Lippijn

Lippijn is a Middle Dutch sotternie or farce. This sotternie is contained in the Hulthemse handschrift, and follows the abele spel Esmoreit and consists of 199 lines in rhyme.

The sotternie describes the older man Lippijn who spots his wife having an adulterous affair. His wife's best lady friend convinces him he must be wrong. His wife hearing about this makes things worse for him by blaming him that he wrongfully accused her.

The name Lippijn refers to the old Middle Dutch word for "looking", thereby connecting with the subject of the play.

Roles

• Lippijn
• Sijn wijf (his wife)
• Haer lief (her lover)
• De comere (Trise or Trees) (the wife's friend)

Plot

Lippijn is sent by his wife to get some wood and water while she will do the shopping. He mutters and complains about her losing lots of time while shopping; she defends herself by pointing out that it's always crowded at the butcher's after her morning prayer. They both leave the house, but the wife meets with her longing, passionate lover.

Lippijn watches them in fury and plans to confront his wife with this when he comes home. On his way there he meets Trise, the long-time lady friend of his wife. He tells her what he saw.

Trise convinces Lippijn that he must be wrong and he shouldn't accuse his wife of these things. When Lippijn persists she tells him he must have been possessed by a woodnymphe or a goblin.

Trise tells Lippijn, not convinced at all, that he shouldn't worry because his wife is at the house. Coming home Lippijn he finds out he's been fooled. His wife hearing about his mistrust blames him for it. She is unforgiving about his so-called mistake and the play ends in a quarrel.

External links

• Lippijn (with linenumbers) at the Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse letteren (in Middele Dutch)