Belfagor. The devil frightened by the shrewish wife. A man persuades his shrewish wife to let herself be lowered into a well. When he comes to pull her out he raises a genie (devil) who is glad to escape from the woman. Later he frightens the devil by telling him that his wife has escaped — Mythoi

Motif

Belfagor. The devil frightened by the shrewish wife. A man persuades his shrewish wife to let herself be lowered into a well. When he comes to pull her out he raises a genie (devil) who is glad to escape from the woman. Later he frightens the devil by telling him that his wife has escaped.

Sex. · Married life. · Characteristics of wives and husbands. · view the constellation · filed as T251.1.1

Filed across the traditions

Spanish Boggs FFC XC 50 No. 332
Italian Novella *Rotunda
India *Thompson-Balys.
general *Type 1164
general **Axon The Story of Belfagor in Literature and Folklore (1902)
general *BP I 382, 388, IV 176 n. 1
general *Prato RTP IV 174
general *Bolte Zs. f. Vksk. XV 104
general Child V 107f., 305a
general *Chauvin VIII 152 No. 154. Rumanian: Schullerus FFC LXXVIII No. 1164 I*

Within the index

Filed under Avoiding the shrewish wife.

1 finer motif beneath it

Devil flees shrewish wife and enters body of a duke. Exorcised by telling him that they are sending for his wife

Filed beside it

Late husband chooses to remain in Purgatory rather than to return to his shrewish wife Man had rather remain transformed to mule than to live with his shrewish wife Man forces devil to take back the shrewish wife Minstrel throws wife into sea: her tongue the heaviest thing on board. Ordered to throw all heavy articles overboard Thief overhears and oversees quarrel of two jealous wives. Arraigned before judge, he asks any punishment be given him rather than that of having two wives

Travels with (Thompson’s cf.)

Marital experiences of the devil. (Cf. H1153, K216.1, K2325, T251.1.1.)

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