Introduction

For my Monster Exhibit, I have decided to showcase Bisclavret, the werewolf from The Lais of Marie de France. I think that Bisclavret is an interesting “monster” to discuss and analyze, as in some regards, he does not have the typical traits of a werewolf monster. He is somewhat of a “romantic” werewolf; instead of being wild and fearsome, he is described as more benign and rational. I will discuss what makes Bisclavret a monster in the readers’ eyes and offer a different perspective on how monstrous this creature is. My chosen passages of lines 176-184 and 266-274 further elaborate on Bisclavret’s gentle nature and also include his former wife’s proclamation that he is, in fact, a beast. 

To help with my argument, I will also write about the Viking wolf-head post from the Oseberg grave, as some scholars argue that it represents Odin, also sometimes known as the wolf god, from Germanic Mythology. To the Vikings, Odin was regarded as the wolf god due to his famed wolf companions, Geri and Freki. Although this Viking artifact is dated to be from the 9th century, we can concur that there is a connection between the Scandinavian imagery of wolves and Marie de France’s Bisclavret, as Viking influences had long survived their demise. This is because the Vikings and their descendants had made settlements throughout Europe, including England, where Marie De France lived at the time. I will compare the Viking perception of wolves and creatures alike to Bisclavret, as they share similarities in appearance and personality. 

As for my secondary objects, I have chosen Lucas Cranach the Elder’s woodcut The Werewolf and the original manuscript of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein. The Werewolf depicts a more traditional perception of werewolves, as it was produced during the 16th century’s ongoing witch trials, which I will contrast and compare with Marie de France’s sympathetic werewolf, Bisclavret. And although Frankenstein was written centuries after The Lais of Marie de France, it is essential to note that Mary Shelley lived during the Romantic era, which was a time when there was a renewed interest in the Middle Ages, with Romantic scholars believing that it was the ideal period. In my exhibit, I will tie in the similarities between Bisclavret and Frankenstein’s monster to analyze the idea that there are complexities present in all living things that we should consider before labelling them as “monstrous” or not.