Puteus

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AdulteryDeceptionDeceitful womanGullible husbandSuicideWoman locked up/kept indoorsLesson: women’s cleverness and deceitHumiliation

This story takes place in a city that maintains a strict curfew, and anyone found in the streets after curfew is severely punished. In this city, a man keeps his wife under lock and key, but unbeknownst to him, she regularly sneaks out to meet a lover (in some versions, she accomplishes this by encouraging her husband to drink to excess nightly). One night, discovering her gone, the man locks the door, and refuses to open it for her when she returns and begs entry. She shouts through the door that she would rather drown herself than face public punishment, and then drops a large rock into the well. Hearing the splash and thinking she has thrown herself into the well, her husband rushes out; his wife slips into the house as he does so, and locks him out instead, refusing to let him in.

[From Brunner, Middle English Seven Sages. Added by Jane Bonsall.]

Note

Nishimura notes relevant analogues and motifs: Motif and Types: TMI K1511, ATU 1377: The husband locked out; TU5246: Wife throws stone in well. Analogues: Seventy Tales of a Parrot, Textus ornatior 25, Textus simplicior 16; Disciplina Clericalis, Example 14, ‘The Well’; Tales of Marzuban, 8.5 ‘The Carpenter and his Wife’; Nasreddin Hoca Monogatari, pp. 208-209; Vincentius Bellovacensis, Speculum Morale, 3.9.5 (p.1395 DE); The Book of Tales by A.B.C., 303 (235) ‘You’ll never learn a woman’s games:…’; Wesselski, Mönchslatein, 67 (taken from Disciplina Clericalis); Decameron, 7.4; Sercambi, Il Novelliere, 142; Arcipreste de Talavera…, 2.1 ‘De los vicios e tachas e malas condiciones de las perversas mugeres,…’; Legrand d’Aussy, Anciens Fabliaux, 3.146-155 ‘De celui qui enferma sa femme dans une tour,…'; Sachs, nr. 3966, nr. 46, ‘Das weib im brunnen’; Molière, George Dandin. Kathāratnākara, 22. Reference stories, etc.: Sabadino degli Arienti, Le Porretane, 45; Rakugo, ‘Rokushaku-bo’. Additional Bibliography: Chauvin VIII224, IX12; Landau 42; Schwarzbaum, XXII, 28-30; Nishimura, Disciplina Clericalis, pp. 292-295.

Critical Literature
Nishimura (2001), Clouston (1884), Campbell (1907), Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984), Brunner (1933)

Puteus appears in the following versions and secondary versions

Has Language Of Version Has Branch Of Tradition Is Adapted From A (Seven Sages) Old French Seven Sages of Rome V (Lost metrical Old French Sept Sages) Anonymous Verse Version German (High and Low German) Seven Sages of Rome German Version H, Versfassung / Verse Version, Latin Version H Aventewr von Diocleciano German (High and Low German) Seven Sages of Rome H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Bühnenfassung / Stage adaptation: Sebastian Wild, Tragedj German (High and Low German) Seven Sages of Rome Redaction G Catalan Version L Catalan Seven Sages of Rome Occitan Version L Continental Group w   Seven Sages of Rome   Czech Version H: Kronika sedmi mudrců Czech Seven Sages of Rome   D (Sept Sages de Rome) Old French Seven Sages of Rome   Dolopathos Latin Seven Sages of Rome   Dutch Verse Version: Van den seven vroeden van binnen Rome   Seven Sages of Rome   Dutch Version A Dutch Seven Sages of Rome French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Dutch Version H   Seven Sages of Rome   Early Modern and Modern Welsh Version A Welsh Seven Sages of Rome Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein English Erasto English Seven Sages of Rome French Erasto, Italian Erasto English Version H   Seven Sages of Rome   Erastus, or, The Roman Prince English Seven Sages of Rome Francis Kirkman, Prince Erastus Francis Kirkman, Prince Erastus English Seven Sages of Rome French Erasto French A/L Overlap Old French Seven Sages of Rome L (Sept Sages de Rome), French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages French Dolopathos Old French Seven Sages of Rome Dolopathos, Latin Dolopathos French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages Old French Seven Sages of Rome A (Seven Sages) German Version H German (High and Low German) Seven Sages of Rome Latin Version H

