[1] Numerous romances, such as Le Bone Florence of Rome, are classified as belonging to the "Crescentia cycle" because of the common plot; this is the oldest known variant of the tales.
The Crescentia cycle features women who suffer trials and misfortunes, similar to those of Le Bone Florence of Rome, Emaré, Constance, and Griselda, stock characters in chivalric romance.
[2] It is distinguished among them by the story's opening with her brother-in-law approaching her with offers of love and ending with her fame as a healer bringing all her persecutors together; there are more than a hundred versions from the twelfth to the nineteenth century.
[5] The story itself has been traced to the Old English The Wife's Lament; however, because the woman herself complains only of malevolent relatives, not the specific brother-in-law, it is impossible to confirm that it is the source.
[10] In folkloristics, the tale of Crescentia is related to a cycle of stories wherein a wife is slandered and accused of adultery with an in-law and/or murder of her children.