The twelfth-century Dutch beast epic, Van den Vos Reynaerde, is distinguished from all preceding versions of the tale by a final and original episode concerning a hidden treasure at Kriekenput. The story of the stolen and buried treasure is concocted by the fox to trick the king and Queen of the animal kingdom into pardoning Reynaerde's heinous crimes and releasing him. This story not only contains the original portion of the poem but also describes the attitude of the Van den Vos Reynaerde (VdVR) toward originality. Like the fox, Willem the poet entices his audience to another tale about Reynaerde by luring them with the treasure of tales buried in the preceding French branches of the Roman de Renart (in particular Branche I from which he borrows liberally). At the same time he self-consciously and comically discusses his fox-like foraging for poetic originality which, according to the original adventure at Kriekenput, is no more tangible than an illusory buried treasure. - [Author]

Language: English