Meaning & Analysis
According to local folklore from Devonshire, England, there is a massive rock called the Mort-Stone in Mort-Bay that is impossible to move. The proverb states that the only person capable of moving this rock is a man who is the master of his own wife.
Insights
The Impossible Task
The proverb uses the impossible task of moving the Mort-Stone as a humorous metaphor for the equally impossible task of a husband achieving absolute control or 'mastery' over his wife, suggesting such dominance is a fantasy.
Marital Power Dynamics
It serves as a satirical commentary on marital power dynamics. By equating domestic mastery with a Herculean feat, the proverb ironically highlights the futility and absurdity of any man's claim to have complete control in his marriage.
Hyperbolic Boast
The saying functions as a form of social boast or challenge. A man claiming he can move the Mort-Stone is, by extension, bragging about his domestic authority, a claim that is meant to be understood as a humorous exaggeration.
Geographical Folklore
Originating from 17th-century Devonshire, the proverb is rooted in local geography, referencing a real, immovable rock called Mort-Stone. This grounds the abstract social commentary in a tangible, local landmark, making the hyperbole more resonant for its original audience.
Critique of Patriarchy
The proverb humorously engages with the patriarchal ideals of the 17th century. While society prescribed male dominance in marriage, the proverb ironically suggests that achieving such mastery is as impossible as a superhuman feat, thereby subverting and poking fun at the very ideal it purports to uphold.
Symbolic Naming
The name 'Mort-Stone' (from the French 'mort' for death) adds a layer of grim irony. The 'dead stone' is an immovable, final obstacle, metaphorically linking the idea of absolute marital control to an impossible, perhaps even 'deadly' or lifeless, pursuit.
Psychology of Control
The proverb taps into a psychological tension between the desire for control in relationships and the reality of human autonomy. It uses humor to deflate the ego, suggesting that the ambition to completely 'master' a spouse is a fool's errand.
Rhetorical Devices
Hyperbole
The core of the proverb is hyperbole, deliberately exaggerating the difficulty of achieving marital dominance by comparing it to the physically impossible act of moving a giant rock.
Irony
The proverb is deeply ironic, as it frames a seemingly achievable social status (being master of one's wife) as the condition for an impossible feat, thus implying that the social status itself is an illusion.
Local Allusion
The proverb's meaning is heavily dependent on a specific cultural and geographical reference—the Mort-Stone of Devonshire. This makes it a powerful piece of local folklore.
Metaphor
The Mort-Stone acts as a powerful metaphor for any insurmountable obstacle, with the proverb humorously suggesting that marital strife is the most insurmountable of all.
Transcription
Quotations
*There is a Bay in this County called Mort-Bay; but the Harbour in the entrance thereof is stopped with a huge Rock, called Mort-Stone; and the People merrily say that none can remove it, save such who are Masters of their Wives.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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