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Selected Pages from the Manuscript Edition at the Bibliothek National Francais "Richelieu"

Gervais du Bus, Roman de Fauvel, France, Paris, XIVe siècle, Maître de Fauvel

During the fourteenth century, the church was recieving widespread accusations of corruption. The Roman de Fauvel was the venue for the voice of musicians and poets about this corruption. The Roman de Fauvel is a satirical poem written by Gervais du Bus in 1310. The main character of du Bus' poem is a horse named Fauvel. Fauvel was given his name by taking the first letters of the seven sins accused of the church: Flaterie, Averice, Vilanie, Variete (fickleness), Envie, and Laschete (cowardice). Music, however, was not added to the Fauvel until 1316, by Chaillou de Pesstain. Pesstain introduced 167 pieces of music to the Fauvel. Among these 167 compositions, some date back to the twelvth century, placed where appropriate within the context of the poem, while others were newly composed at the time of Pesstain's work. Many of these newly composed pieces are Ars Nova (New Art), and accredited to Phillipe de Vitry, who also happened to be the founder of ars nova.

From: http://gallica.bnf.fr/Catalogue/noticesInd/MAN00833.htm (No longer available)

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