Bisclavret the werewolf
- Michael Smith
- Nov 11
- 8 min read
The lais of Bisclavret, a poem by Marie de France about a knight condemned to roam abroad as a werewolf, is remarkable for what it tells us about twelfth century morality and how men and women were treated differently.
The story also carries some similarities with the Middle English William of Palerne (The Romance of William and the Werewolf), hinting at a deeper folkloric element concerning werewolves in the Middle Ages.
Bisclavret and werewolf heritage for a noble audience
The figure of the werewolf was well-known in medieval Europe; Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales) wrote of the famous Werewolves of Ossory, a medieval Irish kingdom, in the twelfth century.
Both Guillaume de Palerne, the original source text for William of Palerne, and Bisclavret, both written in Old French, seem to reflect this folklore heritage. They were written for noble audiences, also in the twelfth century, and are described as "adventures" or "marvels".
Bisclavret is one of twelve short lais written by Marie de France, a largely unknown woman of status thought to be working in the court of Henry II of England .
The author of Guillaume de Palerne is also unknown but states that he is writing on behalf of his patron, Countess Yolande of Hainault. He also suggests that story was copied from an older source in Latin.
The Romance of William and the Werewolf, translated from the French into English in around 1350, was written by a man called simply “William”, and dedicated to his patron, Humphrey de Bohun. It is considerably shorter than the original French poem but also includes elements unique to an English audience.
A Bisclavret or the Bisclavret?
Unlike the alliterative William and the Werewolf at 5500 lines, Bisclavret is a short lais of just over 300 lines, written in rhyming couplets. In her introduction, Marie de France writes,
Quant de lais faire m'entremet,
Ne voil ublier Bisclavret;
Bisclavret ad nun en bretan,
garwaf l'apelent li Norman.
(Since I intend to write lais,
I do not wish to forget Bisclavret:
Bisclavret is a Breton word
Which means ‘werewolf’ in Norman)
This intriguing beginning suggests that Bisclavret, the hero of the story, bears a name synonymous with this status as a werewolf in Brittany. The story never makes clear why he is a werewolf but does explain that it is a status which affects many men [ll. 7-11].
But Bisclavret is unique, and (as we later learn) is worthy of remembrance. To Marie, he appears to be the eponymous werewolf.
The story of Bisclavret the werewolf
In the story, a nobleman beloved by his wife, king and people, goes away for three days each week before returning to his wife. When she finally persuades him to tell her what is happening, he explains that he turns into a werewolf; in his own words, “dame, jeo devienc Besclavret” (my lady, I become a Bisclavret) [l. 63].
He tells his wife that he is naked as a werewolf [ll. 70-71] and that he must leave his clothes in a secret place each time he goes out. This is so that no one can steal them and therefore condemn him to being a werewolf for the rest of his days (“Bisclavret sereie a tuz jurs” [l. 75].
She persuades her husband to tell her where he leaves his clothes [ll. 89-96]; concerned but also repulsed at sleeping with a werewolf, she considers how to be rid of him [ll. 100-103].
Eventually, she solicits the help of a knight who has long expressed his love for her, telling him, “m’amur e mun cors vus otrei, vostre drue fetes de mei” (I grant you my love and my body, make me your beloved/take me as your mistress [ll. 115-116]).
The lady has the knight follow Bisclavret and steal his clothes; as result, Bisclavret is condemned for ever to walk abroad as a werewolf, never to be seen again. The lady now marries the knight.
Bisclavret the exile is found by the king
A year later, the king is hunting in the forests when his hounds come across Bisclavret and nearly tear him to pieces after a long chase. Eventually, Bisclavret is hounded towards the king where he pleads for mercy before him, kissing his leg and his foot [l. 148].
The king is astonished by such behaviour. Consulting with his nobles, he returns to his castle with Bisclavret who shows him much affection; the king is delighted with him and will not allow anyone to hurt him.
However, at a feast held for his barons, the knight arrives who is now married to Bisclavret’s wife. When the knight is attacked by Bisclavret, the court is shocked at this unusual behaviour but concludes that the werewolf would not act in such a way without reason [ll. 207-210].
The revenge of Bisclavret
Not long afterwards, the King and Bisclavret are in the forest near to where Bisclavret was first found. Bisclavret’s wife decides to visit the court “avenantment se appareilot” (dressed appropriately) and “riche present li fait porter” (bearing a rich gift for the king) [ll. 228-229].
Bisclavret attacks her and bites off her nose; what worse thing could he do, asks the poet? (“le nais li esracha del vis. Quel li peüst, il fair pis?” [ll. 235-236]).
Everyone attacks the wolf but a wise man (“un sages hum” [l. 239]) intervenes, explaining that such behaviour, and that towards the knight, must be due to a reason.
