This paper focuses on the medieval discussion about the accordance between Inner and Outer by presenting some contemporary arguments defending the dissociation of appearance and essence.It introduces a few medieval thoughts on the relationship between body and soul, according to which physical beauty does not necessarily correspond to kindness, and ugliness does not always have to be an expression of evil.It later examines how far these arguments find resonance in Middle High German literature through the brief analysis of two of its most prominent ugly women: Eneas' Sibylle and Parzival's Cundrîe.