Fabliaux - Fabliaux (English spelling)

A collective name for about 150 short verse stories that were popular in northern France (especially Picardy and the Artois region) during the French Middle Ages, mainly in the 13th century. Along with "The Fox's Tale," they represent the mocking and satirical spirit of the emerging middle class and are considered to be the ancestors of the modern short story.

The characters in the stories are townsfolk, knights, priests, monks, and peasants, and their lifestyles, customs, and temperaments are vividly depicted in concise, conversation-based narration, making them valuable sources for understanding the realities of medieval society. Many of the stories are simply humorous, with a foolish husband or a hypocritical monk becoming the victim of practical jokes, but some have a moralistic intent. In addition to "The Three Blind Men of Compiègne," "The Peasant Doctor," and "The Division of the Blankets," written by an unknown minstrel and scholar, there is also "The Testament of the Donkey" by the famous poet Lutboeuf. Although its origins as folklore are hidden in the darkness of antiquity, the literary form shows the influence of Latin comedy. On the other hand, it is also related to the background of the establishment of the emerging civil society in the 12th and 13th centuries.

[Yamada]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランス中世の主として13世紀に、北フランス（ことにピカルディ、アルトア地方）で流行した韻文小話(こばなし)約150編の総称。『狐(きつね)物語』と並んで、新興市民階級の嘲笑(ちょうしょう)的、風刺的な精神を代表し、近代短編小説の祖先とみなされる。

　作中人物は町民、騎士、司祭、修道僧、百姓などで、彼らの生活風俗や気質が会話を中心にした簡潔な叙述のうちに活写されているため、中世社会の実態をうかがううえでの貴重な資料ともなりうる。まぬけな亭主や偽善的な僧侶(そうりょ)が悪ふざけの犠牲者となるような筋の単なる笑い話が多いが、なかには教訓的な意図をもつものもある。名の伝わらぬ吟遊詩人・学僧の作『コンピエーニュの三人盲』『百姓医者』『毛布分け』などのほか、著名な詩人リュトブーフの作『ロバの遺言』などもある。民間伝承としての起源は太古の闇(やみ)に隠れているが、文学形態としてはラテン喜劇の影響が認められる。一方、12～13世紀の新興市民社会の成立という背景とも関連づけられる。

［山田　］

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