Abstract
Cases of female transvestism in medieval French literature are probably more common and may come more easily to mind. The theme of male cross-dressing in medieval French narrative literature is not common, and even though the use made of it varies from one text to another, it is always closely related to, and illustrative of, the central concerns of each individual text. As a type of disguise, it often articulates questions of appearance and reality as well as providing narrative impetus. It is questionable whether one can properly speak of transvestism in medieval secular narrative. Certainly, instances of cross-dressing are not presented as manifestations of a sexual inclination or lifestyle but rather as a means of disguise which enables authors to develop their narrative structures and at the same time to generate comedy.
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