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The loathly lady (Welsh: dynes gas, Motif D732 in Stith Thompson's motif index), is a tale type commonly used in medieval literature, most famously in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Wife of Bath's Tale.[1] The motif is that of a woman who appears unattractive (ugly, loathly) but undergoes a transformation upon being approached by a man in spite of her unattractiveness, becoming extremely desirable. It is then revealed that her ugliness was the result of a curse which was broken by the hero's action.
- ^ Garry, Jane; El-Shamy, Hasan (2005). Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and Literature. M.E. Sharpe. p. 130. ISBN 978-0-7656-2953-1.