The character of Hermeline has long interested the small world of the Renardiens: at the end of the 19th century, while the controversy over the origins of the RdR [Roman de Renart] was in full swing, people were interested in the character of the famous Renart, not for himself, but for the support that the presence of Hermeline in this or that branch could bring to the thesis that was being defended. It all began with an observation, quite innocent after all, by the editor of the Ysengrimus: E. Voigt notes in fact that in Ysengrimus, an early stage of the animal epic, Renart (Reinardus, one should say), who is not the main character, has neither wife nor children. Based on this remark and noting for his part that Hermeline is present in the br. III, C. Voretzsch draws an argument in favor of his thesis: br. III is therefore a very recent story and can only be a reworking. L. Foulet protests against such a deduction which he considers naive and emphasizes that the character of Hermeline is a creation of those he calls "the French troubadours"; enlisting Hermeline under his banner to defend the thesis that we know, L. Foulet affirms that it is in branch III that Hermeline appears for the first time and that this branch dates from around 1180. - [Abstract]

Language: French