Mariken van Nieumeghen.

Mariken lives nearby Nijmegen with her uncle Gijsbrecht.

Once upon a time she needs to go to the market. After that she stays at her aunt to spend the night. But before Mariken arrived at the house of het aunt, her aunt had a big fight with a couple of women about the arrest of the duke Arnold van Gelre by his son Adolf. That was the reason for her aunt to be very angry. Mariken was not happy about it her aunt cursed at her  adduced her of having a relation with her uncle, which made her leave upset an sad.

Mariken goes desperately on her way home.  She prays and asks for help. But she is so desperate that it doesn’t matter if god or the devil helps her. The devil hears her prayers and appears in the person of Moenen whit the one eye… Moenen promisses Mariken to teach her every language and the seven free arts, but not the black magic. Mariken must change her name because in the past Moenen had a lot of problems with someone who’s name was Maria. Besides this Mariken may not make a religous cross  anymore.  Mariken changes her name in Emmeken: Little M. Together they go to ‘s- Hertogenbosch and after a few day’s they go to Antwerpen.

They live a life of sin in Antwerpen. After seven years together in Antwerp, Mariken insists that they go back to Nijmegen, and there she sees a wagon-play on the market. In this play Masscheroen, an underdevil, asks God why he forgives all sinners. Mariken shows repent and ask for Gods mercy. Due to this act Moenen gets angry. He takes Mariken high into the sky and drops her from a high altitude down to earth. Mariken survives this fall because her uncle, who was in the crowd, prayed for her.

Gijsbrecht manages to excorsise Moenen by announcing parts of the bible.

Mariken wants forgiveness for her sins, therefore she’s going with her uncle to a high mental leader in Nijmegen. He dares to forgive her sins. After that they’re going to the bishop in Cologne and later to the Pope in Rome. During the trip Moenen tries to kill Gijsbrecht and Mariken, but in vain. Mariken gets as punishment 3 iron rings around her neck and arms from the Pope. These rings will fall off when her sins are forgiven.

Mariken goes to the White women convent, where after years of penance her rings fall off, after that Mariken still lives 2 years and around 1500 she dies peacefully. After her dead the 3 rings hung above her grave.