He realises that Bisclavret is someone once known to the king saying, “ceo est la femme al chevalier que taunt par suliez aveir chier, ki lung tens ad esté perduz” (This is the wife of the knight whom you once held dear and who has been missing for a long time [ll. 251-253]).
The wise man suggests that the king imprisons the woman (“kar metez la dame en distreit”/ by putting the woman in distress/torment/confinement) [l. 255] to find out whether she can spread any light on how things came about.
Eventually she reveals what happened and says that she very much thinks and believes Bisclavret is indeed her former husband (“tresbien quidat e bien creeit que la beste Bisclavret” [ll. 273-274]).
Bisclavret becomes a man
The king asks for Bisclavret’s clothes to be found and brought to court but Bisclavret refuses to put them on. The wise man explains that he would not do this publicly out of shame: “Ne savez mie que ceo munte: mut durement en ad grant hunte” (You do not know what this amounts to: he would become hugely ashamed) [ll. 287-288].
When Bisclavret is left in a private chamber, he dresses in his old clothes and, when the king and two barons go in, they find Bisclavret has now become a knight.
The king is enraptured. The knights lands are returned to him in due course [l. 303]; his wife is chased from the kingdom along with her lover and second husband [ll. 305-308].
The lais ends by telling us that many of the females of the woman’s line are born without noses and lived out their lives without a nose (“plusurs femmes del lignage […] senz nes sunt nees e si viveient esnasees”) [ll. 312-314].
Marie concludes her story by assuring us that her tale is true, writing, “l’avenutre ke aves oїe veraie fu, n’en dutez mie. De Bisclavret fu fet li lais pur remembrance a tutdis mais” (The adventure which you have heard is sincerely true, do not disbelieve me. This lais was written about Bisclavret so to be remembered for all time) [ll.315-318].
An interpretation of Bisclavret
Like many medieval stories and romances, Bisclavret is ambiguous. We are unclear whether Bisclavret is the knight’s name or his status. The reasons his wife took on a lover she had previously rejected are not fully explained beyond a sense of revenge. The punishment meted out on the wife is singularly harsh while it is unclear whether Bisclavret himself ever remarries or has heirs.
At one level, Bisclavret’s clothing links him to society and civilisation; when he is without his clothes he is an outcast.
This is shown with more empathy in the character of the werewolf in The Romance of William and the Werewolf, when, for inheritance reasons, a legitimate prince and heir is wrongly transformed into a beast by his stepmother.
Interestingly, both Bisclavret and The Romance of William and the Werewolf have re-conversion scenes which hint at the shame of nudity in a clothed world. In the latter case, Prince Alphonse is made a (naked) man again by his stepmother – a sense of rebirth for both the prince and the woman. Both romances also show the fury of the werewolf when confronted with their nemesis for the first time.
Bisclavret can also be seen against the background of Norman marital law and how lands owned by women became the property of their husbands. This is hinted at when we learn of the eventual return of Bisclavret’s lands following his conversion.
What also seems possible is that the lais is a reflection on the common injustice meted out to women by adulterous husbands. We learn at the beginning that “many” men are werewolves, seemingly leaving home for three days a week.
If, like Bisclavret, they leave their clothes behind, there is a hint at adulterous behaviour which to these men, apparently, seems perfectly acceptable.
If this interpretation is correct, it seems that women are not permitted to have adulterous relationships; instead the implication is that Bisclavret’s wife should have tolerated his behaviour.
This highlights the relevance of lineage and inheritance, the fragility of which I touched upon in my post about Sir John and Alice Wilcotes. The poem suggests that women born through the wife’s line will forever bear the “badge of shame” which is the loss of the nose brought about through the wife’s treachery.
What is less clear is how her descendants would have looked like if Bisclavret’s behaviour had remained unchallenged and she remained married to him.
Double standards emerge subtly. Certain men, rather like some specimens today, seem to believe that it is perfectly acceptable to have your cake and eat it.
The seeming lack of heirs for Bisclavret may be the ultimate punishment for his waywardness. Marie de France has a wonderful way of saying much by writing relatively little.
Michael Smith, author, translator, printmaker
Read Bisclavret in parallel translation
If you would like to see the Old French and English text of Bisclavret in parallel and read this attractive story yourself, Mad Beppo is a great place to start. Click here.
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About the author, Michael Smith
I am a British author, translator and illustrator. I am currently studying for my PhD at the University of York, where I am researching the effective representation of Middle English romance.
I am published by Wilton Square Books, My books include a translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Alliterative Morte Arthure, and are available through all the usual outlets. My translation of The Romance of William and the Werewolf was published in 2024.
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