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Kent Davis Origins: The Devil's NINE Questions (48) RE: Origins: The Devil's NINE Questions 16 Sep 10

Furthermore, regarding whether or not the question "What is meaner than womankind?" is spurious, it may also be of interest to note that, in THE ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH POPULAR BALLADS, "Riddles Wisely Expounded" (Child #1), one may find the following questions and answers"

version A
stanza 15 - "Or what is worse then a woman was?"
stanza 18 - "And the devil is worse than woman was."

version C, William Motherwell's MS, p. 647
stanza 13 - "Or what is waur not a woman was?"
stanza 18 - "And Clootie's waur not a woman was."
stanza 19 - "As sune as she the fiend did name,
             He flew awa in a blazing flame."

version D, Motherwell, p.142 (Motherwell lived from 1797 to 1835.)
stanza 5 - "And what is worse than woman was?"
stanza 10 - "And the Devil's worse than eer woman was."

Kent

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