Bevis of Hampton: A Classic Epic

Bevis of Hampton fighting a lion, Taymouth Hours

Oldest Known Version

Boeve de Haumtone The Boeve de Haumtone is the earliest known version of the story, written in Anglo-Norman in the first half of the 13th century. It consists of 3,850 verses written in Alexandrins.

Continental French Chansons de Geste of Beuve d’Hanstone

Three chansons de geste of Beuve d’Hanstone were written in the 13th century, all in decasyllables, with one preserved in BnF Français 25516. They consist of between 10,000 and 20,000 verses. A French prose version was also created before 1469. Bevers saga is an Old Norse translation of a lost version of the Anglo-Norman poem, with the earliest manuscript dating to around 1400.

English Metrical Romance

Sir Beues of Hamtoun The English metrical romance, Sir Beues of Hamtoun, was based on some French origins, varying slightly from those that have been preserved. The oldest manuscript of this version dates back to the beginning of the 14th century, with a translation into Irish surviving in a 15th-century manuscript.

Printed Editions in Italy and Yiddish

The printed editions of the story were most numerous in Italy, where Bovo or Buovo d’Antona was the subject of more than one poem. An anonymous Buovo d’Antona: Cantari in ottava rima was printed in 1480, and a “Tuscan” version in 1497. From Italian, it passed into Yiddish, where the Bovo-Bukh became the first non-religious book to be printed in Yiddish. The Bovo-Bukh remains the most popular and critically honored Yiddish-language chivalry romance.

Russian Folklore

Adaptation In Russia, the Boeve de Haumtone story attained unparalleled popularity and became a part of Russian folklore. The Russian rendition of the romance appeared in mid-16th century, translated from a Polish or Old Belarusian version, which were in turn, translated from a Croatian rendition of the Italian romance, made in Ragusa. The resulting narrative, called Повесть о Бове-королевиче (Povest’ o Bove-koroleviche, lit. The Story of Prince Bova), gradually merged with Russian folktales, and the principal character attained many features of a Russian folk hero (bogatyr). The Povest’ had been widely circulated, particularly among the lower classes, as a lubok from the 18th century until 1918. Famous writers such as Derzhavin and Pushkin praised Bova’s literary value. The latter used some elements of the Povest’ in his fairy tales and attempted to write a fantasy poem based on the romance. Pushkin also praised a version of Bova by Alexander Radishchev, written in 1799.