History Literature / ReynardTheFox

* DudeWhereIsMyRespect: Grimbeert the badger defends Reynard until the end, but is eventually betrayed by him like all the others.

DogsAreDumb: Curtise the dog is described as particularly dim-witted and gullible even by the standards of Reynard's foes. For example, he complains that Reynard ate one of his sausages. Later it turns out he actually ate it himself.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Curtise the posh dog complains that Reynard ate one of his sausages. Later it turns out he actually ate it himself.
* DogsAreDumb: Curtise the dog is described as particularly dim-witted and gullible even by the standards of Reynard's foes.

* BlackComedyRape: Reynard has raped Ysegrim's wife, though in the original Dutch/Flemish text the word ''verhoerd'' has a double connotation meaning both ''made into a whore'' as well as ''answered my prayers'', so it appears that she might even has invited him to do so. Later it is also claimed that Reynard ''read the Catholic credo'' with Cuward the hare by sitting behind him and holding the same book, a thinly veiled allusion to sodomy.

** Ladislas Starevich's ''Le Roman de Renard'' (1928): a French black-and-white stop-motion animated film based on the story with design elements based on classic Russian puppetry. Notably, it is one of the earliest known animated films, predating Disney's ''Disney/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs''.

* StockAnimalName: ''Reynard'' and ''Chanticleer'' have become the stock name for respectively foxes and roosters. ''Bruin'' has become a stock name for bears in Dutch. Less common, but worth mentioning is ''Tybalt'' for cats. The English StockAnimalName ''Tibbles'' for cats is derived from Tybalt. Calling a lion ''Nobel'' has also become common thanks to these stories. Reynard became such a popular name for foxes after the tales, that modern French word for fox actually ''is'' renard. The previous French word "goupil" is now archaic.

* {{Blindness}}: Reynard urinated in the eyes of Isegrim's children after ravaging his wife. As a result they are blind.

%%* DogsAreDumb:

** David R. Witanowski's 2011-2013 ''Literature/TheReynardCycle,'', a series of LowFantasy adaptations featuring human beings rather than animals.

** David R. Witanowski's 2011-2013 ''The Reynard Cycle'', a series of LowFantasy adaptations featuring human beings rather than animals.

* ChristianityIsCatholic: As was nearly all of Europe in the Middle Ages, except for the Orthodox regions.

* ChristianityIsCatholic: As was all of Europe in the Middle Ages.

** In the Dutch/Flemish version, ''Van den Vos Reynaerde'' the local Catholic priest is married. One of his testicles is later bit off by Tybald the cat. His wife is highly disappointed by this and cries that she will have to miss their ''sweet game'' from now on. Reynard just jokes that "the one remaining will be sufficient to keep on doing it."
* CulturalTranslation: The stories were popular enough to be translated in many Western European languages.

** The priest's wife is named ''Julocke'' in the Dutch/Flemish version, which is derived from "Jou lok ik" ("It's you whom I call/seduce")
** Originally foxes were named ''goupil'' in French. But since foxes attacking farms were a very real thing in medieval times people considered it bad luck to mention the word ''goupil''. Therefore ''renard'' was used as a euphemism, until it actually became the standard French word for ''fox'' as it is today. The only way in french to distinguish the character from the species is the fact that the character is written ''Renart'' while the species is called ''renard''.

* ReluctantPsycho: At least twice Reynard honestly confesses his crimes to Grimbeert, and the second time mentions that while his conscience always bothers after committing such cruel acts, he finds that he is unable to stop himself. Of course, this could just be him lying again.

%%* Anti-Villain:

** In the Dutch/Flemish version, ''Van den Vos Reynaerde'' the local Catholic priest is married. One of his testicles is later bit off by Tybald the cat. His wife is highly disappointed by this and cries that she will have to miss their ''sweet game'' from now on. Reynart just jokes that "the one remaining will be sufficient to keep on doing it."

Eventually Reynard's cousin, Grimbeert, a badger, manages to bring Reynard before King Nobel. There the fox once again fools everybody by claiming that Isegrym, Bruun, Tybeert, Grimbeert and even Reynard's dad have plotted against the king and kept a treasure hidden from him of whom only Reynard knows the hiding place. When the king frees Reynard he will show where it is hidden. Reynard flees and claims to go on pilgrimage to Rome. Cuwart the hare and Belyn the ram go along to his home. He asks Cuwart to come inside with him while Belyn waits outside. Reynard murders the hare, chops his head off and puts it inside a bag he gives to Belyn with the message to bring it to the king. Belyn does so and is executed. By the time everyone realizes they have been fooled again Reynard has already fled.

There have been several adapations of the story throughout history. We only list the full story adaptations here, not brief shout-outs, parodies or propaganda works.

* AllWomenAreLustful: All female characters in this story are represented as lewd and debaucherous.

%%* Anti-Villian:

* AnimalStereotypes: A cunning fox, a lion who is king, a posh little dog, a hungry wolf, ...

* FemalesAreMoreInnocent: Subverted. Typical for most medieval tales it's the other way around. All women in this story are lewd or stupid. When king Nobel assumes Reynard is lying to him it's his own wife who tells him to stop being paranoid and simply trust the fox.

* ReluctantPsycho: At least twice Reynard honestly confesses his crimes to Grimbeert, and the second time mentions that while his conscience always bothers after committing such cruel acts, he finds that he is unable to stop himself, implying that he is this trope. However, psychology was nonexistent back then, so it's possible that this is unintentional, and that Reynard is just bullshitting.

* TemptingFate: Despite enough examples to the contrary all animals still believe everything Reynard says to them... with dire consequences.

