‘Ung Espace de Temps’ – The Role of Time in Le Roman de Gillion de Trazegnies​

Abstract

Between 1450 and 1529, five Middle French versions of a manuscript recounting the tale of Gillion de Trazegnies were produced in the ducal courts of Burgundy. The objective of this thesis is to explore representations of time in the Roman de Gillion de Trazegnies in order to offer some potential conclusions about the ways in which time is addressed and rendered within this text – and, by extension, possible trends in literary representations of time during this period. Although it was not adapted from any work of verse itself, Gillion was likely influenced by its context – a period of abundant mises-en-proses – as reflected in the text’s penchant for conventional motifs and frequent repetitions. In addition to the potential role of its context in the work’s portrayal and use of time, this thesis will address time in Gillion at both the lexical and structural levels. By way of conclusion, remarks on the implications of these observations in the context of medieval French and Burgundian literature as well as the history of the novel will be followed by a brief exploration of the relationship between the text and Lieven van Lathem’s (ca. 1438-1493) program of illustration in one of the two illuminated manuscript versions of this text, Ms. 111, housed at the J. Paul Getty Museum.