The Faithful Wife

Cymberline

There are folktales with a plot line theme called, “ The Wager on the Wife’s Chastity”. Shakespeare’s play “Cymberline” is very similar to this plot line. The character, Imogen, has married a man poorer than herself and it isn’t working out well. Her husband makes a wager with an unsavory man who says he can seduce Imogen with only a letter of introduction. She refuses his advances but allows him to store a chest in her bedroom. What Imogen doesn’t know is that he has hidden himself inside the chest. Whilst Imogen is asleep, he leaves the chest and steals a bracelet and sees an intimate mole on her sleeping body.

When her husband is shown the “evidence” of his wife’s unfaithfulness, he askes his trusted servant to kill Imogen. This servant provides her with male clothing and so, dressed as a young man, she takes employment in a powerful household. Imogen in time returns to her father’s house. Here the truth is revealed. The estranged couple are reunited and the swindler is forgiven.

Frederyke of Jennen

One of the folk tales most like Cymberline is Frederyke of Jennen. This was printed in Antwerp in 1518. This Dutch tale has it’s origins from a German folktale. THERE MIGHT BE SOME ELEMENTS OF THIS STORY THAT ARE DISTURBING AND DEFINITELY NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN.

There once were four rich merchants who came from four different countries. They were all travelling to Paris so decided to lodge together. At an inn, after a fine meal and good company, the Italian merchant began to suggest they invite some women to spend the night with them. He reasoned that their wives at home were bound to have lovers while they were away so why shouldn’t they do the same.

The merchant from Jennen objected to this slight about his wife and said he could trust her to be faithful to him. At this the Italian challenged him to a wager. He said that he would go to Jennen and return bringing proof that she had been unfaithful to her husband with him. The wager was accepted. The Italian made his way to Jennen.

When he arrived he found the wife coming out of church and after exchanging greetings with her realised she was a faithful wife. He knew he had lost the wager he had set so he began to think about how to get proof in a dishonest way.

He took a bolt of silk cloth to an old female trader. Having sold it to her at a ridiculously low price, she was happy to celebrate the trade with him. Having eaten and drunk too much, she was easily persuaded to approach the merchant’s wife and ask her to store a large chest while she went on pilgrimage to St. James’s. The Italian explained that the chest would contain himself and enough food and drink for three days. She was to return to the wife and collect the chest after that time. The plan worked and the wife said she would store the chest in her own bedchamber to ensure it would be safe.

That night, the Italian climbed out of the chest and found the “proofs” he needed to win the wager. He stole a jewelled purse, girdle and a ring but the most exciting thing of all was that in the moonlight he saw that the wife had a black wart on her left arm. After three days, the old woman reclaimed the chest, telling the wife she had changed her mind about going on pilgrimage that year.

When the Italian met up in Paris with the Jennen merchant, he showed him the purse, the girdle and the ring. The Jennen merchant said that this proved nothing but when he was told about the black wart on the left arm, his trust in his wife’s faithfulness was shattered. He paid the Italian and returned home.

Before he arrived home, he stopped at one of his servants’ homes. He ordered the servant to collect the merchant’s wife and taking her out of town, kill her and bring him her tongue and her hair as proof. Objecting to this the servant was told it was her life or his own. The servant collected the wife, who was thrilled her husband had returned. He stopped outside the town and explained to her that he was ordered to kill her. She prayed on her knees that he would spare her. Having her pet lamb with her, it was decided that she would escape and the servant would kill the lamb, smear it’s blood on her clothes and take these, the lamb’s tongue and a lock of the wife’s hair to the husband. When presented with the “proofs”, the husband was sad because he realised he hadn’t even given his wife a chance to tell her side of the story.

The wife, dressed herself as a man and calling herself Frederyke, got a job on a ship looking after a cargo of hawks. The hawks were for the King of Indian, who became dissatisfied with the hawks’ behaviour, once they were left with him. When he threatened the captain of the ship, he was told that the hawks were missing the man who had looked after them.

The wife, in disguise, became the King’s falconer and then promotion after promotion, she became the Lord Defender of all the land. When the King was absent; she was in charge.

There came a time when the Italian merchant took his stock to India. One day, the wife, with other Lords saw him and on his display were her purse, girdle and ring. As Lord Defender, she commented on how fine they were and the Italian happily told her how he had gained them and the wager money. He also knew that the Jennen merchant had had his wife killed as a result. The wife encouraged the Italian to stay on in their land and said he would be invited to show his wares to the King himself. She then sent a messenger with a letter to her husband. She addressed him as if she were the King, asking him to come to his court.

Once her husband had arrived and was dining in the King and Lords ‘ company, she sent in the Italian with his wares to show the King and retell his story of how he had acquired them. In private, she asked the King what he thought should happen to this man. He said he should die for stealing and being the cause of someone’s murder. The wife agreed with him. She told the King to return to his guests and a surprise.

When she returned to the hall, she stood naked but for silk cloth covering her modesty. The King and Lords were confused because she looked like their Lord Defender but was obviously a woman. She then told her side of the story. The King sentenced the Italian to death and he was beheaded.

Her husband who had heard and seen all in silence, stood up and knelt at her feet and begged forgiveness for all that he had done. She forgave him and with a sad heart, the King of India allowed her to return home. However, she had many children. Her son was named Frederyke, after her, and when he was old enough he went to replace her in the King of India’s court. He performed many brave deeds in battle against the King’s enemies, just as his mother had done before him.

Thank you for reading my November Blog.