The Divine Truth of Scripture: Chant in the Roman de Fauvel

Abstract

The Roman de Fauvel-a satirical tale of the rise and fall of a vice-ridden beast-was begun in the last years of the reign of Philip "le Bel" (d. 1314). Intended as an allegory of the French royal court, the version preserved in Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds fr. 146 renders the references to specific persons and events more explicit and pointed. This was achieved through the inclusion of an expanded French narrative, illustrations, and 169 musical pieces-monophonic and polyphonic, French and Latin. This study examines one category of musical pieces, those based on liturgical chant. The nature of those pieces-their identity as chants if they are liturgical, their relation to chant if they are not-and the reasons for their inclusion are explored.