Paul's youthful wife

Role: wife of Paul · First appears: Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters

In Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters, Paul's youthful wife mortally wounded Paul’s steed in the meadow and blamed Yelitza. At evening she killed Paul’s falcon and again accused Yelitza, then murdered her and Paul’s infant with a golden knife and blamed Yelitza for that too.

Nine years of severe sickness followed. Paul carried her to Yelitza’s church, but a voice said, “For this church can neither heal nor save thee.” Paul then bound her to four wild steeds and drove them across the desert, where she died.

Relationship record

Life events

• Paul's youthful wife gave Paul's steed a mortal wound and told Paul that Yelitza had stabbed it; Yelitza swore she had not, and Paul believed his sister.(Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters · 📍 the meadow)
  • With: Paul Yelitza
  • “Gave the steed a mortal wound, and hurried To her husband, whom she thus accosted:-- ‘Evil is the love thou bear'st thy sister, And thy gifts are worse than wasted to her; She has stabb'd thy courser in the meadow.’”
• Paul's youthful wife wrung the neck of Paul's falcon and told Paul that Yelitza had destroyed it; Yelitza swore she had not, and Paul still believed her.(Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters · 📍 the garden)
  • With: Paul Yelitza
  • “To the garden secretly she hasten'd, Wrung the neck of Paul's grey noble falcon,-- To her husband sped she then and told him: ‘Evil is the love thou bear'st thy sister, And thy gifts to her are worse than wasted; Lo! she has destroy'd thy favourite falcon.’”
• Paul's youthful wife stole the golden knife the brothers had given Yelitza, murdered her own infant with it, and told Paul that Yelitza had stabbed the child.(Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters)
  • With: their infant Paul Yelitza
  • “Stole the golden knife, and with it murder'd, Murder'd her poor infant in the cradle!”
• Paul's youthful wife suffered a fatal sickness for nine years.(Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters)
  • “Fell upon Paul's youthful wife;--the sickness Nine long years lay on her,--heavy sickness!”
• Paul carried his sick wife to Yelitza's church, but a voice said it could not heal her.(Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters · 📍 his sister's church)
  • With: Paul
  • “Hardly had they reach'd the church's portal, When a most mysterious voice address'd them: ‘Come not here, young woman! come not hither! For this church can neither heal nor save thee.’”
• Paul bound his wife to four wild horses and drove them across the desert, killing her.(Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters · 📍 the mighty desert)
  • With: Paul
  • “To the tails of four wild steeds he bound her; Drove them forth across the mighty desert. Wheresoe'er a drop of blood fell from her, There sprang up the rankest thorns and nettles. Where her body fell, when dead, the waters Rush'd and formed a lake both still and stagnant.”
• Jealous of the gifts the brothers gave Yelitza, Paul's young wife asked Radool's wife for a plant that would destroy their sister; Radool's wife refused.(Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters)
  • With: Radool's wife Yelitza
  • “Dost thou know some plant of demon-virtue, Which may bring our sister to perdition?”

Chapter XIII · The Stepsisters

• married with Paul “Thus she spoke unto her lord and husband:”
• child: their infant “Murder'd her poor infant in the cradle!”
• enemies with Paul “Paul then listened to his wife's entreaties: To the tails of four wild steeds he bound her; Drove them forth across the mighty desert.”

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Extracted from the original text of Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians (Chapters IV–XIII). Made with Rho MD.