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Jean Bodel

 

 
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Jean Bodel, who lived in the late twelfth century, was an Old French
Old French

Old French was the Romance languages dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from around 1000 to 1300....
 poet
Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry....
 who wrote a number of chansons de geste
Chanson de geste

The chansons de geste, Old French for "songs of heroic deeds [or lineages]", are the epic poetry that appear at the dawn of French literature....
 as well as many fabliaux. He lived in Arras
Arras

Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard language dialect....
.

Bodel wrote the Chanson de Saisnes, about the war of King Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
 with the Saxons and their leader Widukind
Widukind

Widukind was a Saxons leader and the chief opponent of Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars. In later times, he became a symbol of Saxon independence and a figure of legend, and was stylized as a prototypical Germanic peoples hero....
, whom Bodel calls Guiteclin. He also wrote a miracle play called the Jeu de Saint Nicolas, which tells a story of how Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker....
 forces some thieves to restore a stolen treasure.

Bodel was the first person of record to classify the legendary themes and literary cycles
Literature cycle

Literary cycles are groups of stories grouped around common figures, often based on mythical figures or loosely on historic ones....
 known to medieval literature
Medieval literature

Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe beyond and during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works....
 into the "Three Matters"; the "Matter of Rome
Matter of Rome

According to the Middle Ages poetry Jean Bodel, the Matter of Rome was the literature cycle made up of Greek mythology and Roman mythology, together with episodes from the history of classical antiquity, focusing on military heroes like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar....
", or retellings of stories from classical antiquity
Classical antiquity

Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome....
; the "Matter of Britain
Matter of Britain

The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of Great Britain, especially those focused on King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table ....
", concerning King Arthur
King Arthur

King Arthur is a legendary Britons leader who, according to medieval histories and Romance , led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century....
; and the "Matter of France
Matter of France

The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle, is a body of legendary history that springs from the Old French medieval literature of the chanson de geste....
", concerning Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
 and his paladin
Paladin

The paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France....
s.

In 1202, Bodel contracted leprosy
Leprosy

Leprosy , or Hansen's disease , is a Chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the Peripheral nervous system and Mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external symptom....
 and entered a leprosarium.








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Jean Bodel, who lived in the late twelfth century, was an Old French
Old French

Old French was the Romance languages dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from around 1000 to 1300....
 poet
Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry....
 who wrote a number of chansons de geste
Chanson de geste

The chansons de geste, Old French for "songs of heroic deeds [or lineages]", are the epic poetry that appear at the dawn of French literature....
 as well as many fabliaux. He lived in Arras
Arras

Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard language dialect....
.

Bodel wrote the Chanson de Saisnes, about the war of King Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
 with the Saxons and their leader Widukind
Widukind

Widukind was a Saxons leader and the chief opponent of Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars. In later times, he became a symbol of Saxon independence and a figure of legend, and was stylized as a prototypical Germanic peoples hero....
, whom Bodel calls Guiteclin. He also wrote a miracle play called the Jeu de Saint Nicolas, which tells a story of how Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas

Saint Nicholas is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker....
 forces some thieves to restore a stolen treasure.

Bodel was the first person of record to classify the legendary themes and literary cycles
Literature cycle

Literary cycles are groups of stories grouped around common figures, often based on mythical figures or loosely on historic ones....
 known to medieval literature
Medieval literature

Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe beyond and during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works....
 into the "Three Matters"; the "Matter of Rome
Matter of Rome

According to the Middle Ages poetry Jean Bodel, the Matter of Rome was the literature cycle made up of Greek mythology and Roman mythology, together with episodes from the history of classical antiquity, focusing on military heroes like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar....
", or retellings of stories from classical antiquity
Classical antiquity

Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome....
; the "Matter of Britain
Matter of Britain

The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of Great Britain, especially those focused on King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table ....
", concerning King Arthur
King Arthur

King Arthur is a legendary Britons leader who, according to medieval histories and Romance , led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century....
; and the "Matter of France
Matter of France

The Matter of France, also known as the Carolingian cycle, is a body of legendary history that springs from the Old French medieval literature of the chanson de geste....
", concerning Charlemagne
Charlemagne

Charlemagne was List of Frankish kings from 768 to his death. He expanded the Franks kingdoms into a Carolingian Empire that incorporated much of Western Europe and Central Europe....
 and his paladin
Paladin

The paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France....
s.

In 1202, Bodel contracted leprosy
Leprosy

Leprosy , or Hansen's disease , is a Chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the Peripheral nervous system and Mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external symptom....
 and entered a leprosarium.