SAMPSON, SAMSOUN. Samson, the man most famous for his strength, was one of the judges of Israel. He revealed to Delilah that his strength lay in his uncut hair, and she betrayed his secret to the Philistines. She stealthily cut his hair while he lay asleep in her lap; then the Philistines captured him, blinded him, and made him their slave. His strength returned as his hair grew. One day the Philistines called him to entertain them at a great feast in honor of their god, and Samson pulled down the hall, killing himself and his enemies (Judges 12-16).

Saturn says that he caused Samson's death, KnT 2466. The death of Samson is written in the stars, MLT 197-201. Samson's story is bound into Jankyn's anthology, WBP 721-723. The Monk's story, MkT 2015-2094, emphasizes the folly of revealing secrets to wives, as in RR 16541-16700. The Monk gives Judicum as his source, MkT 2046. Judicum is the Latin genitive plural from the full title Liber Judicum (The Book of Judges). It is evident, however, that Chaucer follows Boccaccio's story in De casibus virorum illustrium I.17. J.E. Grennen suggests Enseignements by Geoffrey de la Tour-Landry as another possible source. Samson never drank wine, PardT 554-555; MkT 2055. The strength of Samson is a medieval commonplace, ParsT 955. Samson is an example of the folly of suicide; he died for Dalida, BD 738-741. [Dalida]

Sampson never appears initially. It occurs five times in medial positions, MLT 201; WBP 721; MkT 2031, 2055, 2090; and once in final rhyming position, BD 738. Sampsoun appears once initially, MkT 2023; five times in medial positions, KnT 2466; PardT 555; MkT 2015, 2052, 2075; and twice in final rhyming position, PardT 554, 572. Both forms are OF variants.