Roberto Pesce - The Story of Attila in Prose: A Critical Edition and Translation of the Estoire d’Atile en prose

The Story of Attila in Prose is the first critical edition and translation of the thirteenth-century Franco-Italian prose text the Estoire dAtile en prose. Preserved in two anonymous and untitled manuscripts composed between the last quarter of the thirteenth century and the beginning of the fourteenth century, the story recounts the fictional founding of Venice after the invasion of Italy by Attila the Hun. The manuscripts, located in Zagreb and Venice, detail Attilas pagan mother, her union with a dog, and his feral birth, as well as his unusual death during a chess match and the origins of the Holy Grail. This edition and translation are based on the Zagreb manuscript, which was only recently discovered. The book includes a full critical apparatus containing rejected readings and variants from the Venetian manuscript, and a thorough introduction that discusses the literary value of the text, its possible sources, and its influence on later literature. It is important reading for both historians of medieval Europe and literary critics.

Roberto Pesce is Assistant Professor of Italian at the University of Oklahoma, USA. His research focuses on medieval literature, especially chronicles and historical works in Italian vernacular and Latin.

Logan E. Whalen is Professor of French at the University of Oklahoma, USA. His primary research interests include romance, fable, fabliaux, and chansons de geste.

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The Story of Attila in Prose: A Critical Edition and Translation of the Estoire dAtile en prose edited and translated by Roberto Pesce and Logan E. Whalen

First published 2022

by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

and by Routledge

605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158

2022 Roberto Pesce and Logan E. Whalen

The right of Roberto Pesce and Logan E. Whalen to be identified as editors and translators of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

A catalog record has been requested for this book

ISBN: 978-0-367-46975-7 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-032-10111-8 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-1-003-03235-9 (ebk)

DOI: 10.4324/9781003032359

Typeset in Times New Roman

by codeMantra

DOI: 10.4324/9781003032359-2

Z2, Z3, and V2 represent interventions by hands later than those of the scribes of each manuscript. Rejected readings and variants are listed by line numbers.

Aprs ce qe nostre Segnor Jesu Crist nasqui e fu pen e mort, li saint apostre furent mout esgar. Mes aprs ce qe il fu resuscite se reconforterent il molt, qe il le virent e parlerent a lui maintes foiz. Mes le jor de la Pentecoste dona nostre Syres as apostres sa grace e sa beneicon, e li Saint Espirit dona il a chaschun qe lavoit ve aler en ciel le jor de lAscension. E de lors en avant tint chascun sa voie e sen alerent parmi le monde preechant le nom de Jesu Crist e tot ce che il virent e orent de lui. Monsegnor saint Pierre sen ala en Antioche e dilec a Rome preechant le nom de Jesu Crist e le saint baptisme, e saint Poul avec lui, e firent tant par la volent nostre Segnor Jesu Crist qe il donerent li saint baptisme a maint prodome. Qe vos diroge je? Mesire saint Pierre e monsegnor san Poul en furent ocis. E li autres apostres en furent ocis e mort. Monseignor saint Johans Baptiste devant ce qe Jesu Crist fust crucifiez, Herodes li fist trencher la teste. Mes aprs la mort Jesu Crist furent li apostre ocis e tex i fu crucifiezce fu sainz Pierres e saint Andree. E a sant Poul fu trenchee la teste. Saint Johan evangeliste fu envenin, dont il ne morut, e aprs fu boilli en oile, dont il ne mori pas, char Jesu Crist li avoit pramis qe il ne devoit morir, si com il dist a la cene le joisdi saint de la semane penee. Qe lors, quant il fu devenu vielz home, il se choucha en une thombe e dilec sen ala en ciel atot son cors. Mesires saint Jaques sen ala en Galice e puis fu ocis en Judee. Mesire sant Thom sen ala en Ynde e la fu ocis. Sant Phelippe fu ocis e saint Jaques avec lui. Saint Bartholam fu escorciez en Licaoine. E saint Math fu ocis e mort. Sant Symon e Tadee furent ocis e saint Mathie en fu ocis e mort. Saint Luce e monsegnor saint Marc furent ocis. Sant Barnabe fu mort e ocis. E sant Estiene fu lapidez e mort. Saint Laurent fu cuit e mort e li autres desciples furent ocis et mort parmi le monde. E ge voil qe vos sachiez qe par le preechamant e par le miracles qe Des fist por eus en furent tant baptiez qe homes qe femes qe petiz enfanz, qe la sainte Crestientee en fu esauci parmi le munde. Si me teirai atant deus to e vos conterai de monsegnor sain Perre e des apostoiles de Rome.

