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capri0mniI have vague memories of a tangential story in the Arthurian Cycle.
What I remember is that it starts with the riddle: "What do women want?" (hint: it's not Mel Gibson), involves an enchanted woman who is ugly for half the day, and beautiful half the day, and that the punchline is: "Women want to control their own fates."*
What I don't remember: The name of the story, which of Arthur's knights was involved, whether said knight interacted directly with the enchanted woman, or if he just heard a story about her, and the reward for answering the riddle correctly or the penalty for answering incorrectly. Where can I find the whole story?
*(It's kind of an "Oh, of course!" answer, now. But was probably as radical and strange as you could get in the time and place when these stories were being written down. And it's still what women want!)
What I remember is that it starts with the riddle: "What do women want?" (hint: it's not Mel Gibson), involves an enchanted woman who is ugly for half the day, and beautiful half the day, and that the punchline is: "Women want to control their own fates."*
What I don't remember: The name of the story, which of Arthur's knights was involved, whether said knight interacted directly with the enchanted woman, or if he just heard a story about her, and the reward for answering the riddle correctly or the penalty for answering incorrectly. Where can I find the whole story?
*(It's kind of an "Oh, of course!" answer, now. But was probably as radical and strange as you could get in the time and place when these stories were being written down. And it's still what women want!)
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Here via a friend's flist
Date: 2007-05-14 10:11 pm (UTC)The 'loathly woman' is, IIRC, a common folktale motif, but the version you're describing sounds like the Chaucerian one. He was sent on the quest as a penance for assaulting a peasant girl, so it all ties together.
Re: Here via a friend's flist
Date: 2007-05-15 02:38 am (UTC):::Toddles off to your profile page, to see if she can see which friend:::
Ah, so you're a Doctor Who fan, too... So you'll understand when I ask:
Do think I'm too weird for being reminded of the Black Guardian when I look at your icon?
:::Ducks and runs:::
no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 10:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-14 11:13 pm (UTC)http://www.uidaho.edu/student_orgs/arthurian_legend/hunt/ragnell.html
http://www.lib.rochester.edu/CAMELOT/teams/ragintro.htm
no subject
Date: 2007-05-15 02:34 am (UTC)It was indeed the Gawain version of the story that I was half-remembering (though I have read the Wife of Bath's Tale long, long, ago...).