Renart, Jean

Renart, Jean zhäN rənärˈ [key], fl. 1212, French poet. He is believed to be the author of two charming romans courtois, or metrical romances—Guillaume de Dole and L'Escoufle [the hawk] as well as Le Lai de l'ombre. These works contain realistic sketches of medieval life and are marked by psychological insight. Renart's use of traditional songs in his verse novels was widely imitated.

See study by P. H. Beekman (1935).

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