Wace Without Prejudice

The first translation of the complete Roman de Rou, probably written in the 1160s by the Norman poet Wace (born around 1100, died after 1174), has just been published as The History of the Norman People. This panoramic narrative poem is known mainly for its epic account of the events of 1066, although it was singled out for stringent criticism when Wace’s rhyming list of the ‘Conquerors’ Companions’, though treasured by genealogists, was discredited by an influential Norman specialist in 1944. The dramatic centrepiece can now be read in the context of the whole book and its outspoken conclusion – the author’s verdict on the ironic reversal of Normandy’s fortunes from the beginning of the twelfth century. The new translation reveals Wace as a meticulous researcher, and offers a rationale for his naming of the ‘Companions’.