Early Modern Versions
The tale is probably based on a lost French original. A 14th century French chanson de geste, Valentin et Sansnom (i.e. Valentin and "Nameless") has not survived but was translated/adapted in medieval German as Valentin und Namelos (first half of the 15th century).
Like nearly all popular romances of chivalry of the period, the French chanson de geste was adapted into a prose romance by the end of the 15th century; several versions from the 16th century are extant; the oldest prose version dates from 1489 (published in Lyon by Jacques Maillet).
An English language version, The Historye of the two Valyannte Brethren: Valentyne and Orson, written by Henry Watson, printed by William Copland about 1550, is the earliest known of a long series of English versions - some of which included illustrations. One such illustrated variant of the tale was prepared by S R Littlwood and accompanied by the illustrations of Florence Anderson when published in 1919. It is known that Richard Hathwaye and Anthony Munday produced a version of it in 1598.
Other Renaissance versions exist in Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, German, and Icelandic. The number of translations show a European success for the tale.
In the older versions Orson is described as "sans nom" i.e. the "nameless" one. The kernel of the story lies in Orson's upbringing and wildness, and is evidently a folk-tale the connection of which with the Carolingian cycle is purely artificial. The story of the wife unjustly accused with which it is bound up is sufficiently common, and was told of the wives both of Pippin and Charlemagne.
The work has a number of references to other, older, works, including: Floovant, The Four Sons of Aymon, Lion de Bourges, and Maugis d'Aigremont.
The works of François Rabelais have a number of echoes to the romance.
Read more about this topic: Valentine And Orson
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