Research Catalog

Title

The distaff gospels : a first modern English edition of Les évangiles des quenouilles / translated and edited by Madeleine Jeay and Kathleen Garay.

Publication

Peterborough, Ont. ; Orchard Park, NY : Broadview Editions, c2006.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Additional Authors

• Fouquart de Cambray
• Duval, Antoine
• Jean, d'Arras, active 14th century.
• Jeay, Madeleine
• Garay, Kathleen E., 1945-

Description

325 p. : ill.; 22 cm.

Summary

"The Distaff Gospels (Les Evangiles des Quenouilles), a fifteenth-century collection of more than 250 popular beliefs, constitutes a kind of encyclopedia of late medieval women's wisdom. The women's beliefs and experiences are recounted within the narrative frame of traditional gatherings where women meet with their spindles and distaffs to spin. They share advice on such important matters as how to control errant husbands, how to predict the gender of future offspring, how to cure common diseases, and ways to deal with evil spirits, providing a rare look into the intimate lives of medieval peasant women." "This edition includes a facing-page translation (the first in English since 1510) of the two Old French manuscripts of the text. The critical introduction discusses the literary context, textual history, and cultural significance of The Distaff Gospels, while the rich selection of appendices includes translations of the names of the women storytellers and excerpts from works by Giovanni Boccaccio, Jean de Meun, Francois Villon, and Christine de Pizan."--BOOK JACKET.

Uniform Title

Évangiles des quenouilles. English & French.

Subject

• Folklore > France
• Superstition > France
• Women > Humor

Genre/Form

Humor

Note

• Translation of: Les évangiles des quenouilles, attributed to Fouquart de Cambray, Antoine Duval and Jean d'Arras.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 305-316) and index.

Contents

The Distaff Gospels (Paris manuscript : BnF 2151) -- The Distaff Gospels (Chantilly manuscript : Musee Conde) -- The Distaff Gospels : translations of the spinsters' names -- App. A. From Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron (ca. 1351) -- App. B. From Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meung, The romance of the rose (late 13th century) -- App. C. From The fifteen joys of marriage (anon., early 15th century) -- App. D. From Francois Villon, Testament (mid 15th century) -- App. E. From Christine de Pizan, Ballad 26 and The book of the three virtues (early 15th century) -- App. F. From Bartholomaeus Anglicus (Bartholomew the Englishman), On the Properties of Things (mid 13th century).

ISBN

1551115603 (pbk.)

LCCN

^^2006411584

OCLC

• 63194767
• SCSB-11627914

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library