Medieval Tales and Stories

Medieval Tales and Stories: 108 Prose Narratives of the Middle Ages

Medieval Tales and Stories are stories ranging from half-page morality tales to hilarious bawdy stories several pages long, these centuries-old narratives offer revealing glimpses into many elements of medieval culture. Witchcraft, magic, Crusaders, astrology, alchemy, pacts with the Devil, chivalry, and trial by torture are here, along with church councils, mercantile life, such famous figures as Abelard, Dante, and Giotto, and much more.

Chosen from ten well-known medieval collections (Disciplina clericalis, Dolopathos, Il Novellino, Gesta Romanorum, Il Pecorone, Les cent nouvelles nouvelles, etc.), almost all the pieces included here are hard to find in any language, and only a handful have been translated into English previously. These are stories that influenced many later writers, including Boccaccio, Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Flaubert, among others. Newly translated from Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, and German originals, they are sure to delight today’s readers, and to provide fascinating insights for the scholar, student, or historian.

About the Author

Stanley Appelbaum served for decades as Dover’s Editor in Chief until his retirement in 1996. He continues to work as a selector, compiler, editor, and translator of literature in a remarkable range of languages that includes Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Russian.