. An anonymous Greco-Byzantine romance of the early 13th century, Guillaume de Palerne is preserved in a single manuscript, Arsenal 6565. It recounts in 9,664 rhyming octosyllables the adventures of its eponymous hero, who as an infant would have been...

Guillaume de Palerme ("William of Palerne") is a French romance poem, which has been translated into English. The French verse romance was composed circa 1200, commissioned by Countess Yolande (who is generally identified to be Yolande, daughter of...

In the following essay, McKeehan focuses on the plot of Guillaume de Palerne. McKeehan discusses the numerous similarities between this story and several other tales, particularly Floriante et Florete, a French romance written circa 1300, Cormac Mac Art, an Irish tale about a prince raised by a wolf, and the Lai de Melion, a “Celtic Werwolf Tale.” McKeehan also investigates the elements of the story that were likely to have increased its popularity among contemporary audiences.

In the following essay, Bunt studies the structure, setting, historical background, and magical elements in William of Palerne.

In the essay below, Madden reviews the circumstances surrounding the composition of William of Palerne, discussing in particular the likely date of composition, the patron for whom this translation of the French poem Guillaume de Palerne was written, and what is known about the origins of Guillaume de Palerne.