The Painted Woman
Collected by Molly Morgan (molly.morgan@vanderbilt.edu)
Summary: An angry husband tattoos wife.
Text: The informants friend was a tattoo artist and worked in
Oregon. He used to hear crazy stories where he worked, and
one of the craziest was about a coworker. This guys wife had died and left him with
a son. Several years later, he remarried a beautiful, wealthy model. Months into the
relationship, his wife started having sexual relations with the sixteen year old son. This
went on for months until one day he walked in on them. In a fit of anger, the guy took his
son and disappeared for several weeks. He then contacted her and said that he would only
forgive her if he could tattoo her body, which she had never done before. Over the next
three weeks, he covered her entire body, including her face with violent tattoos. After he
was done, he divorced her and moved away. She is still so embarassed and ashamed that she
rarely leaves her own house.
Notes: When the informant was asked what he thought the tale said
about gender roles and the Oedipus complex, he said: This guy was so angered about his
wife having sex with his young son that he wanted to embarrass, shame, and humiliate her.
By tattooing her, he marked his territory over her for life.
Context:
A. Brief summary of tale: An angry husband tattoos wife.
B. Tale type and motifs: This is a family complex tale.
C. Comments on tale: This demonstrates mother son type of Oedipus complex in oral folk
tales.
D. Approximate date informant first heard the tale: August 1998
E. Relationship of your informant with the individual from whom the informant heard the
tale: family friend
F. Circumstances when tale was first heard: The friend was telling about his occupation as
a tattoo artist.
G. Give the following information on your informant:
Age: 20
Sex: M
Place of birth: New York
Ethnic group: German
Languages spoken: English
Religion: Catholic
Year in school (or education level if not a
student): junior
Extracurricular jobs: None
Date Collected: Nov. 8, 1998