Marie de France, Lais (fl. c. 1160–1215)
A collection of narrative poems blending Celtic folklore, courtly love, and moral reflection. The Lais are among the most celebrated works of Anglo-Norman literature.
Philippe de Thaon, Comput & Bestiaire (c. 1113–1139)
The Comput is a scientific and didactic calendar poem, while the Bestiaire adapts the Latin Physiologus to describe animals and their moral meanings. Together, these are the earliest didactic poems in Anglo-Norman verse.
Benedeit, Voyage de Saint Brendan (c. 1120)
An Anglo-Norman adaptation of the Latin Navigatio Sancti Brendani, recounting the legendary sea voyage of St. Brendan in search of the “Isle of the Blessed.”
Geoffrey Gaimar, L’Estoire des Engleis (c. 1135–1140)
A verse chronicle covering English history from legendary times up to 1066, one of the earliest attempts to write English history in the Anglo-Norman vernacular.
Wace, Roman de Brut (c. 1155)
A history of Britain in verse, based on Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae. This work popularized the legend of King Arthur in Anglo-Norman literature.
Wace, Roman de Rou (c. 1160–1174)
A verse chronicle of the Dukes of Normandy, celebrating Norman heritage and identity.
Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Roman de Troie (c. 1165–1170)
A vast romance retelling the story of the Trojan War, blending classical tradition with medieval romance conventions.
Roman d’Enéas (mid-12th century)
An adaptation of Virgil’s Aeneid into the Anglo-Norman romance tradition, emphasizing love and chivalric values.
Peter of Langtoft, Chronicle (c. 1307)
A verse chronicle in Anglo-Norman covering English history from the Norman Conquest to the reign of Edward I.
Chanson de Roland (Anglo-Norman version) (MS Bodleian Library, Digby 23)
The Anglo-Norman redaction of the great epic of Charlemagne and Roland at Roncevaux, preserved in the Digby 23 manuscript.
Hue de Rotelande, Ipomedon (late 12th century)
A popular chivalric romance that circulated widely in Anglo-Norman and Middle English traditions.
Hue de Rotelande, Protheselaus (late 12th century)
A sequel to Ipomedon, further developing the Anglo-Norman romance tradition.
Heldris of Cornwall, Roman de Silence (c. 1200)
A narrative poem exploring gender identity, inheritance law, and social roles, preserved in a unique manuscript (Nottingham WLC/LM/6).
Étienne de Fougères, Livre des Manières (c. 1170)
A satirical didactic poem on moral conduct, one of the earliest examples of social critique in Anglo-Norman literature.