Surviving in nine manuscripts as an excerpt, fragment or complete text,
Handlyng Synneis an English vernacular adaptation in verse of the Anglo-Norman work
Manuel des Pechiez(or
Manuel des Péchés) a text probably composed, also in verse, in the 1270s in the Lincolnshire area. The traditional attribution of the Anglo-Norman text to the name William Wadington has been rejected by recent critics and it is now thought that the
Manuelmight be connected to the initiatives of the reforming Bishop of Lincoln Robert Grosseteste, although he was certainly not the author. Over fifty percent larger than its source text at 12,600 lines in length,
Handlyng Synneemulates the basic structure of the
Manueland through the use of tales, commentary, diatribe and anecdote relates to the Ten…
1564 words
Citation: Perry, Ryan. "Handlyng Synne". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 January 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16875, accessed 22 November 2024.]