De Nederlandse Reynaert-traditie in prenationaal, nationaal en transnationaal perspectief

In the recent past, two medieval Dutch Reynaert-stories have been published in separate editions, each with a modern translation: Van den vos Reynaerde with an English translation, Reynaerts historie with a German translation. In this article these two editions are presented as the outcome of a transnational approach. Following a sketch of the medieval tradition of stories about the famous fox, it is substantiated that both Dutch Reynaert stories form an integral part of this European tradition. It is also shown that Reynaerts historie is a key text in this tradition. Furthermore it is described how these stories were rediscovered in the nineteenth century, the period in which the modern nations of Belgium and The Netherlands came into existence, and how during that time Van den vos Reynaerde became gradually seen as a unique masterpiece and a perfect expression of (aspects of) national identity. Against this background, it is shown how the recent bilingual editions reveal a new awareness of the needs of an international public – without completely breaking with the scholarly tradition – and thus transcend the boundaries of a nationalistic approach.