* AnyoneCanDie: Quite some characters get painfully hurt, killed or eaten.

* AllWomenAreLustful: All female characters in this story are represented as lewd and debaucherous.

''Reynard the Fox'' is a series of French/Belgian/German/Dutch medieval folklore tales about a KarmicTrickster fox named [[DubNameChange Reynard/Renart/Reineke/Reintje/Reynaert]]. In all variations of the story Reynard is depicted as a [[CunningLikeAFox cunning fox]] who has engaged in so many criminal deeds that the Royal court of King Nobel the lion wants to bring him to justice. He sends out one animal at the time to arrest Reynard and bring him to court, but all attempts go horribly wrong. Bruun the Bear is tricked by Reynard, who tells him there's honey inside a tree. As Bruun peeps inside he gets stuck. Tybeert the cat is also tricked by sending him to a chicken coop, owned by a local priest. Reynard locks Tybeert inside and the noise alarms the priest, who beats Tybeert out. The cat does get his revenge by biting off one of the priest's testicles.

** In the Dutch/Flemish version, ''Van den Vos Reynaerde'' the local Catholic priest is married. One of his testicles is later bit off by Tybald the cat. His wife is highly disappointed by this and cries that she will have to miss their ''sweet game'' from now on. Reynart just jokes that ''the one remaining will be sufficient to keep on doing on it.''

* StockAnimalName: ''Reynard'' and ''Chanticleer'' have become the stock name for respectively foxes and roosters. ''Bruin'' has become a stock name for bears in Dutch. Less common, but worth mentioning is ''Tybalt'' for cats. The English StockAnimalName ''Tibbles'' for cats is derived from Tybalt. Calling a lion ''Nobel'' has also become common thanks to these stories.

''Reynard the Fox'' is a series of French/Belgian/German/Dutch medieval folklore tales about a KarmicTrickster fox named [[DubNameChange Reynard/Renart/Reineke/Reintje/Reynaert]]. In all variations of the story Reynard is depicted as a [[CunningLikeAFox cunning fox]] who has engaged in so many criminal deeds that the Royal court of King Noble the lion wants to bring him to justice. He sends out one animal at the time to arrest Reynard and bring him to court, but all attempts go horribly wrong. Bruun the Bear is tricked by Reynard, who tells him there's honey inside a tree. As Bruun peeps inside he gets stuck. Tybeert the cat is also tricked by sending him to a chicken coop, owned by a local priest. Reynard locks Tybeert inside and the noise alarms the priest, who beats Tybeert out. The cat does get his revenge by biting off one of the priest's testicles.

* ReluctantPsycho: At least twice Reynard honestly confesses his crimes to Grimbeert, and the second time mentions that while his conscience always bothers after commiting such cruel acts, he finds that he is unable to stop himself, implying that he is this trope. However, psychology was nonexistent back then, so it's possible that this is unintentional, and that Reynard is just bullshitting.

* TalkingAnimal: All animal talk.

* ShoutOut:
** Reynard - renamed Russell - also appears in in Creator/GeoffreyChaucer's ''Literature/TheCanterburyTales'' in the Nun's Priest's Tale, along with Chanticleer the puffed-up rooster and his more sensible wife, Pertelote.
** The fox is referenced in the Middle English poem ''Literature/SirGawainAndTheGreenKnight''.
** Reynard the fox, Isengrim the wolf, Tybalt the cat, and many other characters from the folktales appear as humanized versions of themselves in David R. Witanowski's ''[[Literature/TheReynardCycle Reynard Cycle.]]'' Naturally, the characters tend to retain the characteristics of their animal counterparts.
** The story was also adapted loosely in an animated series, ''WesternAnimation/MoiRenart''.
** The story was adapted by Belgian author Louis Paul Boon in 1955 as the tale ''Wapenbroeders'' ("Weapon brethren") in which the action is meant as a satire of 20th century Belgium.
** The ''ComicBook/SuskeEnWiske'' album ''De Rebelse Reynaert'' is based on ''Reynaert the Fox'', but has a lot of subtle allusions to the then current scandal around criminal Marc Dutroux, where Reynaert can be seen as an {{Expy}} of Dutroux.
** ''WebComic/GunnerkriggCourt'': Reynardine and Ysengrin are based on their fox and wolf counterparts from this story.
** Virtually every fox in popular culture with the name ''Reynard'' (or ''Reintje'', ''Rénard'', ''Reineke'') is [[NamedAfterSomebodyFamous based on]] Reynard the Fox.
** Tybalt from ''Theatre/TwelfthNight'' by Creator/WilliamShakespeare was named after the cat in ''Reynard The Fox'', as was Tybalt Capulet in ''Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet''.
** Chanticleer the rooster has inspired the name of countless other roosters and cocks in fiction, including Marquis de Canteclaer in ''ComicBook/TomPoes'' and ''WesternAnimation/RockADoodle''.
** Maupertuis, Reynard's castle, inspired the title of the gothic horror novel ''Malpertuis'' by Jean Ray, which was filmed in 1971 by Harry Kümel starring Creator/OrsonWelles.
** Renard, one of the villains of the James Bond film, ''The World Is Not Enough'' is named after the fictional fox, and can withstand "a rain of blows", which is the literal translation of the name "Reynard."
** Reynard Fossman, a minor villain from ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'', is either a LegacyCharacter embodiment of this trope or is trying very, very hard to ''seem'' like one.

** {{Andre Norton}}'s ''Rogue Reynard'' (1947): Written in very archaic English. Shows him as a straight-up VillainProtagonist.