xviii REYNARD THE FOX

the book. But the question of origins is far
from being the only one which it raises. The
very form in which the tale is told is original.
The fable speaks of the Lion, the Wolf, or the
Fox. The Reynard talks of Noble, of Isengrim,
or of Reynard. The type is individualised and
made personal. The artistic gain of such a
procedure is clear, and is proved, above all, by
the fact that the personal name of the Fox has,
in France at least, replaced the name of the
species. One might have thought, at first
sight, that this individualising process had
been performed by the literary artist to whom
we owe the Reynard. But there is a curious
piece of evidence proving that the Wolf at
least received such an individualised name
before any literary form of the Reynard had
come into existence. In 1112 a tumult arose
at Laon, during which the life of the Bishop
Gaudri came into danger, and he concealed
himself in a cask. Among his pursuers was
one Teudegald, whom the Bishop had been
accustomed to call Isengrim, on account of
his wolf-like appearance. ‘For so,’ adds the
chronicler, ‘some are wont to call wolves.’
When Teudegald came near the cask he tapped
it and called out, ‘Is Isengrim at home?’