Reynard the Fox

Reynard the Fox, wily protagonist of the medieval verse cycles known as the beast epics. These works, which feature animals acting human roles, probably appeared first in Alsace-Lorraine in the middle of the 12th century; they then became popular in Germany, France, the Low Countries, and England. An extant French version of the epic Le roman de Renart—a collection of stories dating from the mid-12th to the end of the 13th century and consisting of approximately 40,000 lines—is probably the best known. It tells of the summons of King Noble, the lion, to Reynard, who has been accused of various misdeeds by the other animals, led by Isengrim the wolf. In the tales that follow, Reynard repeatedly demonstrates how cleverness can triumph over brute strength. Amusing on the surface, the beast epics are also satirical commentaries on medieval life, in which the Church and the nobility are the primary targets.