A (Seven Sages)

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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.

Identification and general Information
Reference Number
Siglum of the version of the Seven Sages	A (Seven Sages)
Version Number
Title	Seven Sages of Rome/Roman des Sept Sages
Author

Tradition and Lineage
Branch of the tradition	West
Adapted from (version)	V (Lost metrical Old French Sept Sages)
Adapted into (version)	H (Historia Septem Sapientum), I (Versio Italica), M ('Male Marastre')
Source for composition and adaptation information	Campbell (1907), Foehr-Janssens (1994)

Recorded secondary versions

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 manuscripts

Show 102550100 entries Export JSON CSV RSS RDF Search: Manuscript Language Location Date of Production Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Cardiff MS 2.83 (RMWL MS 6) Welsh Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 1550 Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Cardiff MS 3.4 (RMWL Cardiff MS 5) Welsh Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 1527 Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Cwrtmawr MS 20A Welsh Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 1750 - 1782 Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanover MS 13075B Welsh Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 1580 - 1600 Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 117 Welsh Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 1544 - 1552 Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 171 Welsh Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 1574 Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 2. Latin Middle Welsh Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 1451 - 1475 Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 92 Welsh Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 1500 - 1800 Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Peniarth MS 120 Welsh Aberystwyth, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru 1775 - 1800 Arras Médiathèque de l'Abbaye Saint-Vaast 657 Old French Arras, Médiathèque de l'Abbaye Saint-Vaast 1278 Showing 1 to 10 of 53 entries Previous123456Next

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
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Connected prints
No connected prints