The Reynard the Fox Page

[Part of Ipsissima-Verba]
This page was last updated in January, 2024

Reynard the sly, the crafty he,
the scoundrel lord of Malperdy!

The infamous legends of Reynard the Fox appear in many forms and languages from the twelfth century onward. They have been told and retold over nearly a millennium. It is surprising how many published versions there are in English alone!

On this page, I present information on some of the English editions of the Reynard cycle. Where possible (e.g., not prevented by copyright!), I make searchable PDFs available.

A few caveats:

I don't worry much about mere reprints (especially print-on-demand versions of public-domain texts).
There are different translator/editor/illustrator combinations.
There is sometimes more than one cover for the same text.
There are books bearing the title "Reynard the Fox" that may be in some way influenced by the Reynard cycle without being re-tellings or presentations of it. I have usually not included these. For instance, the 1919 book by John Masefield.
This page is under construction!

Hopes for the future:

Expand the selection of non-English editions.
Link to or provide copies of historic manuscripts.
Offer a dramatis personae for different editions, which will highlight the variations in the characters' names.
Possibly provide notes on which episodes (and variations) an edition includes.

Reynard compunct, Reynard contrite
vows, "Never wrong, but always right!"

Click on the cover images to download PDFs!

Sometimes more than one scan is available.

English Editions

	The historye of Reynart the foxe. Westminster: William Caxton, 1481.
	The historye of Reynart the foxe. Westminster: William Caxton, 1489.	Caxton's 1481 book was so successful that he reprinted it in 1489.
	Reprint of Caxton by Richard Pynson, 1500.
	Wynkyn de Worde. 1515/1525.
	The booke of Raynarde the foxe. Thomas Gaultier. London: Saint Martins, 1550. Facsimile edition: Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum; New York: Da Capo Press, 1969.
	The Most Pleasing and Delightful History of Reynard the Fox, and Reynardine his Son. In two parts. London: Printed by W. Onley, 1697.
	The Most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox. Newly Corrected and Purged, from all grossness in Phrase and Matter. Augmented and Enlarged with sundry Excellent Morals and Expositions upon every several Chapter. To which may now be added a Second Part of the said History: As also the Shifts of Reynardine the Son of Reynard the Fox, Together with his Life and Death, &c. London: Printed by T. Ilive, for Edward Brewster, 1701.
	The History of Reynard the Fox, Bruin the Bear, &c. London: Printed for G. Smith, in Fleet-Street, 1756.
	The Pleasant and Entertaining History of Reynard the Fox. Represented in a moral light, fabulously shewing the various devices which cunning men pursue and exciting the innocent & ignorant to guarding against them, a work equally humorous and instructive to the young and the mature. Embellished with 17 copperplates elegantly engraved. London: Printed & Sold by Edward Ryland, Printer in the Old Bailey, 1775.
	Reynard the Fox: A burlesque Poem of the 15th Century. Tanslated from the Low-German Original by D. W. Soltau. Hamburg: Printed by John Augustus Meissner, 1826.
	The Most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox and of His Son Reynardine. A revised version of an old romance. London: John W. Parker, West Strand, 1844.
	Reynard the Fox. A Renowned Apologue of the Middle Age, Reproduced in Rhyme. Samuel Naylor. London: Longmans, 1845.
	Reynard the Fox: A Poem in Twelve Cantos. Translated from the German by E. W. Holloway. With thirty-seven engravings on steel, after designs by H. Leutmann. Dresden and Leipzig: A. H. Payne, 1852; London: W. French, 1852.
	The Story of Reynard the Fox. A new version by David Vedder. Illustrated by Gustav Canton. London: W.S. Orr, 1852.
	Story of Reynard the Fox. Aunt Mavor's Picture Books for Little Readers. London: George Routledge & Co., 1852. Also published as The Story of Reineke the Fox.
	Reynard the Fox. After the German version of Goethe by Thomas James Arnold, Esq. With illustrations from the designs of Wilhelm von Kaulbach. New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1860.
	The Pleasant History of Reynard the Fox. Translated by the Late Thomas Roscoe. Illustrated with nearly one hundred designs by A. T. Elwes and John Jellicoe. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, Crown Buildings, Fleet Street, 1873.
	The History of Reynard the Fox. Translated and printed by William Caxton, June, 1481. Edited by Edward Arber, F. S. A., etc. The English Scholar's Library of Old and Modern Works, No. 1. Southgate, London N.: 15 August 1878.
	The History of Reynard the Fox. Translated and printed by William Caxton, 1481. Edited by Edmund Goldsmid, F.R.H.S. Bibliotheca Curiosa. 2 vols. Edinburgh: Privately printed, 1884.
	Reynard the Fox: An Old Story Retold. By Madame De Sanctis. Second edition with a new preface. London: Swan Sonnenschein, Le Bas & Lowrey Paternoster Square, 1886. Printed by Hazell, Watson, and Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury.	Character Names: Reynard the fox Dame Ermelyin (Reynard's wife) Rossel (Reynard's son) Reynardine (Reynard's son) Nobel (the king) The queen Isegrim the wolf Isegrim's wife Bruin the bear Wackerlos the dog Henning the cock Grimbart the badger Martin the ape Hinze the cat Lupardus the leopard Bellyn the ram Lampe the hare Sharpbeak (the crow's wife) Dame Ruckenau The name of Reynard's dwelling: Malepartus
	The history of Reynard the Foxe. Done into English out of Dutch by William Caxton, and now reprinted by William Morris. London: Kelmscott Press, 1892.
	The Rare Romance of Reynard the Fox the Crafty Courtier. In words of one syllable. Samuel Phillips day. Illustrated. New York: A. L. Burt Company, Publishers, 1895. The Cassell Publishing Co.
	The Most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox. Edited with introduction and notes by Joseph Jacobs. Done into pictures by W. Frank Calderon. London and New York: Macmillan and Co., 1895.
	The Adventures of Reynard the Fox. With original illustrations. Books for the Bairns, vol. 1, no. 5. Edited by W. T. Stead. London: "Review of Reviews" Office, 1896.
