There are many, MANY 14th & 15th C. illos of a woman sitting on a man's back, holding a distaff in one hand and putting on a pair of underpants with the other. There's even an aquamanile with this subject! I used to think this was justification for women wearing underwear, conveniently ignoring the unusual circumstances under which she was donning said underwear....

As I did more research and saw this same image in a variety of forms, I noticed that the subject matter was invariably referred to as "Phyliss & Aristotle". When I asked Gerry E. about it, he said that the illo is a sort of European standard joke about "who wears the pants in the family", i.e. the henpecked husband.

My question is, who are Phyliss & Aristotle, and what's their story? What does it have to do with her putting on his underwear, and riding on his back?

I have the ugly feeling I should know the story, but I don't.

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Originally posted by hauptfrau:
The thread about J of A's underpants on another list got me thinking about this...

There are many, MANY 14th & 15th C. illos of a woman sitting on a man's back, holding a distaff in one hand and putting on a pair of underpants with the other. There's even an aquamanile with this subject! I used to think this was justification for women wearing underwear, conveniently ignoring the unusual circumstances under which she was donning said underwear....

As I did more research and saw this same image in a variety of forms, I noticed that the subject matter was invariably referred to as "Phyliss & Aristotle". When I asked Gerry E. about it, he said that the illo is a sort of European standard joke about "who wears the pants in the family", i.e. the henpecked husband.

My question is, who are Phyliss & Aristotle, and what's their story? What does it have to do with her putting on his underwear, and riding on his back?

I have the ugly feeling I should know the story, but I don't.

Gwen

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ah, medieval iconography
I'm not an expert, but I understood the joke wasnt so much that she WAS wearing undies, but that she was wearing HIS undies. Yet another example of the social unacceptability of women wearing boy clothes...not unlike a man in the US wearing a skirt.

I'd love to hear the whole story though!

quote:

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Originally posted by hauptfrau:
My question is, who are Phyliss & Aristotle, and what's their story? What does it have to do with her putting on his underwear, and riding on his back?

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What i vaguely remember from and art history lecture several years ago, is that Aristotle is THE Aristotle and Phyliss is a fling that he had. The late medieval fascination with teh story had to do witht he corrupting influance of women and how even the great mind of Artistotle could be cuckholded and distracted from his work and philosophy by a woman. I'll look it up when I get home tonight.

Apparantly, it all began with a 13th C. Norman poet...

It's always good to recheck one's sources occasionally, as the details get muddled sometimes.....