Returning Dead Woman of Saddaedda

Overview

Saddaedda conceals herself during a wealthy woman’s funeral and remains alone with the dressed corpse after the congregation leaves. She steals its jewellery and clothing. Pulling at one stocking tears away a leg, which she locks in a box at home. That night the dead woman arrives at the door and asks for her leg and stocking. Saddaedda ignores her, then tries to secure company by inviting friends to feast and sleep in her house.

The visitor repeats the demand on successive nights. Frightened companions abandon Saddaedda until she is alone on the fifth night. The corpse forces its way in, strangles her, opens the box and takes the leg and stocking back to its grave. The account does not describe the leg being reattached or a resurrection into ordinary life. Crane’s note explicitly says his version is Ralston’s condensation of Pitrè’s tale, so this record follows that mediated text. Nearby Tuscan and English parallels remain distinct and do not turn the stolen leg into the golden limb of a separately mentioned variant.

Origins & earliest records

Crane, Italian Popular Tales (1885), LXXIII: Saddaedda, p. 238; identified source: Pitrè, no. 128; Ralston’s condensation reproduced by Crane.

Records & interpretation

The complete located selected account and its framing identify the supernatural visitor’s actions and ending. Oral narration, editorial condensation and comparative parallels are attributed to their particular witnesses.

Selected bibliography

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1. 01

   Italian Popular Tales: LXXIII: Saddaedda, p. 238

   Thomas Frederick Crane; source: Pitrè, no. 128; Ralston’s condensation reproduced by Crane · 1885

   Complete located selected account and its attached framing; individual original collector’s text not separately collated here.

Family & connections

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References

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1. Primary literary witnessCrane 1885: LXXIII: Saddaedda, p. 238Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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