This paper is a comparative study of the continuation of both the Middle Dutch Pardionopeus van Bloys and the Old French Partonopeus de Blois. The author argues that, contrary to the opinions of some previous scholars, Parthonopeus van Bloys is not an unquestioning translation of the French text; rather it represents a subtle reworking of the continuation. The Dutch tale also contains a unique episode which has little in common with the French tradition, which appears to be an original composition rather than a translation of a lost Old French version. The author observes that the Middle Dutch adaptation differentiates more clearly between Christians and Muslims than the Old French version, and notes the narrator's use of humour and irony, particularly in the portrayal of the sultan. She concludes that the writer of Parthonopeus van Bloys was no simple translator, but rather a critical adaptor who analysed his original carefully and then produced a modified text which was popular among the medieval Dutch-speaking public

This paper explores the relationship between Partonopeus de Blois and other contemporary Old French texts. Among the numerous reworkings of literary material recognisable within the narrative, the author focuses on how the narrator of the Old French text rewrites elements from the romances of antiquity, particularly material related to Thebes and to the story of Troy. He argues that the skillful integration of these elements and the inherent intertextuality of the structure of the romance informs our reception of the text, and contributes to a complex reading of what is a superbly-architectured piece of work. He goes on to argue that it is only by understanding the subtle nuances of the literary interplay within Partonopeus de Blois that we will be able to further our knowledge of the place held by this particular romance in the pantheon of medieval literature.

Forgotten in France for many centuries, the romance of Partonopeus de Blois was resurrected in the eighteenth century and enjoyed a certain notoriety which culminated in Massenet's opera Esclarmonde, a nineteenth-century adaptation of the tale by the librettist Alfred Blau. This paper reveals the story of the rediscovery and the dissemination of Partonopeus de Blois through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and explores the motivations of the early philologists for choosing this romance. The author then focuses on the sources of the opera Esclarmonde and on the possible inspirations and influences affecting its creators

This paper focuses on the prologue of the Old French Partonopeus de Blois. The author analyses the narrator's style of writing and argues that he puts the receivers at the very centre of the experience, relying on them to analyse the material with his subtle help. The author argues that it is therefore not the intrinsic nature — good or bad — of the story which is important, but what the receivers may gain from it. Via a series of reworkings, the creator of Partonopeus orients the reception of the story and establishes his narrative style by an innovative use of literary tradition.

This paper analyses the differing receptions of the Old French Partonopeus de Blois in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries by revisiting a little known text, a peculiar prolongation in the form of an Art d'aimer which has been added to a versified French translation of the Disciplina clericalis. This continuation exists in only one manuscript; recent advances in technology and new research have allowed the author to determine that quite large parts of this Art d'aimer have been borrowed from Partonopeus. He analyses these borrowings, reassesses the judgments of his predecessors, and concludes that Partonopeus de Blois might have had a much greater literary impact on the authors of other Old French texts than has previously been thought

In this paper the author revisits selected scenes of love and war from the Old French Partonopeus de Blois. He focuses on the rhetoric of these passages and by a close textual reading highlights the dynamics of the romance and the game of echoes between the two spheres. He underlines the symmetry of the discourse of love and war and the constant dialogue which is established by the anonymous author. Epic and courtly motifs are knowingly intertwined to create meaning and to renew the art of writing. He concludes that in this story, love is the way to redeem not only the knight but also the narrator of the romance.

This paper consists of a comparative study of the figure of the narrator in the Old French Partonopeus de Blois and the Middle Dutch Parthonopeus van Bloys. The author focuses on two key passages which illustrate the way in which the translator both maintains and adapts the narratorial interventions in the text. In general, the figure of the narrator in the Middle Dutch poem is a faithful recreation of his French predecessor; however, there are some significant differences between the two. In the first passage the addition of a reference to Ovid illustrates the relationship between the poet and his medieval Dutch public. The second passage forms part of the translator's own original continuation of the story of the sultan Margaris, which sees a significant shift in the function of the narrator and the tone of his interventions.

This paper analyses the importance of the forest in understanding the Old French Partonopeus de Blois. The forest embodies the dual nature of the romance, mixing religious and supernatural elements. It provides a structural framework for the action, as both parts of the romance start with a journey into the forest: it is the passage to the Otherworld, the frontier between reality and the unknown. Placed at the limit of the civilised world, the forest is the space of perigrinations and of reconciliation, both with other characters and with God. In Partonopeus the forest also leads to the sea, the next step in the journey to the Otherworld, and the passage from one realm of reality to the other is achieved with the help of an animal. The author also reflects on the otherworldly roles of Melior and Uraque, in the traditions of the fairy lover and the healing fairy.