fabliau

Form of humorous verse tale composed mainly in northeastern France during the 13th century. About 150 fabliaux survive, varying in length from 18 to over 1,300 lines. Mostly anonymous, they were often written by jongleurs who recited them wherever they could find patronage; some, however, are by well-known poets such as Rutebeuf. Spiced with sharp, frequently bawdy, but seldom satirical humour, the fabliaux depict everyday life among all classes.

Though the genre had died out by 1350, many stories were adapted by Boccaccio, Chaucer, La Fontaine, and Guy de Maupassant, among others.

fabliau

Troubadour ballad with narrative words, distinct from the love songs sung by the troubadours.