	The History of Reynard the Fox with Some Account of His Friends and Enemies. Turned into English verse by F. S. Ellis with illustrative devices by Walter Crane. London: David Nutt, 270, 271, Strand, 1897.
	Reynard the Fox. Pictured by J. J. Mora. Boston: Dana Estes & Co. Publishers, 1901. Colonial Press: Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
	Reynard the Fox: Profusely Illustrated. Edited by Charles Walter Brown, A. M. Chicago: M. A. Donohue & Company, 1902.	Character Names: Reynard the Fox Dame Ermeline (Reynard's wife) Reynardine (Reynard's son) The King The Queen Isgrim the Wolf Dame Herswin (Isgrim's wife) Curtise the Hound Tibert the Cat The Lynx Chanticleer the Cock Grimbard the Brock Bruin the Bear Lanfert (a man) Kayward the Hare Bellin the Ram The Otter The Leopard Martin the Ape Bitelas the Ape Dame Rukenaw The name of Reynard's dwelling: Malepardus
	Reynard the Fox. Retold by Susie Best. Instructor Literature Series. Dansville, N.Y.: F. A. Owen Publishing Company, 1913.
	Reynard the Fox. Told by C. S. Evans with illustrations by L. R. Brightwell. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1920.
	King Lion and Reynard the Fox. Retold by John L. Forrest. Pictured by J. J. Mora. Chicago: Albert Whitman & Company, 1920.
	The Most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox. Edited for Schools by H. A. Treble, M.A. Illustrated by W. F. Calderon. London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1920.
	The Epic of the Beast: Consisting of English Translations of the History of Reynard the Fox and Physiologus. With an introduction by William Rose, M.A., Ph.D., Lecturer at the University of London, King's College. With Kaulbach's famous illustrations. Broadway Translations. London: George Routledge & Sons Ltd.; New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1924.
	Reynard the Fox & Other Fables. Retold by Trowbridge Larned. Pictured by John Rae. Joliet, Il.: P. F. Volland Company, 1925.
	The Story of Reynard the Fox. Translated from the French version by Odette Larrieu. Pictures by F. Lorioux. New York: The MacMillan Company, 1928.
	Reynard the Fox. Retold and with an introduction by Sidney G. Firman. Illustrated by Frederick Richardson. Chicago-Philadelphia-Toronto: The John C. Winston Company, 1929.
	Reynard the Fox. Adapted by E. Louis Smythe, author of "Old-Time Stories." New York-Cincinnati-Chicago: American Book Company, 1931.
	Puss in Boots / Reynard the Fox. By Mara L. Pratt-Chadwick. Illustrated by Louise E. Norris. Action, Imitation & Fun Series. New revised edition. Philadelphia: David McKay Company, 1933.
	The Scandalous Adventures of Reynard the Fox. A modern American version by Harry J. Owens. Illustrations by Keith Ward. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1945.
	Rogue Reynard: Being a Tale of the Fortunes and Misfortunes and divers Misdeeds of that great Villain, Baron Reynard, the Fox, and how he was served with King Lion's Justice. Based upon The Beast Saga. Written by Andre Norton and Pictured by Laura Bannon. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1947; Cambridge: The Riverside Press, 1947.
	The Story of Reynard the Fox. Translated by Thomas James Arnold from the original German poem Reineke Fuchs by J. W. von Goethe with a new introduction by Edward Lazare and with illustrations engraved on wood by Fritz Eichenberg. New York: The Heritage Press, 1954.
	Reynard the Fox. Illustrated by Jean Ache. A Rainbow Story Book. London-Melbourne-Johannesburg: Ward Lock & Co. Limited, 1955. Illustrations by Societé des Editions Bias 1955. Text in English Ward Lock 1961.
	The Story of Reynard. Translated by Margaret Crosland from the French Le Roman de Renard by Maurice Genevoix. Illustrated by Andre Pac. London: Hamish Hamilton (Penguin Australia), 1959.
	The History of Reynard the Fox. Translated and Printed by William Caxton in 1481. Edited with an introduction and notes by Donald B. Sands. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1960.
	The Most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox. Edited by Joseph Jacobs & Done into Pictures by W. Frank Calderon. Schocken Books, 1967.
	Reynard the Fox. Based on the version by Joseph Jacobs and retold by Roy Brown. Illustrated by John Vernon Lord. London-New York-Toronto: Abelard-Schuman, 1969.
	Ysengrimus. Text with translation, commentary and introduction by Jill Mann. Mittellateinische Studien und Texte 12. Leiden-New York-København-Köln: E. J. Brill, 1987.
	Renard the Fox. By Rachel Anderson and David Bradby. Illustrated by Bob Dewar. Oxford Myths and Legends. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987.
	Reynard the Fox. Retold by Selina Hastings, illustrated by Graham Percy. New York: Tambourine Books, 1990.
	Renard the Fox. Translated from the Old French by Patricia Terry. Revised edition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992.
	Reynard the Fox. Adapted from a classic folk tale and illustrated by Alain Vaës. Atlanta: Turner Publishing, Inc., 1994.	Character Names: Reynard the fox Ermelyne (Reynard's wife) King Noble The Queen Isegrim the wolf Courtois the poodle Tybalt the cat Bernard the donkey Greybeard the badger Chanticleer the rooster Willie the weasel Bruin the bear Bellyn the ram Lop the hare Castor the beaver Dame Ruckenaw the ape King Harold Queen Caroline The hermit The name of Reynard's dwelling: Malepartus
	The Romance of Reynard the Fox. A new translation by D. D. R. Owen. Oxford World's Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
	Of Reynaert the Fox/Van den Vos Reynaerde. Edited by André Bouwman & Bart Besamusca. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2009
	Reynard the Fox. Tales from the life of Reynard the Fox retold by Renate Raecke, illustrated by Jonas Lauströer. New York: minedition, 2012.
	Ysengrimus. Edited and translated by Jill Mann. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library. Cambridge, Mass.-London: Harvard University Press, 2013.
	Reynard the Fox. A new translation by James Simpson. Foreword by Stephen Greenblatt. Illustrations by Edith E. Newman. New York-London: Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W. W. Norton & Company, 2015.
	Reynard the Fox. Retold by Anne Louise Avery. Oxford: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, 2020.

