DALIDA, DALYDA. Delilah, a woman from the valley of Sorek, became Samson's lover. After many attempts, she persuaded him to tell her where his strength lay: in his hair. While he slept in her lap, she called a man to cut off his hair; then the Philistines captured him, blinded him, and put him to grind corn at a mill in Gaza. After a while his hair grew and his strength returned. Intending to humiliate him further, the Philistines placed him against a pillar in the temple to their god Dogon; but Samson brought down the temple with his great strength and died with the Philistines (Judges 16:1-31).

Dalida is a wicked woman in Jankyn's "Book of Wikked Wyves," WBP 721-723. She betrays Samson to the Philistines, MkT 2063-2078. In both stories she is called his "lemman" or "sweetheart." The Man in Black believes that Samson died for love of Dalida, BD 738-739. The Jealous Husband says that Samson was overcome when Dalida cut his hair, RR 9203-9206. Samson and Dalida appear in Gower's company of lovers, Confessio Amantis VIII.2703-2704. Chaucer says that his mistress is more fickle than Dalyda, Creseyde, or Candace, Against Woman Unconstant, 15-16. Dalyda appears in every medieval list of unfaithful women. [Candace: Creseyde: Sampson]

Dalida, the Latin and OF variant, appears medially, MkT 2063; BD 738. Dalyda, a spelling variant, occurs medially in Wom Unc 16.