Further Resources
Tracking stories as they pass across time and space is fascinating, but identifying and securing the evidence can be difficult and time-consuming. The focus in this select bibliography rests on English-language materials. Most, though not all, early translations can be accessed freely in digitizations.
Some famous radio broadcasts may be streamed or purchased as analogue or digital recordings. The scripts are not easy to obtain, except when they were reprinted in major magazines. Likewise, though relevant episodes of television variety shows were sometimes recorded, arranging to view them can be challenging. By the same token, films that have not remained popular may be found only with difficulty and in outmoded media. Many of these same challenges apply to performances of musical compositions that have been recorded. Those which have not been recorded will be accessible only through their scores.
To return to print, a final category worth mentioning is children’s books. The most famous from recent decades may be held in public libraries but not in research libraries. Those from long ago or in foreign languages can be extremely hard to secure, unless through purchase as collectibles.
Much information relating to the medieval story, Anatole France’s adaptation of it, Jules Massenet’s opera, and the rest of the rich traditions connected with all of them can be found in the six volumes of The Juggler of Notre Dame and the Medievalizing of Modernity: vol. 1: “The Middle Ages,” 2: “Medieval Meets Medievalism,” 3: “The American Middle Ages,” 4: “Picture That: Making a Show of the Jongleur,” 5: “Tumbling into the Twentieth Century,” 6: “War and Peace, Sex and Violence” (Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers, 2018). All may be downloaded gratis as interoperable PDFs.
Editions (and French Translations)
Bretel, Paul, ed. and trans. Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame. Traductions des classiques du Moyen Âge 64. Paris: Honoré Champion, 2003.
Kunstmann, Pierre, ed. and trans., Vierge et merveille: Les miracles de Notre-Dame narratifs au Moyen Âge. Paris: Union générale d’éditions/Série “Bibliothèque médiévale,” 1981. 142–77.
Lommatzsch, Erhard, ed., Del tumbeor Nostre Dame: Altfranzösische Marienlegende (um 1200). Romanische Texte zum Gebrauch für Vorlesungen und Übungen 1. Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1920.
English Translations
Butler, Isabel Butler. Our Lady’s Tumbler: A Tale of Mediæval France. Boston, MA: Copeland & Day, 1898.
Cormack, George. Our Lady’s Tumbler: A Legend of the Middle Age from the Twelfth-Century French, Versified. London: Burns & Oates, and New York: Benziger, 1907.
Kemp-Welch, Alice. Of the Tumbler of Our Lady & Other Miracles Now Translated from the Middle French. London: Chatto & Windus, 1908. 1–33.
Mason, Eugene. Our Lady’s Tumbler. In tr. Aucassin & Nicolette and Other Mediaeval Romances and Legends Translated from the French. London: J. M. Dent & Sons; New York: E. P. Dutton, 1910. 53–66.
Rogers, William Showell. “The Tumbling Monk of Clairvaux (1897).” In Rogers, Christmas Greetings, and Other Verses. Birmingham: Cornish Brothers Ltd., 1902. 63–76 (proem 65–66, translation 67–71, short extracts from the medieval French 73–74).
Wicksteed, Philip Henry. Our Lady’s Tumbler: A Twelfth Century Legend Transcribed for Lady Day. London: J. M. Dent, 1894. Repr. repeatedly Mosher, first as Our Lady’s Tumbler, Bibelot, vol. 5.11. Portland, ME: T. B. Mosher, 1899.
---------Retranslated into Esperanto by Edward Saxton Payson. La Akrobato de Nia Sinjorino: Milcentjara Legendo. West Newton, MA: Ernest Fairman Dow, 1919.
Wilkie, Everett C., Jr. “Our Lady’s Tumbler,” Allegorica: A Journal of Medieval & Renaissance Literature 4 (1979): 81–120.
Illustrated Versions of the Medieval Poem and of Anatole France’s Story
Anonymous. Del tumbeor Nostre Dame, calligraphed by Irene Sutton, 1942. Chicago, Newberry Library, Vault Case Wing MS folio ZW 945 .W45. The manuscript bears the identification “Written out from the 12th century French by Irene Sutton [Wellington] and illustrated by Sax R. Shaw and given by us to Hubert Wellington. June 1942.”
France, Anatole. Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame, calligraphed (in a Gothic bastarda script), illuminated, and historiated by Henri Malatesta (Paris: Édition F. Ferroud, 1906).
--------. The Juggler of Our Lady. Written out, illuminated, and historiated by Malatesta. Translated with afterword by Jan M. Ziolkowski. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2018.
--------. Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame. Illus. Maurice Lalau (Paris: Librairie des Amateurs, A. Ferroud-F. Ferroud, 1924).
