| Folk Tale Name: | Guerrino and the Savage Man |
| Aarne-Thompson Grouping: | ATU 502, "The Wild Man as a Helper" |
| Country: | Italy |
| Published In: | The Facetious Nights of Straparola |
Guerrino and the Savage Man is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in The Facetious Nights of Straparola.[1]
It is Aarne-Thompson type 502 titled "The Wild Man as a Helper" and is the oldest known written variant of it.[2] Other tales of this type include Iron John and Georgic and Merlin.
King Filippomaria had an only son named Guerrino. One day while hunting, King Filippomaria captured a big, tall, and deformed wild man. Imprisoning him, he gave the keys to the queen. He set out hunting again and Guerrino wanted to see the wild man. The wild man stole an arrow he carried and promised to give it back if Guerrino freed him. Guerrino did so and warned him to flee. The wild man told him that he would and left.
The queen woke and questioned everyone. Guerrino told her that no one would be punished but him, because he did it. The queen took two faithful servants, gave them money, and sent Guerrino away. King Filippomaria returned and found the wild man gone. The queen told that Guerrino had done it and then that she had sent Guerrino away, which enraged King Filippomaria even more, that she should think he would hold his son in less regard than the wild man. King Filippomaria searched for him, but did not find him.
The servants agreed to kill Guerrino, but they could not agree on how to divide the loot. While they still had not settled, a fine young man greeted them and asked to come with him, and Guerrino agreed. This was the same wild man who previously took to the wild after being despaired of the love of a lady. He had met a fairy suffering from a distemper, who had burst out laughing at the sight of him and so been cured. She transformed him, endowed him magic powers, and gave him a magic horse.
They came to the town of Irlanda ruled by King Zifroi with two beautiful daughters and Potentiana and Eleuteria. Guerrino took lodgings. The young man made to go on, but Guerrino persuaded him to stay. At the time, the lands were attacked by a wild horse and a wild mare that ruined crops and killed beasts, men, and women. The two servants told King Zifroi that Guerrino had boasted that he could kill these horses. King Zifroi summoned him and promised to reward him if he did it. Guerrino hesitated when King Zifroi threatened to execute him if he did not. The young man told him to get a blacksmith's services from the king and then have the blacksmith make enormous horseshoes for the young man's horse. Then he had Guerrino ride the horse until he met the horse, at which point he should dismount, free the horse, and climb a tree. Guerrino did this, the horses fought, and the wild one was defeated. King Zifroi was pleased, but the servants furious because of their failure. They said that Guerrino had boasted likewise of the wild mare and King Zifroi set him to defeat it as well. He did, as he had the horse.
The night after, he was woken by a noise and found a wasp in a honey pot which he freed.
King Zifroi summoned him, said he had to reward him, and offered him one of his daughters if Guerrino could tell beneath their veils which was Potentiana, who had golden hair, and which Eleuteria, who had silver hair. If he guessed wrong, he would be executed. Guerrino went back to his lodgings, where the young man told him that the wasp would fly three times around Potentiana and she would drive it off three times that night. Then he should identify her. Guerrino said he did not know how he could reward him for his favors. The young man told him that he was the wild man and so he was but returning what Guerrino had done for him and his name was Rubinetto.
Guerrino went to the palace, where the princesses were entirely covered with white veils. King Zifroi told him to make his choice, time was passing, but Guerrino insisted on the full-time. The wasp buzzed about Potentiana, and she drove it off. Guerrino said she was Potentiana, and they married. Rubinetto married Eleuteria. King Filippomaria and his wife heard about Guerrino's exploits and he returned to them with his wife and Rubinetto and his wife where they lived in happiness.