Versio Italica historiae septem sapientum (L)

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The Latin iteration of the Italian Version I pattern, usually referred to in scholarship as 'L' (in reference to its language), presumably derived from a lost text of Version I, which in turn distantly derived from a French Version A.

The Versio Italica (L) is one of the three 'antique' branches of the Version I pattern, along with Il Libro dei Sette Savi de Roma (C) and Storia d'una Crudele Matrigna (M) (the 'ramo italico antico'). Like both of these Italian redactions, the Latin Versio Italica (L) has fourteen, rather than the expected fifteen stories. The storytelling contest begins with the sages' first story, Canis, rather than a story told by the empress; her story Senescalcus is omitted entirely, and she tells six rather than seven stories. Some scholarship (Rajna) suggests this omission may have been made out of prudishness (as Senescalcus is the most explicit of the tales usually found in the Version A pattern); whatever the reason, the change necessitated a reordering of the narrative components of the text (see story order, below).

D'Agostino (2022) explores the complex relationship between this redaction and the Italian C and M redactions at length. Through close analysis of the textual variations across all manuscript witness of the three redactions, D'Agostino suggests that the Latin Versio Italica (or some specific manuscript witnesses of that version) may have been the source for the Storia d'una Crudele Matrigna (M), as many scholars have suggested (Paris (1876), Rajna (1880), etc.). However, D'Agostino does not concur with Gaston Paris' insistance that the Latin text was the source for Il Libro dei Sette Savi de Roma (C) as well, instead suggesting that C and L both derived from a shared (lost) source, with intervening textual variation, cross-contamination, and mediation (p. 271-75).

Identification and general Information
Reference Number
Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages
Version Number
Title
Author

Tradition and Lineage
Branch of the tradition	West
Adapted from (version)
Adapted into (version)
Source for composition and adaptation information

Recorded secondary versions
I (Versio Italico) Erasto Il Libro dei Sette Savi de Roma (C) L'Amabile di Continentia Storia d'una Crudele Matrigna (M) Storia di Stefano (R) Versio Italica historiae septem sapientum (L)

Connected manuscripts

Manuscript Language Location Date of Production London British Library Additional MS 15685 Latin London, British Library 1375 - 1425 Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cod. Lat. 11726 Latin Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek 1447 Vienna Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. 3332 Latin Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek 1401 - 1500 Wrocław, Biblioteka Ossolineum, No. 2081 Latin Wrocław, Biblioteka Ossolineum 1471

Language and Composition
Original language of version
Language of text	Latin
Regional or specific language of version
Translated into (languages)
Place of composition	Italy
Date of composition	1350 - 1425
Islamic date of composition
Hebrew date of composition
Source for date of composition

Modern Scholarship and Editions
Modern research literature	Fischer (1902), Campbell (1907), Murko (1890), Mussafia (1867), D'Agostino (2022), D'Ancona (1864), Bianchi (2014-2015), Rajna (1880)
Modern Editions	Fischer, Beiträge zur Litteratur der Sieben weisen Meister (1902), Mussafia, Beiträge zur Litteratur der Sieben weisen Meister (1867)

Notes and Commentary
Note
Notes on motifs
Notes on the frame

Pattern of embedded stories in this version

Has Short Title Has Sequence Number Has Narrator Has Name Variation Canis 1 First Master   Arbor 2 Empress   Medicus 3 Second Master   Aper 4 Empress   Tentamina 5 Third Master   Sapientes 6 Empress   Avis 7 Fourth Master   Gaza 8 Empress   Inclusa 9 Fifth Master   Roma 10 Empress   Vidua 11 Sixth Master   Virgilius 12 Empress   Puteus 13 Seventh Master   Copy Embedded Stories Copy Embedded Stories × Select Target Page: Close Process

Connected prints
No connected prints