ABSTRACT
Aldhelm’s version of the legend of Sylvester and Constantine has been discussed elsewhere in this volume. What I am seeking to do in this chapter is to explore the issues which arise from one part of his account of Constantine, which appears to be a version of the story known to folklorists and English students as the ‘Loathly Lady’. Was it an addition of Aldhelm’s own to the accretion of stories about Constantine; how can we tell if so; and why would he do it?
