Jean Bodel (c. 1165 – c. 1210), was an Old French poet who wrote a number of ''

chansons de geste The ''chanson de geste'' (, from Latin 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th cen ...

'' as well as many

fabliaux A ''fabliau'' (; plural ''fabliaux'') is a comic, often anonymous tale written by jongleurs in northeast France between c. 1150 and 1400. They are generally characterized by sexual and scatological obscenity, and by a set of contrary attitudes� ...

. He lived in

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

Writings

Bodel wrote ("Song of the Saxons") about the war of King Charlemagne with the Saxons and their leader Widukind, whom Bodel calls ''Guiteclin''. He also wrote a miracle play called the '' Le Jeu de saint Nicolas'' ("The Game of Saint Nicolas"), which was probably first performed in

on 5 December 1200. Set in the middle of an epic battle between Christians and Muslims, the play tells the story of a good Christian who escapes the battle and is found praying to a statue of Saint Nicolas by the Muslim forces. The Muslim leader decides to test the saint by unlocking the doors to his treasury and leaving the statue as a guardian, stipulating that if anything were stolen the Christian would forfeit his life. Three thieves attempt to steal the treasure, but Saint Nicolas stops them. As a result, the Muslim ruler and his entire army convert to Christianity. Like another French miracle play from the same time period, ''

Le Miracle de Théophile ''Le Miracle de Théophile'' (The Miracle of Theophilus) is a thirteenth-century miracle play written in Langues d'oïl, circa 1261 by the trouvère Rutebeuf. The play is a religious drama, drawn from traditional accounts of the lives of the S ...

'', ''Le Jeu de saint Nicolas'' contains an invocation to the Devil in an unknown language:Discussed in: Grillot de Givry, ''Witchcraft, Magic & Alchemy'', Courier Dover Publications, 1971, p. 109. ::''Palas aron ozinomas'' ::''Baske bano tudan donas'' ::''Geheamel cla orlay'' ::''Berec hé pantaras tay'' Bodel was the first person of record to classify the legendary themes and literary cycles known to medieval literature into the "Three Matters": *the " Matter of Rome", or retellings of stories from classical antiquity *the " Matter of Britain", concerning

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

and related topics *the "

Matter of France The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle, is a body of literature and legendary material associated with the history of France, in particular involving Charlemagne and his associates. The cycle springs from the Old French '' chan ...

", concerning Charlemagne and his paladins Bodel contracted leprosy in 1202 or 1205, and entered a leprosarium. He then wrote a long farewell, ''"Les Congés"'', his most personal and touching work.

References

External links

* * 1160s births 1210 deaths People from Arras 12th-century French poets French male poets {{France-poet-stub