''The Distaff Gospels (Les Evangiles des Quenouilles)'' is an

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

fifteenth-century collection of popular beliefs held by late medieval women, first published in 1480. It was edited by Fouquart de Cambray, Duval Antoine and Jean d'Arras and published at Bruges by Colart Mansion. The narrative takes place within the context of a gathering of women who meet with their

spindle Spindle may refer to: Textiles and manufacturing * Spindle (textiles), a straight spike to spin fibers into yarn * Spindle (tool), a rotating axis of a machine tool Biology * Common spindle and other species of shrubs and trees in genus ''Euony ...

s and

distaff A distaff (, , also called a rock"Rock." ''The Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd ed. 1989.), is a tool used in spinning. It is designed to hold the unspun fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. It is most commonly use ...

s to spin. They discuss

folk wisdom Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging fr ...

related to their domestic lives, including controlling errant husbands, predicting the gender of future offspring and curing common ailments.

Editions

*''Les évangiles des quenouilles''. Paris: P. Jannet, 1855 *''Les Evangiles des quenouilles''; édition critique, introduction et notes par Madeleine Jeay. Paris; Montréal: Librairie philosophique J. Vrin; Presses de l'Université de Montréal, 1985 *''Les Evangiles des quenouilles''; traduits et présentés par Jacques Lacarrière. Paris: A. Michel, 1998

English translations

*''The gospelles of dystaues''. London: Wynkyn de Worde, . 1510(translated by Henry Watson) *Jeay, Madeleine and Kathleen Garay, eds. and trans. 2006.''The Distaff Gospels.'' Peterborough, ON: Broadview Pres

Editions

English translations

Further reading