The fabliaux as popular literature

In addition to the well-known scholarly editions and translations of fabliaux, there are over a hundred other selections which bear witness to a enduring popular interest in the fabliaux over the last two centuries. They express attitudes which mirror the development of critical approaches to the Middle Ages in general and to the fabliaux in particular. By contrast, the choice of texts in smaller selections reveals an unchanging dominance of a small group of fabliaux which share certain characteristics. A further constant is the ‘heritage’ approach, manifested in a local focus, dramatic adaptations and bibliophile editions.