--------. The Juggler of Notre Dame. Illus. Maurice Lalau. Translated with introduction by Jan M. Ziolkowski. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2018.
Old-Time Radio: Printed Scripts
Hackett, Walter C. “‘The Juggler of Our Lady’ by Anatole France, Adapted for Radio.” In The Jumbo Christmas Book, ed. Edna M. Cahill, 5–13. Boston, MA: Baker’s Plays, 1951.
Nesbitt, John Booth. The Juggler of Our Lady. San Francisco: L’Esperance, Sivertson & Beran, 1939. Many recordings exist.
Vilariño Ugarte, Remigio. “El volatinero de la Virgen” (Cuento 9). De broma y de versa nos. 182–183 (Bilbao, Spain: February and March, 1926): 94–106. Supplement to El Mensajero del Corazón de Jesús. Repr. in Radiocuentos por Erreví Esejota. 2nd ed. Bilbao, Spain: El Mensajero del Corazón de Jesús, 1929. In French in Vilariño, Contes radiophoniques. Trans. and adap. Paul Bellot. Paris: Desclée De Brouwer, 1934. 91–108.
Woollcott, Alexander. Our Lady’s Juggler: An Antique Legend as Retold for the Air. San Mateo, CA: Quercus, 1937. Repr. in “Twice Told Tales,” Reader’s Digest 39.234 (October 1941): 15–16. Repr. in David Goldstein, What Say You?, 154–56. St. Paul, MN: Radio Replies Press, 1945.
Television and Film
“The Greatest Gift.” Released September 5, 1942. 11 minutes. Film short (MGM Miniatures), black and white. Directed by Harold Daniels. Lead played by Edmund Gwenn.
“Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame.” 1965 (France). 27–30 minutes. Color, marionettes. Directed by Pierre Rémont, written by Maurice Genevoix, read (in French) by Jean Rochefort, music by François de Roubaix, produced by Stephano Lonati, Italo Bettiol, and Françoise Bettiol. US version produced by Thomas Craven. Soundtracks made in English, French, Italian, and Spanish.
“The Juggler of Notre Dame.” 1970. 1 hour 20 minutes. Color. Directed by Milton H. Lehr, written by Milton H. Lehr and Maurice Tobias, starring Jessica Benton, Barry Dennen, Christopher Ellis, Willoughby Goddard, Joe E. Ross, and Walter Slezak. Filmed in Slovenia.
“The Juggler of Notre Dame.” 1982. 50 minutes. Color. Made for television. Directed by Mike Rhodes (Michael Ray Rhodes), written by Lan O’Kun, starring Sherilyn Wolter, Henry Proach, and James T. Callahan, coproduced by Walt Disney and Paulist Brothers.
“The Juggler of Our Lady.” Released December, 1957. 9 minutes. Animated short (Terrytoons in Technicolor). Produced by Gene Deitch, directed by Al Kouzel, based on book by R. O. Blechman, original music by Philip A. Scheib, voiceover by Boris Karloff.
“Our Lady’s Juggler.” Length varies. Aired in December, 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1953. Segment of television variety show: Fred Waring’s America (CBS, 1949–1954). Kinescope copies, black and white, held by the Fred Waring’s America Collection, The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania.
“The Young Juggler.” Aired March 29, 1960. 49 minutes. Color. Made for television: Startime (NBC, 1959–1961), Season 1, Episode 26. Directed by Ted Post, written by Joseph Stefano, produced by William Frye, coproduced by Curtleigh, starring Tony Curtis, Nehemiah Persoff, Patricia Medina, Bert Freed, and Elisha Cook Jr.
Illustrated Children’s Books Devoted to the Story
Benevelli, Alberto. Il Giocoliere di Maria. Illus. Manuela Marchsan. Cinisello Balsamo [Milan]: San Paolo Edizioni, 2005. Italian.
Bonetto, Giovanni. Un giocoliere in paradiso. Illus. Gino Gavioli. Bimbi e fiori, vol. 28. Rome: Edizioni Paoline, 1970. Spanish trans., 1977. Japanese trans., 1974.
Cooney, Barbara. The Little Juggler, Adapted from an Old French Legend and Illustrated. New York: Hastings House Publishers, 1961. Repr. 1970, 1982, 2018 (with afterword by Jan M. Ziolkowski). Translated into Korean, 1987, and into Japanese, 2006, 2014.
dePaola, Tomie (Thomas Anthony), author and illustrator. The Clown of God: An Old Story. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018.
Evans, Katherine, author and illustrator. The Little Juggler. Christian Child’s Stories. Milwaukee, WI: Bruce Publishing Company, 1960.
