Tricksters. Joseph Jacobs' Reynard

Continuing with this week of Reynard the Fox, I wanted to the contribution from Joseph Jacobs, one of the great English folklorists of the 19th century (and a special favorite of mine because of his extensive work on Aesop's fables). Here is his Jacobs' version of Reynard, following Caxton's version (see yesterday's post for more about Caxton), first published in 1895 and also available in modern re-editions: The Most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox. This is a highly readable version of Caxton, along with a useful introduction and notes by Jacobs:

The illustrations are by Frank Calderon; here you can see Reynard and the other animals in the court of the Lion King:

Interestingly, in a modern edition from 1967, Jacobs' introduction and notes have been discarded (sadly, in my opinion) and replaced by a "preface for parents" by Philip Rieff. The medieval Reynard the Fox was never intended for children as the audience, but with the infantilization of folklore in general, and of talking animals in particular, stories like Reynard, Aesop's fables, Brer Rabbit, etc., have been relegated to the category of "children's literature" in the modern age, which is especially a problem for the cruel and relentless Reynard! I'm not sure Rieff will be reassuring to parents who are wondering whether Reynard is a good story for young readers, but at least he does not sugarcoat the violence: "Reynard the Fox is about the violence inherent in winning; it has nothing to do whatever with being good or holy." Strangely, Rieff insists that Reynard is children's literature that adults might also enjoy, as opposed to the historial truth: this was adult literature, which is now also being enjoyed by children.

For another version of Jacobs, here is an edition from 1969 re-edited by Roy Brown: Reynard the Fox. This version further simplifies and modernizes Caxton's version, via Jacobs, to make it even more readable for a contemporary audience, and the book is intended specifically for young readers.

This book has illustrations by John Vernon Lord. Here you can see the miscreant Reynard about to be hanged:

So, if you are looking for user-friendly ways to get started with the Reynard literature (I'm not sure honestly how child-friendly they are thought, ha ha), these version from Joseph Jacobs, directly and indirectly, are a great place to begin.

The Most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox

by Joseph Jacobs

Reynard the Fox

by Roy Brown