In subtill sorte he conuayed himselfe.

He led this life a long time, wild and villainous, sometimes a wolf, sometimes a man, sometimes about town or in the city, other times haunting the woods and hedgerows.

The German account mentions the occasion he met a woman and a pair of men on the way; he greatly desired the woman, but feared the three of them would be too much even for him. So, the better to win his prize, he did this: he chose a spot on their path, and crouched down low out of sight; when he sighted the party - but not they him - he called out the name of one of the men, whom he knew. That man, hearing his name called from among the leaves and assuming a friend was beckoning him hither, he went among the trees, but found instead Stubbe Peeter in his other form, who sprang upon him and quickly took his life.

The second of the men was curious to learn what had delayed his fellow so long in the woods there, and went among the leaves to find him, but to find his death. When both her companions vanished in the green, the woman took fright and fled; she ran as hard and fast as she could, but despite her best efforts and the goodness of her soul, the wolf overtook her on his swift paws and bounded upon her. He deflowered her there and then, and piteously murdered her.

The men mangled were found, but of the woman, not a scrap or rag was ever discovered, so completely had Stubbe Peeter devoured her.

Notes.

'the occasion he met a woman and a pair of men on the way'. This story marks a tonal shift towards a genre that was to flourish during the 17th and 18th centuries, the broadsheet, chapbook and ballad celebration of the clever and skilled villain. The focus here is not so much the horror of the crimes, but the murderer's cunning.

A lot of what we have read so far rings true to our ears, because we have our own, naturalistic genres of crime literature and popular art. However, and as criticism of recent film and television representations of Dahmer and Bundy underline, the chapbook is not that far below the surface, and the moral concern now is not very different from moral concern then. We are just not very far removed from The Begger's Opera and The Newgate Calendar, as indeed Brecht and Weill understood.

Nick Hart's interpretation of a ballad in this tradition has a very authentic feel and setting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3--3RefShQ

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A Journey to the Moon

Viaje a la Luna 1 White bed on a grey wall. Across the bedclothes a dance unfolds 13 & 22. First two, then more till they cover the bed like ants. 2 The bedclothes are torn off the bed by an invisible hand. 3 Big feet run fast in black and white lozenged socks. 4 A frightened head gaze fixed on a point dissolves into a wire head against a backdrop of water. 5 Letters help help help double exposure a vulva moving up and down. 6 A long corridor traversed by the machine a window down the end. 7 A view of Broadway by night. 8 Dissolve to previous scene. 9 A pair of legs swing quickly. 10 Legs dissolve into a mass of trembling hands. 11 Trembling hands double-exposure a weeping child. 12 The weeping child double-exposure the woman who beats him. 13 Fade to the long corridor camera moving backwards fast. 14 At the end wide shot of an eye double-exposure a fish dissolving into what follows. 15 Falling fast through a window letters double-exposed in blue help help . 16 Dissolve...

He understands well all manner of languages, and the virtue of all manner of herbs.

Capitulo xxxj. Which be friends and kin unto Reynard the Fox. The first child is named Byteluys who is much cherished and can make much sport and game wherefore is given him the fat trenchers and much other good meat which comes well to profit Fulrompe his brother and also my third child is a daughter and is named Hatenette she can well pick out lice and nits from men's heads these three be to each other true wherefore I love them well Dame Rukenawe called them forth and said welcome my dear children come forth and stand by Reynard your dear nephew then said she come forth all ye that be my kin and Reynard's and let us pray the King he will do to Reynard right of the land then came forth many a beast anon as the Squirrel the Stoat the Polecat the Marten the Bever with his wife Ordegale the Genet the Ostrole the Boussyng and the Ferret this twain fain eat a pullet as Reynard the Otter and Pantecroet his wife whom I had almost forgotten yet were they before with the Bever ene...

His Tongue did gaggle as if it were made of the Devil's Bollock Leather.

Chapter IV. How Robin the Cobbler, having got loose of the witches, became a new man, and of many notable exploits which he did, you shall pleasantly hear. Now, when Robin the Cobbler had broken the spells of witchcraft his eyesight his hearing his speech his senses and his knowledge was all restored unto him again yet he looked of a pitiful complexion just as a man may say like one of Pharaoh's lean kine his visage was pale and ghastly his eyes seemed as if they were sunk into his head his nose was like the nose of a scolding ale-wife long and sharp and his tongue did gaggle as if it were made of the Devil's bollock leather his belly and his back were so clung together he was scarce able to shit for bones Nor had he any kind of habit to put on that was worth the throwing to the dunghill only an old lousy smock and a pair of slip-shoes which one of the witches gave him out of here mere pitiful charity yet he knew himself to be far happier than he was before when he was ridden...

Paul Summers Young

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