The "Ribauds" Penaillon and Pignoguet: Playing with Fraud, Death, and Resurrection in a French St. Martin Play

This paper examines a self-contained episode in the anonymous Mystere de la vie et hystoire de monseigneur sanct Martin (Touraine, late 15th century) which, although a resurrection miracle of the saint, is based on a folkloric trickster-tricked exemplum. It features two ruffians (ribauds) who attempt to scam Bishop Martin, the one pretending to be dead and the other begging alms for his burial. The "soul" of the pretend dead man is hauled off, however, by a lurking demon and requires Martin's prayers and the ministrations of a pair of angels to be restored the the ribaud's body. What is known about the play and this story motif is sketched, followed by a detailed scene-analysis discussing the use of prop "souls," stage-combat between angels and devils, and the episode's darkly comic overtones. Such a deliberate violation of a saint's virtus and caritas is normally severely punished in hagiographic literature. In the popular genre of drama, however, Penaillon and Pignoguet are spared further punishment and are in fact reintegrated back into the play, participating in Martin's funeral.