late 13th/early fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries respectively (Giannetti 1996).

Though the Version L narrative pattern emerges originally in French, scholarship suggests that the language of the Catalan text betrays evidence of a more immediate Provençal/Occitan source (Janer 1907, xx-xxiii), suggesting a possible close relationship between this text and the fragmentary Occitan Version L.

The tendency of the Catalan poet-redactor was primarily to abbreviate the narratives as presented in other Sept Sages texts, with a few notable exceptions. According to Janer, the story Filia is slightly expanded to flesh out the details; however, the story Medicus is given a more dramatic change. In the Catalan iteration of the narrative, the great doctor Hippocrates does not merely fall ill (prompting his remorse for murdering his talented nephew who could have saved him) as he does in other versions. Instead, the redactor took the opportunity to add an example of women's wickedness into the text: Hippocrates is poisoned when the woman he loves gives him meat from a sow to eat (something he foretold would bring about death), and throws away the broth which might have cured him. Hippocrates therefore ensures the woman dies as well.

General Information

Parent Versions

L (Sept Sages de Rome)

Branch of the tradition

Seven Sages of Rome

Literature & Editions

Modern research literature

Janer (1907), Paris (1877), Campbell (1907), Giannetti (1996), Martín Pascual (2005), Mussafia (1876)

Modern Editions

Mussafia, Die catalanische metrische Version der sieben weisen Meister (1876), Giannetii, Lo Libre dels Set Savis de Roma (1996), Janer, Llibre dels Set Savis de Roma (1907)

Recorded Branch of This Secondary Version

L (Sept Sages de Rome)

Adaptations

Adapted from (version)

Occitan Version L

Pattern of Embedded Stories in This Version

Has Short Title	Has Sequence Number	Has Narrator	Has Name Variation
Arbor – The Tree	1	Empress
Canis – The Faithful Dog	2	Bancillas	Bencills
Aper – The Boar and the Fruit	3	Empress
Medicus – The Doctor	4	Anxilles	Encilles
Gaza – The Treasure	5	Empress
Puteus – The Well	6	Lentulus	Lentules
Senescalcus – The Seneschal	7	Empress
Tentamina – The Test	8	Malquidras	Melquider
Virgilius – Virgil's Marvels	9	Empress
Avis – The Bird	10	Cato
Sapientes – The Wise Men	11	Empress
Noverca	12	Josephas	Josep

Connected Manuscripts

	Has Language	Has Location	Has Date Range Of Production
Barcelona Biblioteca de Catalunya Ms. 109	Catalan	Barcelona, Biblioteca de Catalunya	1275 - 1325

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 Though the [[L (Sept Sages de Rome)|Version L]] narrative pattern emerges originally in French, scholarship suggests that the language of the Catalan text betrays evidence of a more immediate Provençal/Occitan source ([[Janer (1907)|Janer 1907]], xx-xxiii), suggesting a possible close relationship between this text and the fragmentary [[Occitan Version L]].
-The tendency of the Catalan poet-redactor was primarily to abbreviate the narratives as presented in other ''Sept Sages'' texts, with a few notable exceptions. According to Janer, the story [[Filia]] is slightly expanded to flesh out the details; however, the story [[Medicus]] is given a more dramatic change. In the Catalan iteration of the narrative, the great doctor Hippocrates does not merely fall ill (prompting his remorse for murdering his talented nephew who could have saved him) as he does in other versions. Instead, the redactor took the opportunity to add an example of women's wickedness into the text: Hippocrates is poisoned when the woman he loves gives him meat from a sow to eat
+The tendency of the Catalan poet-redactor was primarily to abbreviate the narratives as presented in other ''Sept Sages'' texts, with a few notable exceptions. According to Janer, the story [[Filia]] is slightly expanded to flesh out the details; however, the story [[Medicus]] is given a more dramatic change. In the Catalan iteration of the narrative, the great doctor Hippocrates does not merely fall ill (prompting his remorse for murdering his talented nephew who could have saved him) as he does in other versions. Instead, the redactor took the opportunity to add an example of women's wickedness into the text: Hippocrates is poisoned when the woman he loves gives him meat from a sow to eat (something he foretold would bring about death), and throws away the broth which might have cured him. Hippocrates therefore ensures the woman dies as well.
 |Has Parent Version=L (Sept Sages de Rome)
 |Has Branch Of Tradition=Seven Sages of Rome
-|Has Modern Research Literature=Janer (1907)
+|Has Modern Research Literature=Janer (1907); Paris (1877); Campbell (1907); Giannetti (1996); Martín Pascual (2005); Mussafia (1876)
+|Has Modern Edition=Mussafia, Die catalanische metrische Version der sieben weisen Meister (1876); Giannetii, Lo Libre dels Set Savis de Roma (1996); Janer, Llibre dels Set Savis de Roma (1907)
+|Is Adapted From=Occitan Version L
 }}