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The Wife of Bath​’​s Tale

from Stories to Light the Dark by Jenni Cargill-Strong

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I found this tale in an age-stained copy of Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” belonging to my father, Alex. He died when I was too young to discuss literature with him, but telling this story has helped me a feel a little connected to him.
Chaucer was writing in the late 1300’s, when rape and other crimes against women were not always punished. A noble man could by law, take a low- borne woman by force! Chaucer chose to set “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” in the times of Camelot, when rapists could be sentenced to death. Also this was not because a crime had been committed against a woman. Rather, it was considered a crime against the woman's father or husband.Legally, woman were the chattels of men and rape devalue their worth.
Storyteller, Hendre Roelink protested passionately to me (when he heard my version years ago at a Conference) that I should not let a rapist loose amoung a population of women, as Chaucer had done. I agreed with him, so I invented a chaperone for the young man.
The answer for the Queens’ question “What is it that mortal women most desire?” written in the original story by Chaucer, was not quite as noble or politically correct as the one I have given. Without wanting to give away the answer before you have listened to this track, the answer I chose is one which has become popular in modern retellings. However, the original answer was: “Women wish to have complete control over both their husbands and love-affairs and to be masters of their men.”!! I suppose in the days when women had virtually no legal or property rights, this may well have been the heartfelt desire of many! However, I felt this needed updating, as hopefully it is no longer what women most desire!

credits

from Stories to Light the Dark, released April 20, 2007
Chaucer, “The Canterbury Tales” This version by Jenni Cargill-Strong 2006 (c) Music reproduced with kind permission from Pastance from their album “Joy”: Track 11 Tres Douce Dame by Mauchaut and Two Ballades Anon (Trouvere 13th Century) Vielle (medieval fiddle): Alex Cronin, Renaissance recorders: Mathew Ridley; second recorder and tambourine Megan Aplin, Dumbek: Jenni Cargill-Strong. Musical arrangement by Pastance. Track 12: Veni, Electa Meya (from a collection of women’s weaving songs “York Fragments” 15th century.) Vocals: Megan Aplin and Jenni.

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Jenni Cargill is an Australian storyteller

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