Higgins, Violet Moore. Fairy Tales: The Little Juggler-The Wooden Shoe-The Noel Candle. lllus. Helen Chamberlin. Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing Company, 1917.
-------- French Fairy Tales: The Little Juggler-The Wooden Shoe-The Noel Candle. lllus. Helen Chamberlin. Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing Company, 1917. Reprinted in “2 Books in a Box.” Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing Company, 1934.
--------, author and illustrator. The Little Juggler and Other French Tales Retold. Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing Co., 1917. 7–34.
Metternich, Tatiana. Der Gaukler der Jungfrau Maria. Wiesbaden: Modul Verlag, 1999. German.
Olofsson, Helena. The Little Jester. Trans. Kjersti Board. New York: R&S Books, 2002. Originally Swedish.
Schwartz, Carol. The Little Juggler. Illus. Marcy Dunn Ramsey, paper engineering by Dick Dudley. Dial Stockingstuffer Pop-Ups. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1991. Pop-up book.
Shannon, Mark. The Acrobat & the Angel. Illus. David Shannon. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1999.
Souvirón, José María. El juglarcillo de la Virgen. Illus. Roser Bru. Santiago, Chile: Editorial Difusión Chilena, 1942. Reprinted with preface by Jan M. Ziolkowski. Washington, DC: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 2018.
Todd, Mary Fidelis. The Juggler of Notre Dame: An Old French Tale, Retold and Illustrated. New York, Toronto, and London: Whittlesey House, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1954.
Story Books and Activity Books That Include the Story
Harrell, John, and Mary Harrell. A Storyteller’s Treasury. Berkeley, CA: Harrell, 1977. 43–46 (adapted from Anatole France).
Hartman, Bob. Lion Storyteller Christmas Book. Illus. Susie Poole. Colorado Springs: Lion’s Children’s Books, 2000. 114–16.
Hayes, Joe. The Wise Little Burro: Holiday Tales from Near and Far. Santa Fe, NM: Trails West, 1991. 27–32.
Krall, Bertha C., ed. Further Christmas-Tide Stories. London: National Sunday School Union, 1934, 1938, 1941, 1946. 41–44 (Alice M. Pullen, “Our Lady’s Juggler: A Legend from Long-Ago France”).
Newland, Reed. The Year and Our Children: Planning the Family Activities for Christian Feasts and Seasons. New York: P. J. Kenedy and Sons, 1956. 13–16 (“Advent Penances, and a Story about a Juggler”).
Rock, Lois, and Christina Balit. Saintly Tales and Legends. Boston, MA: Pauline Books & Media, 2004), 29 (text), 95 (notes).
Sawyer, Ruth. The Way of the Storyteller. 1st ed. New York: Viking Press, 1942. 231–41.
Taylor, Katharine, and Henry Copley Greene. The Shady Hill Play Book. Illus. Harold R. Shurtleff. New York: Macmillan, 1928. 95–97 (introduction), 98–102 (English play), 103–7 (French play), 107–8 (references and Latin chant).
Untermeyer, Louis. The Firebringer and Other Great Stories: Fifty-Five Legends that Live Forever. Illustrated by Mae Katharine Gerhard. New York: M. Evans & Co., Inc., 1968. 207–10 (“The Little Juggler . . . and the Virgin”).
Walters, Julie. Advent: A Family Celebration. Prayers and Activities for Each Day. Ijamsville, MD: The Word Among Us Press, 2004. 124–26 (based on Barbara Cooney’s version).
Graphic Novels
Battaglia, Dino, illustrator, and Laura Battaglia, author. “Il giocoliere della Madonna.” Messaggero dei Ragazzi no. 22 (1976). Reprinted in Uomini, donne e santi, ed. Giovanni M. Colasanti (Padua: EMP, 1979); Orient Express Special 1 “Omaggio a Dino Battaglia” (Milan: L’Isola Trovata, 1983), 58–64; and Leggende (Grumo Nevano, Italy: Grifo Edizioni, 2004), 35–41. Italian.
Blechman, R. O. The Juggler of Our Lady: A Medieval Legend Adapted. New York: Holt, 1953. Reprinted New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1997. Reprinted as The Juggler of Our Lady: The Classic Christmas Story. Foreword by Jules Feiffer. Introduction by Maurice Sendak. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, 2015.
Miniature Book (“Little”)
Adams, Maryline Poole. Le Jongleur de Notre Dame/The Juggler of Notre Dame. Berkeley, CA: Poole Press, 2003.
Music
Alphabetized by name of composer or librettist as listed first or more prominently in published form.
Auden, W. H. The Ballad of Barnaby, music by students of Wykeham Rise School in Washington, CT, realization Charles Turner. New York: G. Schirmer, 1969. Premiere May 23–24, 1969, Wykeham Rise School for Girls (now-defunct), Washington, Connecticut.
