Kay, Sarah, ed. and trans. Raoul de Cambrai. Oxford: Clarendon, 1992.
Meyer, Paul, and Auguste Longnon, eds. Raoul de Cambrai, chanson de geste. Paris: Didot, 1882.
Calin, William. The Old French Epic of Revolt: Raoul de Cambrai, Renaud de Montauban,
Gormond et Isembard. Geneva: Droz, 1962.
Matarasso, Pauline. Recherches historiques et littéraires sur Raoul de Cambrai. Paris: Nizet, 1962.
RAOUL DE HOUDENC
(fl. 1210–20). Radulfus de Hosdenc, miles, of Hodenc-en-Bray (Beauvaisis), was the
author of an Arthurian romance of 5,938 octosyllabic lines, Meraugis de Portlesguez, and
three short didactic poems, the Songe d’enfer, the Roman des eles, and a Dit. A second
Arthurian romance, the Vengeance Raguidel (6,182 lines), whose author names himself
as “Raols” is probably also by Raoul de Houdenc. Raoul is one of the most talented of the
Chrétien epigones, and Meraugis de Portlesguez, concerned with the rivalry of two
friends for the love of the fair Lidoine, is one of the best examples of the genre. Both
Meraugis and the Vengeance Raguidel, which is concerned with the avenging of a
murdered knight called Raguidel, can best be seen as the work of an author coming to
grips with the specter of Chrétien de Troyes. All kinds of humor abound in the two
romances, as well as in the short didactic pieces. The Songe d’enfer is a vision of Hell
notable for a particularly gruesome banquet and some allegorical heraldry; the Roman des
eles is a guide to courtoisie. Raoul was acknowledged, along with Chrétien, to be one of
the greatest French poets by Huon de Méry in the Tournoiement Antécrist (ca. 1230).
Keith Busby
[See also: ARTHURIAN VERSE ROMANCE; CHRÉTIEN DE TROYES;
COURTESY BOOKS; GAWAIN ROMANCES; ROMANCE]
Raoul de Houdenc. “Li dis Raoul Hosdaing,” ed. Charles H. Livingston. Romanic Review 13
(1922):292–304.
——. The Songe d’enfer of Raoul de Houdenc, ed. Madelyn Timmel Mihm. Tübingen: Niemeyer,
1984.
——. “Le roman des eles”: The Anonymous “Ordene de Chevalerie,” ed. Keith Busby.
Amsterdam: Benjamins, 1983.
——. Sämtliche Werke, ed. Mathias Friedwagner. 2 vols. Halle: Niemeyer, 1897–1909, Vol. 1:
Meraugis de Portles-guez; Vol. 2: La vengeance Raguidel.
Schmolke-Hasselmann, Beate. Der arthurische Versroman von Chrestien bis Froissart. Tübingen:
Niemeyer, 1980, pp. 106–15, 117–29.
RAOUL DE VERMANDOIS
(d. 1152). Seneschal of France. An ardent supporter of the Capetian monarchy, Raoul
was the eldest son of Adèle, heiress of Herbert IV, count of Vermandois, and Hugues le
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