Fabliau is a form of early French literature consisting of short versified tales of the Trouveres, or early poets of the Langue d'Oil, comic in spirit and intended primarily for recitation. They were mainly written between the 12th and 14th centuries in northern France, and caricature every subject, but particularly women, having as their principal subjects the current gossip and news of the day, which were treated in a witty and sarcastic way. The fabliaux lashed not only the clergy and nobility in their degeneracy, but even mocked the religious chivalrous spirit, and the religious and knightly doctrines and ceremonies. Research Fabliau
 
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert