Inexplicably, Ugly Slave caught the eye of her master (patrone). He became enamored (innamorato) of the large girl and took her as his lover (l’amante del padrone). The master was quick to give her whatever she asked. She became his favorite. With the money and gifts her master gave her, Ugly Slave bedecked herself with sparkling gold ornaments and dress that rivaled those garments belonging to her mistress. She was haughty--and had the audacity to pick quarrels with her mistress whenever it suited her.
It was Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of beauty and love (Afrodite, la dea della bellezza e dell'amore), whom Ugly Slave regarded as the source of her good fortune. Thus, she lit lamps to honor the Goddess, repeatedly making thank-offerings for her new found prosperity—whilst praying, and imploring daily that the Goddess make her beautiful.
Yet in the night, Aphrodite appeared to this slave in a dream, speaking:
Do not make me offerings: I am in dispute with the mortal for whom you want to become beautiful. (Non farmi offferte: sono in conflitto con l’uomo per il quale vuoi diventare bello.)--Afrodite e la schiava brutta as retold by Myth Woodling, July 2018You are not indebted for your charm (fascino) to me, because I, indeed, am full of anger and indignation against that man who finds you beautiful. (Non sei debitore del tuo fascino per me; perche io, anzi, sono pieno di ira di sdegno contro queli tale che ti trova bella.)
The above is my retelleing of an old story. I have included the story because of a passage in a folktale on this website: Little Shepherd or The Three Apples.
This fountain was visited daily by Ugly Slave. Her mistress (patrona) sent Ugly Slave to haul water from the fountain to their kitchen. She spied Bargaglina waiting by the edge of the fountain. Ugly Slave asked angrily, "Why are you so beautiful and tiny, and I am so ugly and big?"In Little Shepherd or The Three Apples, Ugly Slave is a walk-in character. She serves as an evil-doer and murders Bargaglina after asking, "Why are you so beautiful and tiny and I am so ugly and big?" (I might presume this incident in the Little Shepherd story took place the morning after Aphrodite appeared to Ugly Slave in a dream. Although one never knows; perhaps the Goddess appeared to Ugly Slave in the dream after she murdered the "Lovely Gargaglina" who sprang out of three apples. Apples are one of Aphrodite's sacred fruits.)Ugly Slave grabbed the tiny lady and thrust her under the water. She then went about her business of hauling the water to her mistress. Of course, the water Ugly Slave brought back was tainted. She was whipped when everyone got sick from drinking it...but that is another story.
Due to persistent questions from my husband, Thoron Woodling, about who was Ugly Slave, I discovered in 2018 that the Italian name of this character was "la schiava brutta." I had previously learned the Italain word brutta could be translated into English as "bad," as in evil. (Interesting that brutta can mean both "bad" and "ugly.")
I also discovered the tale to which la schiava brutta is attached was well known in Italy, although it was Greek in origin. The Italian title is Afrodite e la schiava brutta (Aphrodite and the Ugly Slave). She was used as a walk-in character, because Schiava Brutta was already known as something of a villainess in Italian lore.
I was also astonished to discover this tale was one of Aesop's Fables! This tale was a Fable from Aesop that I had never heard as a kid!
Scholars largely agree Aesop's Fables were written down in Greek sometime in the 10th and 16th centuries ce. The collection of stories are credited to a storyteller and slave called "Aesop," who is believed to have lived in Greece between 620 and 564 bce. Some of the Aesop's Fables--which are well known in the popular 20th-21st century culture--are considered to be suitably "educational" fodder for children.
These Fables belong to oral tradition and were originally addressed to an adult audience. The stories covered a variety of religious, political, and social themes. They were told and retold for entertainment purposes, as well as any moral or philosophical insights.
Many people know that Aesop's Fables extensively used anthropomorphized animals as characters and stand-ins for humans. This fable is different. There are no animals and the only characters are three humans and a deity.
This tale is often numbered as Aesop's Fables #483. Some collections have assigned it another number. The English language titles of this fable include The Ugly Slave Girl and Aphrodite and Aphrodite and the Slave Woman.
To 21st century eyes, this is not a pleasant or even humorous story. In an English version of the fable, Ugly Slave is called "an ugly, wicked slave-woman." The "moral" of the story seems pathetically sad. In the ancient Greek and Roman world, it simply reaffired their social class order. Italians in the middle ages and Renaissance would also have found the fable's moral acceptable. The commentary's point was slaves should not be uppity and proud. There is also an implied subcontent that states men are idiots when it comes to whom their penises are attracted. Hmm...
Frequently English versions of the fable tacked on a moral, "the ignoble and ugly should not enrich themselves with shameful means." Apparently, the ignoble and ugly will never have worth.
That doesn't sound quite right in the 21st century. Don't the downtrodden deserve a little kindness too? They are also human beings. According to tradition, Aesop was also a slave. Perhaps he just understood his upper class, wealthy audience all too well.
In my retelling, I did not cast the slave master's wife (patrona) in a favorable light. There are no heros in this story and no kind people.
Interestingly, this fable also depicts the Goddess Aphrodite in an unflattering light. It is true the ancient Greeks built many temples to Aphrodite. However, Aphrodite is not always venerated by the rational side of Greek culture. She has been likewise portrayed as a disruptive force in Greek mythology. The powerful Goddess of Love is difficult to control or command.
I tend to think some Neo-Pagans could be quite unhappy with this fable's depiction of Aphrodite.
Sources:
Afrodite e la schiava brutta VERSIONE DI GRECO TRADUZIONE dal libro Gymnasioni, accessed 7/20/18.
La schiava brutta e Afrodite - versione greco Esperia - SkuolaSprint.it, accessed 7/20/18.
il Versionario online: La schiava brutta e Afrodite, see comment from Giorgio, December 7, 2010, accessed 7/20/18.