Papirius: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:38, 24 November 2025

AdulteryAge versus youthDeceptionDeceitful womanFamilial relationshipsFather/son relationshipsFailed/rejected seductionGullible husbandLesson: women’s cleverness and deceitMultiple loversWicked stepmother/mother-in-lawCross dressingCross dressing: man in women’s clothesDisguiseConcealed lover

Papirius

Benjamin's mother dies when he was three years old. His inconsolable father one day noticed a beautiful maiden on the street, whom he then married. Her marital fidelity gradually declined, and, with the help of a procuress, she obtained a young man who was disguised as a virgin.

In his tenth year, Benjamin came to the town hall. To probe him, his stepmother took him for a walk in the garden, which pleased his father so much that he even admonished his son to be grateful to her for it. Benjamin soon tired of his stepmother’s questioning and judged that what was under question was whether a woman can have two husbands. Incited by his stepmother, the women of the town organised a revolt and came to the town hall, where they forced the decree banning this to be revoked. In their opinion, it could indeed be the case that a woman might have two husbands, but the other way round was unacceptable.

(From Murko, translated by Ava Byrne)

Note
Nishimura notes the following: Motifs and Types: TMI J1546 Overcurious wife learns of the senate’s deliberations. T146 Polyandry. ATU 1381d* Secret Senate. TU5269 Wife and secret senate. Analogues: Gellius, The Attic Nights, 1.23. Vincentius Bellovacensis, Spiculum Doctrinale, 5.10 (p. 409. From Macrobius). Jacques de Vitry, Exempla, 235 ‘A wife importuned her husband…’ (Papirius does not appear, but as a matrimonial matter). The Book of Tales by A.B.C., 394 (338) ‘In young lads…’ (from Macrobius, Scipio’s Dream). Scala Coeli, 282 ‘Les secrets des conseils romains’. Gesta Romanorum, 126 ‘Der verschwiegene Knabe Papirius’. Novellino, 67 ‘Wie Papirius als Kind von seinem Vater in den Senat mitgenommen wurde‘. Sercambi, Il Novelliere, 49. Sachs, nr.4836, nr.73, ‘Der knab Lucius Papirius Cursor’. Pauli, Schimpf und Ernst, 392 ‚Papirius sagt,…‘. Reference stories, etc.: Zashosan, ‘Yakimochi (Jealousy)’ (Sentence to keep one concubine for every one hundred Koku of rice. Wives go to return the amount of Koku. According to Muto Sadao, Edo Kobanashi Ruiwa Jiten, p.59 ⑥). The stories that show the wife’s inability to keep secrets include Plutarchos’s On Eloquence, 11 (507B-F); La Fontaine’s Fables, 8.6 ‘Women and Secrets’; Grimm’s Fairy Tales, KHM 115 ‘Der klare Sonne bringt’s an den Tag’; Afanasjew, Russian Ridiculous Tales, 63 ‘The Talkative Wife’; Jataka, 481 ‘Takkariya-j.’, etc. Bibliography: Chauvin VIII184, 238. Note 42 of my translation of Disciplina Clericalis.

Critical Literature
Murko (1890), Nishimura (2001)

Papirius appears in the following versions and secondary versions

Papirius is narrated in the following occurrences
No recorded narrations available.

Papirius appears in the following manuscripts
This inset story appears in no manuscripts of the database

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 {{Inset Story
 |Has Critical Literature=Murko (1890); Nishimura (2001)
-|Has Motif=Adultery; Age versus youth; Deception; Deceitful woman; Familial relationships; Father/son relationships; Failed/rejected seduction; Gullible husband; Lesson: women’s cleverness and deceit; Multiple lovers; Wicked stepmother/mother-in-law
+|Has Motif=Adultery; Age versus youth; Deception; Deceitful woman; Familial relationships; Father/son relationships; Failed/rejected seduction; Gullible husband; Lesson: women’s cleverness and deceit; Multiple lovers; Wicked stepmother/mother-in-law; Cross dressing; Cross dressing: man in women’s clothes; Disguise; Concealed lover
 |Has Summary='''Papirius'''
-Benjamin's mother died when he was three years old. His inconsolable father one day noticed a beautiful maiden on the street, whom he then married. Her marital fidelity gradually declined, and, with the help of a procuress, she obtained a young man who was disguised as a virgin.
+Benjamin's mother dies when he was three years old. His inconsolable father one day noticed a beautiful maiden on the street, whom he then married. Her marital fidelity gradually declined, and, with the help of a procuress, she obtained a young man who was disguised as a virgin.
 In his tenth year, Benjamin came to the town hall. To probe him, his stepmother took him for a walk in the garden, which pleased his father so much that he even admonished his son to be grateful to her for it. Benjamin soon tired of his stepmother’s questioning and judged that what was under question was whether a woman can have two husbands. Incited by his stepmother, the women of the town organised a revolt and came to the town hall, where they forced the decree banning this to be revoked. In their opinion, it could indeed be the case that a woman might have two husbands, but the other way round was unacceptable.
 (From Murko, translated by Ava Byrne)
-|Has Note=Entered by Ava Byrne
+|Has Note=Nishimura notes the following:
+'''Motifs and Types:''' TMI J1546 Overcurious wife learns of the senate’s deliberations. T146 Polyandry. ATU 1381d* Secret Senate. TU5269 Wife and secret senate.
+'''Analogues:''' Gellius, ''The Attic Nights'', 1.23. Vincentius Bellovacensis, ''Spiculum Doctrinale'', 5.10 (p. 409. From Macrobius). Jacques de Vitry, ''Exempla'', 235 ‘A wife importuned her husband…’ (Papirius does not appear, but as a matrimonial matter). ''The Book of Tales by A.B.C.'', 394 (338) ‘In young lads…’ (from Macrobius, ''Scipio’s Dream''). ''Scala Coeli'', 282 ‘Les secrets des conseils romains’. ''Gesta Romanorum'', 126 ‘Der verschwiegene Knabe Papirius’. ''Novellino'', 67 ‘Wie Papirius als Kind von seinem Vater in den Senat mitgenommen wurde‘. Sercambi, ''Il Novelliere'', 49. Sachs, nr.4836, nr.73, ‘Der knab Lucius Papirius Cursor’. Pauli, ''Schimpf und Ernst'', 392 ‚Papirius sagt,…‘.
+'''Reference stories''', '''etc.:''' ''Zashosan'', ‘Yakimochi (Jealousy)’ (Sentence to keep one concubine for every one hundred Koku of rice. Wives go to return the amount of Koku. According to Muto Sadao, ''Edo Kobanashi Ruiwa Jiten'', p.59 ⑥). The stories that show the wife’s inability to keep secrets include Plutarchos’s ''On Eloquence'', 11 (507B-F); La Fontaine’s ''Fables'', 8.6 ‘Women and Secrets’; ''Grimm’s Fairy Tales'', KHM 115 ‘Der klare Sonne bringt’s an den Tag’; Afanasjew, ''Russian Ridiculous Tales'', 63 ‘The Talkative Wife’; Jataka, 481 ‘Takkariya-j.’, etc.
+'''Bibliography:''' Chauvin VIII184, 238. Note 42 of my translation of ''Disciplina Clericalis''.
 }}