Heptaméron
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The ''Heptaméron'' is a collection of 72
short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
written in French by
Marguerite de Navarre Marguerite de Navarre (french: Marguerite d'Angoulême, ''Marguerite d'Alençon''; 11 April 149221 December 1549), also known as Marguerite of Angoulême and Margaret of Navarre, was a princess of France, Duchess of Alençon and Berry, and Queen ...
(1492–1549), published posthumously in 1558. It has the form of a
frame narrative A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...
and was inspired by ''
The Decameron ''The Decameron'' (; it, label= Italian, Decameron or ''Decamerone'' ), subtitled ''Prince Galehaut'' (Old it, Prencipe Galeotto, links=no ) and sometimes nicknamed ''l'Umana commedia'' ("the Human comedy", as it was Boccaccio that dubbed Da ...
'' of Giovanni Boccaccio. It was originally intended to contain one hundred stories covering ten days like ''The Decameron'', but at Marguerite’s death it was completed only as far as the second story of the eighth day. Many of the stories deal with love, lust, infidelity, and other romantic and sexual matters. One was based on the life of
Marguerite de La Rocque Marguerite de La Rocque de Roberval ('' fl'' 1515–1542) was a French noblewoman who spent some years marooned on the Île des Démons while on her way to New France (Quebec). She became well known after her subsequent rescue and return to Franc ...
, a French noblewoman who was punished by being abandoned with her lover on an island off
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. In 1973, the French director
Claude Pierson Claude Pierson (17 November 1930 – 19 March 1997) (also known as Caroline Joyce, Carolyne Joyce, Carolyn Joyce, Andrée Marchand, André Marchand and Paul Martin) was a French film director, writer and producer. His most famous film is '' Jus ...
(1930-1997) made an adaptation of this work, entitled '' Ah ! Si mon moine voulait…'' with
Alice Arno Alice Arno, (born June 29, 1946) is a French actress, nudist and model, best known for her roles in European sexploitation and horror film genre. Movie career Arno (who was raised in a family of nudists) worked as a nude model (posing for ''Pop ...
in the cast. The collection first appeared in print in 1558 under the title ''Histoires des amans fortunez'' edited by
Pierre Boaistuau Pierre Boaistuau, also known as Pierre Launay or Sieur de Launay (c. 1517, Nantes – 1566, Paris), was a French Renaissance humanist writer, author of a number of popularizing compilations and discourses on various subjects. Beside his many popu ...
, who took considerable liberties with the original version; he used only 67 of the stories, many in abbreviated form, and omitted much of the significant material between the stories. He also transposed stories and ignored their grouping into days as envisaged by the author. A second edition by Claude Gruget appeared only a year later in which the editor claimed to have "restored the order previously confused in the first impression". Also the prologues and epilogues to each short story left out by Boaistuau were put back and the work was given, for the first time, the title ''Heptaméron'' (from the
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
ἑπτά – "seven" and ἡμέρα – "day") due to the seven-day time frame into which the first 70 short stories are grouped.


Summary of the "Prologue"

In the "Prologue" to ''The Heptameron'', Parlamente, having obtained her husband Hircan's permission to do so, makes bold to ask Lady Oisille to devise an appropriate means by which the company of stranded guests, who are waiting for the building of a
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
to be completed and are beset by a series of natural calamities and criminal actions which keep them virtual prisoners in an
abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The con ...
, may amuse themselves. A devout Christian, the lady suggests that they read the
Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
. However, Hircan says that they are young enough to need other diversions as well. Parlamente suggests that those who want to write stories after the manner of
Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was some ...
, do so, sharing them with the others in the afternoon, after
Scriptures Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pra ...
are read in the morning. (Marguerite herself was a protector of François Rabelais, who dedicated the third volume of his book, ''
Gargantua and Pantagruel ''The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel'' (french: La vie de Gargantua et de Pantagruel) is a pentalogy of novels written in the 16th century by François Rabelais, telling the adventures of two giants, Gargantua ( , ) and his son Pantagruel ...
'', to her.) It will take 10 days to complete the bridge, and, each day, in a shady grove in a meadow, the writers will share 10 tales, telling a total of 100 stories. The stories will be published, if the audience likes them, and be presented to the listeners as presents. Lady Oisille agrees to Parlamente's recommendation, provided that the stories are true.


Sample story summarized

Saffrendent tells the third story, which is set in
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, during the reign of King Alfonso. During a carnival, the king visits his subjects’ homes as they vie to provide him the best hospitality. As he visits a happily married young couple, he is smitten by the wife’s beauty, and he sends her husband to Rome for a couple weeks on trumped-up business. While the husband is away, the king succeeds in seducing the wife. After a while, the husband becomes suspicious of his wife’s fidelity. He bides his time in silence, hoping for the opportunity to avenge himself. He convinces the queen that he loves her and that she deserves to be treated better by her husband, who dishonors her in cuckolding him. They agree to an adulterous affair between themselves, so that the nobleman cuckolds the king who has cuckolded him. Whenever the nobleman visits his country estates, the king visits his wife, but secretly lusts after men. Instead of going to his estates, the nobleman now goes to the castle to dally with the queen, while the king commits adultery with his wife. The affairs continue for years, well into the couples’ old age. Like many stories of this sort, Saffredent’s tale deals with the theme of cuckoldry and depends on both dramatic and
situational irony Irony (), in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what on the surface appears to be the case and what is actually the case or to be expected; it is an important rhetorical device and literary technique. Irony can be categorized into d ...
for its plot and effects.


See also

*'' Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles''


References


An online exhibition of work in the Gordon Collection of French Books at the University of Virginia Library
*The Heptameron (English Translation by P.A. Chilton), 1984. Reprint 2004.


External links


Illustrated Edition of the ''Heptameron''
*English translation of the ''Heptameron'' at
Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital libr ...
:
Volume I

Volume II

Volume III

Volume IV

Volume V
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heptameron 1558 books 1559 books 16th-century books Frame stories 16th century in France French short story collections Middle French literature Unfinished books Literature by women