Chapter Gillamore to Gipsies' Head-quarters of G by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Gineura, the troth-plight bride of Ariodantês, falsely accused of infidelity, and doomed to die unless she found within a month a champion to do battle for her honour. The duke who accused her felt confident that no champion would appear, but on the day appointed Ariodantês himself entered the lists. The duke was slain, the lady vindicated, and the champion became Gineura’s husband.—Ariosto: Orlando Furioso (1516). Also Geneura.

Shakespeare, in Much Ado about Nothing, makes Hero falsely accused of infidelity, through the malice of don John, who induces Margaret (the lady’s attendant) to give Borachio a rendezvous at the lady’s chamber window. While this was going on, Claudio, the betrothed lover of Hero, was brought to a spot where he might witness the scene, and, believing Margaret to be Hero, was so indignant, that next day at the altar he denounced Hero as unworthy of his love, Benedict challenged Claudio for slander, but the combat was prevented by the arrest and confession of Borachio. Don John, finding his villainy exposed, fled to Messina.

Spenser has introduced a similar story in his Faërie Queene, v. II (the tale of “Irena,” q.v.).

Ginevra, the young Italian bride who, playing hide-and-seek, hid herself in a large trunk. The lid accidentally fell down, and was held fast by a spring-lock. Many years afterwards the trunk was sold and the skeleton discovered.—Rogers: Italy (1822).

T. Haynes Bayley wrote a ballad called The Mistletoe Bough, on the same tradition, He calls the bridegroom “young Lovel.”

A similar narrative is given by Collet, in his Causes Célèbres.

Marwell Old Hall, once the residence of the Seymours, and subsequently of the Dacre family, has a similar tradition attached to it, and “the very chest is now the property of the Rev. J. Haygarth, rector of Upham.”—Post-Office Directory.

Bramshall, Hampshire, has a similar tale and chest.

The same tale is also told of the great house at Malsanger, near Basing-stoke.

Gingerbread (Giles), the hero of an English nursery tale.

Jack the Giant-killer, Giles Gingerbread, and Tom Thumb will flourish in wide-spreading and never-ceasing popularity.—Washington, Irving.

Ginn or Jân (singular masculine Jinnee, feminine Jinniyeh), a species of beings created long b efore Adam. They were formed of “smokeless fire” or fire of the simoom, and were governed by monarchs named suleyman, the last of whom was Jân-ibn-Jân or Gian-ben-Gian, who “built the pyramids of Egypt.” Prophets were sent to convert them, but on their persistent disobedience an army of angels drove them from the earth. Among the ginn was one named Azazel. When Adam was created, and God commanded the angels to worship him, Azazel refused, saying, “Why should the spirits of fire worship a creature made of earth?” Whereupon God changed him into a devil, and called him Iblis or Eblis (“despair”).

Ginnistan, the country of the Ginn.—Persian Mythology.

Giona, a leader of the anabaptists, once a servant of comte d’Oberthal, but discharged from his service for theft. He joined the rebellion of the anabaptists, but, with the rest of the conspirators, betrayed the “prophet-king,” John of Leyden, when the emperor arrived with his army.—Meyerbeer: Le Prophète (1849).

Giovanni (Don), a Spanish libertine of the aristocratic class. His valet, Leporello, says, “He had 700 mistresses in Italy, 800 in Germany, 91 in France and Turkey, and 1003 in Spain.” When the measure of his iniquity was full, a legion of foul fiends carried him off to the devouring gulf.—Mozart: Don Giovanni (1787).