The Tales and Novels, v9: Belphegor and Others

In Short

This volume gathers three distinct verse tales that blend folklore, satire, and cynical observation. The centerpiece, Belphegor, reimagines a classic tale of a demon sent to earth to study the misery of marriage, only to find himself overwhelmed by a shrewish wife and human deceit. Together with The Little Bell and The Glutton, the work endures because it refuses to romanticize human nature, favoring a dry, observant humor that finds the absurdity in both the supernatural and the mundane. It remains a masterclass in elegant, biting storytelling.

The Story

The narrative arc begins in the depths of hell, where Satan, perplexed by the constant stream of complaints from condemned souls blaming their spouses for their misery, commissions the demon Belphegor to investigate. Donning the guise of a wealthy Florentine named Roderick, Belphegor arrives on earth with a massive fortune, intending to test the institution of marriage. He quickly becomes the toast of Florence, his lavish lifestyle and flattering tongue winning him the hand of the beautiful, high-born Honesta.

The transition from suitor to husband is swift and catastrophic. Once the wedding bells fade, the couple’s life descends into a cycle of petty, relentless squabbling. Honesta proves to be a tempestuous spendthrift, her demands for luxury and her constant accusations of mistreatment draining Belphegor’s treasury. Between his wife’s bickering, the predatory greed of his legal advisors, and the constant demands of his in-laws, Belphegor finds his earthly existence far more torturous than the hell he left behind. Driven to financial ruin, he abandons his home and his name, fleeing from creditors and his wife’s wrath.

Belphegor takes up a nomadic existence, hopping from one human host to another. He discovers that he can possess the bodies of young women, extorting payments from the farmer Matthew—a man who has stumbled into the role of a demonic exorcist—to leave his victims. His journey takes him through Naples and Rome, where he grows increasingly desperate to find a sanctuary safe from Honesta’s reach. Finally, he chooses to possess the daughter of the King of Naples, believing that no one would dare confront him there. However, the King, desperate to save his child, summons the farmer Matthew. As the crowd gathers for the public execution of the struggling farmer, Matthew whispers a single, terrifying word into the demon's ear: "Honesta." The mere mention of his wife’s name sends Belphegor into a panicked flight back to the underworld, where he confesses to Satan that the institution of marriage is a far more effective instrument of torment than anything found in the abyss.

The companion pieces in the volume echo these themes of impulsive desire and lack of self-control. The Little Bell depicts a young man in Touraine who uses deception and a tinkling bell to lure an innocent girl into the woods, demonstrating that passion often bypasses reason and morality. The Glutton provides a final, biting coda: a man, nearing death from overeating, uses his final moments of life not for repentance, but to demand that the head of the sturgeon that caused his illness be prepared for one last meal.

How It Unfolds

The infernal commission Satan orders a demon to live among mortals for ten years to verify if marriage is truly the source of all human misery. Belphegor accepts the mission, equipped with immense wealth and a mandate to experience the full spectrum of human joy and suffering.

The Florentine illusion Belphegor establishes himself as a magnate in Florence, using his vast resources to win the hand of the proud Honesta. The early days of the union are marked by superficial splendor, masking the rot that soon settles into their daily interactions.

The marital descent Domestic peace dissolves into a chaos of petty demands, expensive legal entanglements, and the relentless interference of Honesta’s family. Belphegor realizes he is trapped in a prison of his own making, far more agonizing than his infernal home.

The game of possession Broke and hunted by debt collectors, Belphegor abandons his human life to become a nomadic spirit. He enters a series of hosts, playing a dangerous game of extortion with a local farmer before deciding to hide in a royal daughter.

The final confrontation The farmer, threatened with the gallows, corners the demon by invoking the name of his wife. Terrified by the prospect of Honesta’s return, Belphegor flees back to hell, conceding that no devil can withstand the tongue of a brawling woman.

The People

Belphegor is the central figure, a demon who initially views humanity with detached curiosity but is quickly hollowed out by the mundane cruelty of his earthly life. His desire to understand humanity leads him to a fate where he is stripped of his dignity and his riches. Honesta, his wife, is the catalyst for his ruin; she represents the pride, volatility, and demands that the text suggests make peaceful domesticity impossible. She is not a villain in the supernatural sense, but rather a force of nature that proves more terrifying than the demon himself.

Matthew, the farmer, acts as the foil to the demon. He is a man of common sense who accidentally discovers how to manipulate a supernatural entity for financial gain. His pragmatism contrasts sharply with Belphegor’s arrogance; while the demon is consumed by his own domestic drama, Matthew is focused on survival and profit. He is the only character who successfully controls his fate, using the demon’s own fear of his wife as a weapon. These characters are archetypes of the period—the gullible romantic, the shrewish socialite, and the clever peasant—each acting out a predictable role that confirms the author’s cynical view of human nature as unchanging and largely driven by base instincts.

In Its Own Voice

"When men with confidence no longer view Their fellow-mortals,--happiness adieu!"

This reflection on the loss of trust follows the demon’s discovery that he cannot rely on the honesty of his legal advisors.

"A brawling woman's tongue, what saint can bear? E'en Job, Honesta would have taught despair."

The narrator offers this concluding assessment after Belphegor reports back to Satan on the true nature of his marital suffering.

What It's Really About

The work is a skeptical meditation on the fragility of social contracts, particularly marriage. It argues that the "chains" of matrimony are often forged from pride, greed, and the inability to tolerate the imperfections of another. Beyond the domestic satire, there is a recurring skepticism regarding human agency; the characters are frequently driven by impulses—lust, gluttony, or vanity—that they cannot control. The book questions whether civilization, with its lawyers and formal contracts, actually protects us, or if it simply provides new, more sophisticated ways for us to deceive and ruin one another. It is a cynical, yet deeply observant look at the gap between what humans promise and what they are capable of sustaining.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the biting, dry wit of 17th-century French literature will find much to admire here. The tone is consistently sophisticated, moving effortlessly from high-minded classical references to the crude realities of domestic strife. The writing feels like a conversation with a worldly, somewhat jaded acquaintance who has seen enough of life to know that the grass is never greener, and that human nature is stubbornly, hilariously consistent.

However, the modern reader should be prepared for the period’s rigid gender attitudes, which are central to the humor and the plot. The "shrew" trope is used unironically, and the cynical view of marriage may strike some as dated or needlessly bleak. The verse form, while elegant, requires a patient reader willing to engage with the rhythms of 17th-century satire rather than the pace of a modern novel. There is little empathy to be found for the characters, who are presented more as specimens under a microscope than as protagonists for the reader to identify with. Yet, for those who value precise language and a perspective that refuses to look away from the absurdities of life, this volume offers a sharp, enduring look at the ways we stumble through our own desires.