Ruprecht von Würzburg, Die Treueprobe (>1300)
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Maere and Novellas
Ruprecht von Würzburg, Die Treueprobe (>1300)
von der Hagen, Fr.H.: Neues Gesamtabenteuer: die Sammlung der mittelhochdeutschen Mären und Schwänke des 13. und 14. Jahrhunderts/ ed. by Heinrich Niewöhner 2nd ed., Vol. 1, Nr. 37, Dublin 1967. p. 161–172
RvWT-1:
Promythion: The poet asks for mercy for his low poetical abilities. In Verdun live two merchants who are friends. Gilot and Gillam give their children Irmengart and Bertram into marriage. After ten years of happy marriage Bertram travels to a seasonal market to Provins. In the hostel he listens to the other merchants criticizing their wives. The host Hogier persuades him to a bet of all his possessions that he is able to seduce his wife in between half of a year.
Motif References:
N 2.6 Wife as wager
RvWT-786:
Bertram stays in Provins and Hogier goes to Verdun. He sends Irmengart precious gifts but all in vain. Finally he offers her money through her maid Anmelin: 100, 200 and even 1000 marks. The maid and all relatives, even the father in law give the advice that she shouldn’t reject this high sum in the favor of the husband. This advice gives her distress and desperation but god shows her a way out. She persuades Amelin to change clothes with her for a reward of 100 marks and Hogier enjoys the maid without realizing the deception. The next morning he cuts off one of Amelin’s fingers as a token and returns in triumph.
Motif References:
K 2112.1.1 Finger as false token of wife’s unfaithfulness. She has substituted a maid and the gallant has cut off the maid’s finger
RvWT-904:
Together with Bertram he travels to Verdun where the outcoming of the bet is to be decided in a feast. Irmengart notices her husband’s rejection and asks for the cause and reveals what had happened. After the meal Hogier tells all about his bet and shows the cut off finger as proof. Irmengart shows her unhurt hands and Hogier realizes that he has been betrayed and lost his bet and his belongings. He gets Amelin and her 100 marks as comfort. Epimythion: The story teaches us to control our desires. Ruprecht von Würzburg has written it. God and Mary may save us from delusions of the world and hell.
Motif References:
N 15 Chastity wager: A man makes a wager on his wife’s chastity. In spite of unsuccessful attempts to seduce her and of false proofs presented he wins the wager
K 1512.1 Cut-off finger proves wife’s chastity, A chaste wife substitutes a maidservant for seducer, A finger and ring are cut off as proof of wife’s unfaithfulness (chastity wager with husband), Refuted by husband who knows they are not his wife’s
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