A Tale of Mainz

A manuscript copied at the beginning of the sixteenth century, today found at Trinity College, Cambridge, contains the oldest-known written Yiddish folktales: three Yiddish tales concerning the German cities of Danzig, Mainz, and Worms. Combining Jewish themes with international folkloric motifs, the tale of Mainz tells the story of two half brothers competing to marry the most beautiful woman in Mainz. The two agree to travel for three years: at the end of that period, the richer brother will marry her. The younger, crafty brother steals his brother’s food and agrees to help his brother only if the latter will allow himself to be blinded. The younger brother then hurries home, declaring himself victorious. Yet his father insists on waiting until three years have passed. The older brother, miraculously healed, sets out on adventures, eventually becoming ruler of Mainz. He enters the city just before the wedding is to take place and, as the city’s ruler, demands to marry the bride. After the marriage, he reveals his identity to the city’s inhabitants. The story concludes with a moral: “No one should rely on his great cunning . . . for whatever God wills must be done.”