Huon d’Auvergne: An Edition and Translation of the Fourteenth-Century Chanson de geste in Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett MS 78 D 8

Edited by Leslie Zarker Morgan
Translated by Shira Schwam-Baird

D. S. Brewer
ISBN: 978-1-84384-728-1

This book presents an edition and translation of a 14th-century epic poem that takes readers on a journey to hell—literally. Spanning over 12,000 lines, the narrative is rich with fantastical twists and unexpected encounters, including appearances by Charles Martel and the legendary Prester John.

Excerpt:

Huon d’Auvergne [Hugh of or from Alvernia] belongs linguistically and thematically to both Italian and French literary history. Structurally a chanson de geste, an Old French epic form, Huon was created in the northern Italian peninsula, appreciated by northern Italian courts and princes, and incorporated by the Florentine Andrea da Barberino into Italian prose combined with verse in the fifteenth century as Ugone d’Alvernia; Andrea’s work was reprinted through the twentieth century.

Who is this book for?

This edition and translation is a valuable contribution for readers of medieval literature. As a distinctive and somewhat unusual work, it may not attract a wide readership—especially given its 1,013-page length—but those who do engage with it will discover a rich, wide-ranging, and compelling narrative.

The Editor and Translator

Leslie Zarker Morgan is Professor Emerita of Italian and French at Loyola University Maryland. Shira Schwam-Baird is Professor Emerita of French at the University of North Florida. They are part of the team who created the Huon d’Auvergne Digital Archive.

You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.

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