Noverca

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DeceptionEvidenceFalse evidence of unchastity/criminalityDeceitful womanFamilial relationshipsFather/son relationshipsGullible husbandLesson: women’s cleverness and deceitMurderTheftPunishment for theftUnjust executionViolent punishmentWicked stepmother/mother-in-lawMarriageChildrenRichesRevenge

The Stepmother

A man's wife dies, and he eventually remarries. His new wife fears that he will favour his son from his first marriage above any children she might have, so she plots against him. When her husband doesn't believe her lies about his son's behaviour, she steals and (in some versions) breaks his treasured golden goblet. She hides the pieces of it in her step-son's room, and upon their discovery, her husband believes his son's guilt. He orders the boy to be killed, and in vengeance, the family of his first wife kill both him and the stepmother.

Note

''Noverca'' offers an obvious and direct parallel to the frame story. Nishimura (2001) notes the parallels to Aesop's fables and the story of Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 44:1-17), and other stories in the Thompson Motif Index code K401.2.3 ("Surreptitious transfer of stolen object to innocent person’s possession brings condemnation"). Nishimura also note relevant analogues and reference stories: Analogues: The story of Joseph of Egypt: Bible, Genesis, 42, 44.1-17; Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae, II, 124-135; ‘Pachyriarcha Joseph’ in Santosu no Gosagyo no uchi Nukigaki; Qur’an, 12.70; Rosenöl, I (p. 67). Among the stories supposedly related to Aesop are Ailianos, Varia Historia, 11.5 ‘The Story of the Innocent Pilgrim murdered in Delpoi’; Plutarchos, Political Lessons, 825B; Life of Aesop, 127; Steinhöwel, Äesop, ‘Aesop’s Life’, 26; ‘Aesop’s Return to Babylonia’ in Caxton’s Fables of Aesop (p. 259); ‘King Nethanabo suspects Esopo’ in Esopo no Fabulas; ‘The Parable of the Rat and the Frog in the Death of Aesop’ in Isoho Monogatari, vol.2, 9. Other stories of false evidence planted on an innocent victim: The Book of Tales by A.B.C., 38 ‘He who condemns with envious heart…’; Golden Legend, 94 ‘St. James the Apostle’ (p. 476); Bandello, Le Novelle, 1.40; Straparola, Le piacevoli Notti, 3.1; Takeda Seicho, Nihon Densetsu Shu, ‘Nureginuzuka no Densetsu (Legend of Nureginuzuka)’; Rakugo ‘Okiku’s Ghost’ and ‘Sarayashiki’. Reference stories: Gervasius, The Emperor’s Leisure, 97; Takeda Seicho, Nihon Densetsu Shu, pp. 115-117 ‘Aigo no Waka no Densetsu (Legend of Prince Aigo)’.

Critical Literature
Nishimura (2001), Berne-Aïache (1966), Coco (2016), Foehr-Janssens (1994), Le Roux de Lincy (1838), Runte (1971), Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984)

Noverca appears in the following versions and secondary versions
Version Original Language Branch of Tradition Adapted from French A/L Overlap Old French West L (Sept Sages de Rome) French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages L (Sept Sages de Rome) Old French West A (Seven Sages) S (Scala Coeli) Latin West (Lost) Liber de Septem Sapientibus

Noverca is narrated in the following occurrences
Narrator Pages Empress Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 9245, French A/L Overlap Jesse L (Sept Sages de Rome), Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3354 Seventh Master S (Scala Coeli)

Noverca appears in the following manuscripts

Manuscript Language Siglum (Version) Language Group within Version Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 9245 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap Cambridge University Library MS Gg.6.28 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3354 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3516 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 95 Old French Overlap of Versions A and L French A/L Overlap University of Pennsylvania Library Ms. Codex 931 Old French L (Sept Sages de Rome) French Version L