Or dit le contes qe monsegnor sant Peres fu crucifiez en Rome e fu mis le chief desus desoz. Aprs sa mort fu en leu de lui mesire Linus qe fu apostoile de Rome. E aprs la mort de celui fu apostoile Cletus. Aprs sa mort en fu apostoile Clemens. E aprs sa mort en fu apostoile Anaclet. E aprs la mort de lui en fu apostoile Evaristus. E aprs la mort de celui en fu apostoile Alixandres. Mes aprs la mort de lui fu apostoile Sixtus. E aprs la mort de celui fu apostoile Teloforus. Mes aprs la mort de celui fu apostoile Yginus. Et aprs sa mort Anicetus en fu apostoile. Mes aprs sa mort fu apostoile Soter. E aprs la mort de lui Eleutherius en fu apostoile. Aprs sa mort fu Victor apostoile. E aprs sa mort en fu apostoile epherinus. Mes aprs lui en fu apostoile Kalistus. Urbans en fu apostoile aprs sa mort. E aprs sa mort en fu apostoile Poncians. Mes aprs sa mort fu apostoile Antheros. E Fabians en fu aprs apostoile. Mes puis en fu Cornelius apostoile. E aprs en fu apostoile Lucius. Estiene en fu apostoile aprs. Mes puis en fu Systus apostoile. E aprs sa mort en fu apostoile Dionisius. E puis en fu Felix apostoile. Ticianus en fu aprs apostoile. Mes Gaius en fu apostoile aprs lui. E puis en fu Marc apostoile. E aprs lui fu Marcels apostoile. E aprs lui en fu apostoile Eusebius. E Melchiads en fu apostoile aprs. Mes aprs sa mort en fu apostoile Silvester. Toz ces furent apostoile lun aprs lautre. E sachiez qe dusqe a monseignor saint Silvestre furent li apostoile en grant povert. Mes Costantins li enpereor de Rome se cristiena porce qe il vit qe saint Silvestre le apostoile estoit saint home, e qe por la proiere de lui le gari Jesu Crist de la plus vil maladie qe soitce est meselerie. E quant il fu garis il dona a lapostoile Silvestre la corone de son cief e ses draps reials e tote la enperials segnorie: son pals en Laterans et tot ce qe a son enpire apartenoit dona il a lapostoile Silvestre et aus autres apostoiles qe aprs lui devoient venir. Il se fist baptier e fu garis ensi con nos vos avons cont, e puis sen ala en Grece e porta devant lui la Sainte Croiz. Et tot cels qe a la sainte Crestiente voloient venir e vindrent furent sauv e de cors e davoir; e li autre furent danpn e destruit. Il amena avec lui si grant chevalerie e si grant poeple qe la o il venoit nuls ne li osoit contredire. Il fu syre e enpereor en Grece. Il sen ala en Bisane et illec saresta. Illec fist il una cite, la plus bele e la greignor e la plus rice qe de lors en avant fust faite ou siecle: il lapella de son non Costantinople. Qe vos diroie ge? Illec fist il son Enpire e le tint de par lapostoile de Rome. E fu apel le pas Romaine porce qe li Romains i remestrent. Li enpereor Costantin avoit mere sage dame a Deu e au siecle, e fu apelee sante Helaine. Cele raine sen ala e passa es parties de Jerusalem. E la ou ele trova les Juis, si les apella et lor dist qe il le donassent la croiz o Jesu Crist avoit est mis e crucifie. Et il sen escondirent et distrent qe il ne furent iluec, e qe il ni savoient ou ele estoit mise e qe ja ne furent il a celui tans. Et la roine les tint tant cort e tant les fist pener qe uns daus li dist qe son aol avoit dit a son pere qele avoit est itee en un apantiz ou la terre estoit mout crev desus. La dame fist oster la terre diluec e li trova .III. croiz. Ces furent les .II. des dous lairrons qe furent crucifiez avec Jesu Crist. La roine Helaine ne savoit la qele prendre, si furent esprov por le miracle Jesu Crist qe les .II. furent mises luna aprs lautre desor le cors dun home qi novelement avoit est mort, onqes de celes navint signe ne nul miracle. Mes lors, qant la croiz o Jesu Crist fu mis et crucifie fu mise desor le cors de celui home mor, il resuscita erraument, e dist qe mout estoit grant syre celui qe fu ocis en cele croi e lors se fist baptisier et dist a to qe tot le mondes estoit a celui Syre qe li Jueis avoient ocis e mis en croiz. Si pristrent une grant partie daus li saint baptisme e se cristienerent.