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Chapter 4 - The Dutch Meluzine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2020

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Summary

Not long after the Castilian translation was published for the first time, the Mélusine romance also appeared in a printed translation in Middle Dutch, or ‘Diets’. Interestingly, the Mélusine figure was already known in the Low Countries before the Dutch translation was published. Several fifteenth- century manuscripts of the two French redactions either originate from or were illustrated in the Burgundian Low Countries. We also know that various prominent noble figures with an important influence on the political landscape and cultural life of both the northern and southern Low Countries – including Margaret of Austria, Philip of Cleves, and Charles de Croy – owned copies of HM and RP manuscripts. The romance's move northward is further attested by the fact that, in Ghent, the local Tanners’ Guild had a statue of Mélusine installed on top of their guild house, supposedly because she was their protector. Considering the multilingual nature of the region and the contacts with French literary culture at this time, and how Mélusine had become part of Burgundian nobles’ common cultural heritage, it is not surprising to find that her legend was well known in the Low Countries. In fact, it seems likely that the romance was translated into Dutch in a move to capitalize on the growing popularity of Mélusine's story.

The earliest known witness to the anonymous Dutch Meluzine is the incunable printed by Gheraert Leeu, dated 9 February 1491. Two more editions appeared later: Hendrick Eckert van Homberch reprinted the romance in 1510, and another Meluzine edition was printed by Hieronymus I Verdussen in 1602. These three editions were all published in Antwerp. As with the Castilian translation, the Dutch Meluzine is written in prose and it is based on a printed copy of the HM, in this case likely Steinschaber's editio princeps. Also similarly to the Castilian editions, the later Dutch editions are not separate translations, but their texts copy that of the first edition. This means that there is only one Dutch translation, of which Leeu's edition is the earliest witness.

However, whereas with the Castilian versions we found that the text of the Crombergers’ edition at times differs significantly from that of Parix and Cleblat's edition, the two later Dutch editions follow the text of Leeu's edition almost to the letter.

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The Mélusine Romance in Medieval Europe
Translation, Circulation, and Material Contexts
, pp. 146 - 182
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication year: 2020

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  • The Dutch Meluzine
  • Lydia Zeldenrust
  • Book: The Mélusine Romance in Medieval Europe
  • Online publication: 21 August 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781787446137.006
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  • The Dutch Meluzine
  • Lydia Zeldenrust
  • Book: The Mélusine Romance in Medieval Europe
  • Online publication: 21 August 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781787446137.006
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Dutch Meluzine
  • Lydia Zeldenrust
  • Book: The Mélusine Romance in Medieval Europe
  • Online publication: 21 August 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781787446137.006
Available formats
×