The Tale of Renart: a Norman itinerary

In the footsteps of a fox and a cat in the 12th century, in western Normandy…

Through educational activities including exhibitions, conferences, and hikes, “The Tale of Renart: a Norman itinerary” offers a discovery of the ecological history of an ancient forest of the Dukes of Normandy based on a major work of medieval literature, the Tale of Renart.

One of its oldest episodes allows for the exploration of the sometimes conflicting relationships between nature and feudal society, echoing contemporary environmental concerns.

The exhibition opens with an outdoor display consisting of fourteen panels, freely accessible at the site of the House of the Forest, in the Cerisy state forest. Based on original medieval documents, the exhibition highlights the Norman origins of the Tale of Renart, and more specifically, the episode of the Vespers of Tibert, which reveals a rural territory in western Bessin marked by the presence of powerful lordships linked to the Dukes of Normandy, notably the abbots of Cerisy and the Bacon lords of Molay.

Exhibition curators: Elisabeth Ridel-Granger, research engineer at CNRS

Partnerships: House of Research in Human Sciences of Caen (MRSH) and Isigny-Omaha Intercom