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JERZYSTRZELCZYK
heissentencedtodeath,butthankstotheintercessionofhisrelatives,he
goesintoexileandhispropertyisconfiscated.Herpinandhissonexperi-
enceallkindsofadventures,andthetaleisfilledwithelementsofthe
supernatural.Herpinreachedthepeakofitspopularityinthe16thand17th
centuries;between1514and1659therewereseveralprintededitions.The
historyofthesecondbookbyElisabeth,Sibille,wasquitedifferent.The
booksurvivedinmanuscriptonly,inaposthumouscollectionofherworks
compiledonherson’sorderandmostprobablyunpublishedforafew
centuries.Thiscounter-historicaltaleconcernsthelifeofCharlemagne’s
wife,whowaswronglyaccusedandlaterclearedofcharges.Inthecase
ofHerpinandSibilleElisabeth’sauthorshipwasestablishedsolelyonthe
basisofstylisticcriteriaandtheirpresenceinthemanuscriptstogetherwith
herothertranslations,whereasinthecaseofLoherundMallerandHuge
ScheppelElisabethastheauthorismentionedexplicitlyeitherinthecolo-
phonorintheprologue.
TheFrenchsourcesofthefourtranslationsbyElisabethareknowntous,
andthecomparisonwiththeirGermanversionsallowsustosaythathers
arefaithfultranslations,abridgedineroticpassages,butcertainlymoreand
moreautonomousduetohergrowingexperience.Themostacclaimedof
thefourwasHugeScheppel,whoselastedition(beforethemodernschol-
arlyeditions)waspublishedin1794unsurprisingly,asthenameHugo
ScheppelconcealsthehistoricalfigureofHughCapet,whointhelate10th
centurymovedtheCarolingiandynastyawayfrompowertobecomethe
firstkingoftheCapetiandynasty.Whatmeritstheattentionisthesocial
perspectiveofElisabeth’swork,untypicalofthe15th-centuryfeudalsoci-
ety:togainpowerHughmustovercometheprejudiceandoppositionof
theFrencharistocracy,andhefindssupportinParisiantownspeople.He
himselfisoflowerdescent:hisfatherwasacommonknight,andhisgrand-
fatherwasabutcher(thoughawealthyandwell-connectedone).However,
hisindividualtalentsandachievementsprovemorethanthe“merit”of
highbirth.Itwouldbeinterestingtoseehowtheideologicalelementsof
Elisabeth’sworkwerereceivedandevaluatedfromthemid-15thcentury
onwards,alsointherevolutionaryFranceandtheGermanyofthelate18th
century,whenLouisCapet(LouisXVI)wasguillotinedinParis.
Itseemsthat,initially,thetranslationsofCountessElisabethwere
knownmostlyinthecourtlymilieu.Thesituationchangedwiththespread
ofprint,whensubsequenteditionsofthreeofherworks(withtheexcep-
tionofSibille;HugeScheppel,1500,wastheearliest)madethemavailable
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