{"product_id":"the-romance-of-the-violet-nancy-vine-durling-9781476694375","title":"The Romance of the Violet and Other Wager Tales from Medieval France","description":"\u003cp\u003e A high-stakes wager placed on a woman's virtue; men who spy on bathing women; tell-tale birthmarks; cross-dressing; dragons; tournaments; and aristocrats bursting into song--these features and more appear in the three stories translated here, all versions of the folktale known as \"the wager tale.\" Such stories were especially popular in thirteenth-century France, when noblemen fulfilled their feudal duties far from home. Did their women remain faithful? A pressing question, for only female chastity guaranteed the legitimacy of heirs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This collection offers the first translations into English of \u003ci\u003eThe Romance of the Violet\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Count of Poitiers\u003c\/i\u003e, along with a new version of \u003ci\u003eThe Tale of King Flore and the Fair Joan\u003c\/i\u003e. The first paints a vivid portrait of thirteenth-century courtly life. The second, set in the eighth-century court of King Pepin, includes both a wager tale and a bride quest, the latter involving a shocking scene of female group nudity. \u003ci\u003eFlore and Joan\u003c\/i\u003e takes a different tack, presenting a clear-eyed heroine who overcomes daunting odds by posing as a man. These medieval tales portray strong women who gainsay social control of their bodies, thereby winning the respect of men--a scenario that resonates even today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Nancy Vine Durling\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1476694370\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781476694375\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e McFarland \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/14\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 268\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.34d","brand":"Nancy Vine Durling","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46136190304511,"sku":"9781476694375","price":49.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_9b0f7a37-2ec3-40bd-802b-5ecbf39e953c.jpg?v=1726415951","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-romance-of-the-violet-nancy-vine-durling-9781476694375","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}