French Editions

Reynard Cycle (Roman de Renart). [France: Publisher Not Identified, to 1350, 1301] PDF of the manuscript courtesy of the Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667565/.

German Editions

	Reineke Fuchs. By Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Illustrated by Wilhelm von Kaulbach and Julius Schnorr. Stuttgart: J.G. Cotta, 1857.
	Reineke Fuchs. Fur die Jugend bearbeitet von Max Barack. Mit 4 Bunt-, 5 Ton-, 3 Voll-bildern und 29 Textillustrationen. Zwölfte Auflage. Stuttgart: Loewes Verlag Ferdinand Carl, 1863.

Latin Editions

Reynardus Vulpes: Poëma ante annum 1280 a quodam Baldwino e lingua Teutonica translatum. Ex unico adhuc superstite exemplo quod, circa annum 1473 ultrajecti per Nic. Ketelaer et Ger. de Leempt impressum, in bibliotheca publica Daventriensi adservatur. Recudi curavit M. F. A. G. Campbell, Bibliothecae Regiae que Hagae Comitis est bibliothecarius. Hagae Comitis [The Hague]: Apud Martinum Nijhoff, 1859.

Bibliography

Blake, N. F. “English Versions of Reynard the Fox in the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries.” Studies in Philology 62, no. 1 (1965): 63–77. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4173477.

Dargan, E. P. “Cock and Fox: A Critical Study of the History and Sources of the Mediæval Fable.” Modern Philology 4, no. 1 (1906): 39–65. http://www.jstor.org/stable/432599.

Mish, Charles C. “‘Reynard the Fox’ in the Seventeenth Century.” Huntington Library Quarterly 17, no. 4 (1954): 327–44. https://doi.org/10.2307/3816500.

Varty, Kenneth. Reynard, Renart, Reinaert and Other Foxes in Medieval England: The Iconographic Evidence. Amsterdam University Press, 1999.

See also the helpful information at The Medieval Bestiary.

Reynard in triumph by Ernest Henri Griset (1869)