Borzova, Alla. The Ballad of Barnaby for Mixed Chorus a Cappella Poem by W. H. Auden [New York]: Euterpe Press, ASCAP, 2000. [Recording.]
Davies, Peter Maxwell. Le Jongleur de Notre Dame, a Masque for Mime, Baritone, Chamber Ensemble and Children’s Band. London: Chester Music, 1978. [Recording.]
DeCesare, Stephen. “The Juggler of Notre Dame: The Musical.” MTA Publishing. [Recording.] http://www.musicaneo.com/sheetmusic/sm-159801_the_juggler_of_notre_dame_musical.html#159801
Hakim, Naji. “Our Lady’s Minstrel” (Prelude and Dance for Clarinet and Organ –Three Poems for Soprano and Organ),” Schott, 2013. See http://www.najihakim.com/works/organ-and-other-instruments/our-lady-s-minstrel-for-clarinet-and-organ/ Uses translation by Isabel Butler.
Holloway, Marcella M. The Little Juggler: A Miracle Play with Music. Music by Sister John Joseph Bezdek. New York: S. French, 1966.
Humenry, Jean, composer. Libretto by Jean Louis Winkopp: see Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame, http://www.chantonseneglise.fr/chant.php?chant=13046 [Recording.]
Hutter, Hermann. Der Tänzer uns’rer lieben Frau: Nach dem gleichnamigen Gedicht von Wilhelm Hertz. Op. 17. Leipzig, Germany: Luckhardt’s Musik-Verlag, 1899. Based on Wilhelm Hertz, ed. and trans. Spielmannsbuch: Novellen in Versen aus dem zwölften und dreizehnten Jahrhundert. Stuttgart, Germany: G. Kröner, 1886. 210–17.
Karkosch, Konrad, and Ludwig Holzleitner, Der Tänzer unserer lieben Frau: Ein Ballett-Libretto in 2 Akten nach der altfranzösischen Legende “Del Tumbeor Nostre-Dame” für Bühne, Film und Fernsehen. Munich, Germany: Self-published, 1965.
Kay, Ulysses, composer. Libretto by Alexander King (born Alexander Koenig). The Juggler of Our Lady: Oper in einem Akt nach der französischen Legende “Le tombeau de Notre Dame.” New York and Mainz: Carl Fischer, n.d. [1978]. The manuscript is held as The Juggler of Our Lady: A One-Act Opera. [New York]: Pembroke Music [Sole selling agent, C. Fischer], n.d. Premiered February 23, 1962, in the Xavier University Opera Workshop, in New Orleans. [Recording.]
Massenet, Jules, composer. Libretto by Maurice Léna. Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame: Miracle en trois actes. Paris: Heugel, 1902. Premiere February 18, 1902, in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Moser, Rudolf. “Der Gaukler unserer lieben Frau: Ein Legendenspiel für Bariton-Solo, Frauenchor, Männerchor, gemischten Chor, Orgel und Orchester: op. 68.” Composed 1939, copyrighted 1991.
Orrego-Salas, Juan. “The Tumbler’s Prayer = El saltimbanqui: A Ballet (Opus 48) based on the Twelfth-Century Legend of ‘Our Lady’s Tumbler,’” 1959, 35-page score. Premiered in 1960 as a concert, in 1961 as a ballet, both in Santiago, Chile. Inspired by translation by Philip H. Wicksteed.
Schweizer, Mark, words and music. The Clown of God: A Christmas Chancel Drama for Children’s Choir. Hopkinsville, KY: St. James Music Press, 1996.
Young, Vivian Merrill, text. Music by Ruth Bampton. The Miracle of Jean the Juggler: A Musical Play in Three Scenes, Based on a French Folktale. Chicago: H. T. Fitzsimons, 1950.
Bible Quotations and Citations
Most quotations from both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testaments that are quoted in the medieval portions of this book follow the Vulgate, the Latin produced by Jerome, as translated into English in the Douay-Rheims version. The edition used for both is The Vulgate Bible, ed. Swift Edgar and Angela M. Kinney, 6 vols. in 7 parts, Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library 1, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 21 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010–2013).
In citations the Psalms are numbered first according to the Gallican Latin version, which Jerome is traditionally held to have translated from the earliest extant Greek, the Septuagint. When numeration in parentheses follows, it refers to Jerome’s final Latin psalter, based directly on the Hebrew.
Some books of the Bible bear titles that vary across religious traditions. Since most medieval western European texts and many of the nineteenth- and twentieth-century ones in this book hewed to the Latin Bible and translations made from it, those titles have been provided first in citations. The others sometimes given parenthetically are alternative names that may be more familiar to some readers.