Reynard the Fox · Willem, 1260
Who wrote Van den vos Reynaerde?
Willem
That's the name the poet gives himself. He wrote in Middle Dutch, probably around 1250–1275.
The poet calls himself Willem, and that's about all we know for certain. Nobody knows his full name, what he did for a living or exactly when he lived. His poem is usually dated to around 1250–1275, but the date is uncertain.
He most likely lived in or near the Waasland. He knows its small places, like Belsele, Absdale, Hijfte (Ifte) and the vanished priory of Elmare, and listeners from round here would have known them too.
He wrote in Middle Dutch, the Dutch spoken in the Middle Ages, which is hard to read now without help. The text is public domain, and you can read the original on DBNL.
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