Puteus is narrated in the following occurrences

Narrator Pages Anxilles Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 95 Arcius Padua Biblioteca Civica C.M. 304/6, Storia favolosa di Stefano (S) Bancillas Cambridge University Library MS Ff. 2, 38 Bankarios Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Cardiff MS 3.4 (RMWL Cardiff MS 5), Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 117 Charaus Storia di Stefano (R), Venice Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana It. IX 621 (=10697) Filandro Erastus, or, The Roman Prince First Master Czech Version H: Kronika sedmi mudrců Fourth Master Madrid Biblioteca Nacional de España 6052 (ant. Q.224), S (Scala Coeli), Spanish Version S: Diego de Cañizares, Scala Çeli Lentulus A (Seven Sages), Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Cardiff MS 2.83 (RMWL MS 6), Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanover MS 13075B, Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 171, Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 2., Anonymous Verse Version, Aventewr von Diocleciano, Bern Burgerbibliothek Cod. 388, Brno Moravská knihovna RKP-0048.042 (Rkp 84), Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek 9245, Bühnenfassung / Stage adaptation: Sebastian Wild, Tragedj, Cambridge University Library MS Dd.1.17, Cambridge University Library MS Gg.6.28, Catalan Version L, Colmar Bibliothèque Municipale Ms. 55, Dutch Verse Version: Van den seven vroeden van binnen Rome, Dutch Version H, Early Modern and Modern Welsh Version A, Edinburgh National Library of Scotland Advocates MS 19.2.1 (Auchinleck Manuscript), Edinburgh National Library of Scotland MS. 16500 (Asloan Manuscript), English Version H, Erlangen Universitätsbibliothek Ms. B 11, French A/L Overlap, French Version A: Roman des Sept Sages, German Version H, H (Historia Septem Sapientum), Hans von Bühel, Dyocletianus Leben, Hungarian Version H: Pontianus tsaszar historiaia, L (Sept Sages de Rome), London British Library Arundel 140, London British Library Cotton Galba E IX, London British Library Egerton 1995, Middle English Version A, Middle Welsh Version A, Midland Version, Old Swedish Redaction C, Old Swedish Version A: Sju vise mästare, Older Scots Version A: Buke of the Sevyne Sagis, Oxford Balliol College Library MS 354 (Richard Hill's Commonplace Book), Oxford Bodleian Library Jesus College MS. 111, Oxford Bodleian Library Jesus College MS. 20, Oxford Bodleian Library Rawlinson poet. 175, Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3354, Paris Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal 3516, Prosafassung / Prose Version, Scots Version H: Rolland, Seuin Seages, Spanish Version H: Los Siete Sabios de Roma, Swedish Version H: Sju vise mästare, Uppsala Universitetsbiblioteket Cod. C 7, Versfassung / Verse Version, Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Malquidras D (Sept Sages de Rome), K (Sept Sages de Rome) Second Master Admont Stiftsbibliothek Cod. 163, Admont Stiftsbibliothek Cod. 652, Augsburg Universitätsbibliothek Cod. I. 2. 2° 22, Bamberg Staatsbibliothek Msc. Class. 87, Bamberg Staatsbibliothek Msc. Theol. 230, Basel Universitätsbibliothek Mscr. A IX 15, Basel Universitätsbibliothek UBH E II 3, Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. germ. fol. 643, Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. lat. qu. 184, Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. lat. qu. 409 (excerpts within Gesta Romanorum), Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. lat. qu. 641, Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. lat. qu. 710, Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. theol. lat. fol. 239, Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. theol. lat. qu. 109, Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. theol. lat. qu. 151, Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. theol. lat. qu. 272, Bern Burgerbibliothek Cod. 723, Brno Moravský zemský archiv Cerr II 361, Colmar Bibliothèque des Dominicains CPC 6 (278), Dresden Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Mscr. Dresd. C 398, Dresden Sächsische Landesbibliothek, Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Mscr. Dresd. F 61a, Dresden, Sächsische Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Mscr. Dresd. F 61a, Eichstätt Universitätsbibliothek Cod. st 698, Fulda Hochschul- und Landesbibliothek Hs. B 11, Gdańsk PAN Biblioteka Gdańska Ms. 1974, Latin Version H, Polish Version H, Thystorye of ye vii wyse Maysters of rome (English, 16th c.) Seventh Master London British Library Additional MS 15685, Versio Italica historiae septem sapientum (L) Third Master Dublin Trinity College Library Ms 667, Latin Version A Tintillus Brussel Koninklijke Bibliotheek II 1171, Dutch Version A Virgil Brixen im Thale Pfarrbibliothek Taz IX, Brno Moravský zemský archiv, Cerroni II 234, Dolopathos, French Dolopathos, Gdańsk PAN Biblioteka Gdańska Mar. Q 27, Latin Dolopathos, London British Library Add. MS. 18922, Luxembourg Bibliothèque Nationale Ms. 110, Metz Bibliothèque Patrimoniale Réserve Précieuse MS 1629, Montpellier Bibliothèque interuniversitaire, Section Médecine H 436, Mühlhausen (Thüringen) Stadtarchiv Ms. 16, Paris Bibliothèque Nationale Cod. lat. 3619, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 1450, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 24301, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, nouvelles acquisitions françaises, 934, Prague Knihovna metropolitní kapituli Ms. G 42, Prague Národní knihovna České republiky Ms. XII. B. 20, Wien Österreichische Nationalbibliothek cod. 4739

Puteus appears in the following manuscripts

Has Language Has Siglum Of The Version Of The Seven Sages Has Language Group Within Version Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Cardiff MS 2.83 (RMWL MS 6) Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Cardiff MS 3.4 (RMWL Cardiff MS 5) Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanover MS 13075B Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 117 Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 171 Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Aberystwyth National Library of Wales Llanstephan MS 2. Latin, Middle Welsh A (Seven Sages) Welsh Version A: Chwedleu Seith Doethon Rufein Admont Stiftsbibliothek Cod. 101a Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Admont Stiftsbibliothek Cod. 163 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Admont Stiftsbibliothek Cod. 652 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Augsburg Universitätsbibliothek Cod. I. 2. 2° 22 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Bamberg Staatsbibliothek Msc. Class. 87 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Bamberg Staatsbibliothek Msc. Theol. 230 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Basel Universitätsbibliothek Mscr. A IX 15 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Basel Universitätsbibliothek UBH E II 3 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. germ. fol. 643 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. lat. qu. 184 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. lat. qu. 409 (excerpts within Gesta Romanorum) Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. lat. qu. 641 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. lat. qu. 710 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. theol. lat. fol. 239 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H Berlin Staatsbibliothek Ms. theol. lat. qu. 109 Latin H (Historia Septem Sapientum) Latin Version H