Evils of the Continent Week 3 — The Crones of Crookback Bog
A Witcher’s Bestiary to Season 2 Monsters
Welcome to yet another week of Evils of the Continent, a weekly blog where we explore the monsters confirmed or teased for Season 2 of Netflix’s The Witcher — and today it’s all about the tease. The Crones of Crookback Bog are some of the creepiest monsters that roam the Witcher universe, and you’re about to find out why.
Witcher’s beware — the Crones are vile creatures of evil deeds. Topics discussed here could be upsetting or disturbing to some.
Meet the Ladies of the Wood
“The isolated corners of our world harbor creatures older than humans, older than academies and mages, older even than elves and dwarves. The Crones of Crookback Bog are such creatures.” — Bestiary from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Crones of Crookback Bog, also known as the Ladies of the Wood, rule over Velen from the depths of Bog where their influence is most potent. Many of Velen’s denizens recognize the Crones as the true sovereigns of the land and seek their hut and tapestries for blessings and boons. For every favor asked of them, the Crones demand a steep price. Sometimes that’s self-mutilation; other times, the tribute of a child to be devoured for power and youth.
There are three Crones. Their names are not known, but those who worship the Ladies of the Wood have seen fit to name them as such:
Weavess — The youngest of the three. Weavess collects hair to weave her magical tapestries. These tapestries enable the people of Velen to call upon the Crones for favors or to pledge obedience.
Brewess — The cook. Brewess mixes potions and stews from the offerings of Velen. These concoctions enhance the Crones’ powers and prolong their unnatural life.
Whispess — The eldest. Whispess demands bodily mutilation as tribute, ordering the villagers to cut off their ears to add to her collection. Whispess augments the severed ears with magic and hangs them from the forest’s branches, enabling the Crones to hear all.
What We Know About Geralt’s Experiences with the Crones
In Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the Crones entrap Ciri with plans to eat her Elder Blood-filled ligaments before handing her over to Immilerth. But luckily, Ciri escapes.
Hot on her trail, Geralt stumbles into Crookback Bog where he encounters Gran and a group of orphaned children living under the power and “protection” of the Crones. In typical Witcher fashion, the White Wolf must choose between two evils. Either:
- Help the Crones increase their hold over Velen in exchange for important information on Ciri’s whereabouts.
- Or choose sides in an ancient conflict to save the children and thwart the Crones.
Influences for the Crones in Folklore and Literature
The Weird Sisters
Appearing in Shakespeares’ Macbeth, the Weird Sisters are witches with the power of prophecy and a propensity for mischief. Macbeth and Banquo first encounter the Sisters on a return march to Scotland after defeating Macdonwald’s forces. The Sisters predict Macbeth’s inheritance of Cawdor and “King hereafter” and it’s these prophecies that become the driving force for Macbeth’s treasonous deeds and ultimate demise.
In “The Witcher 3”, the Crones demonstrate their knack for prophecy by predicting when Ciri will arrive in the bog, and by telling Geralt he will “chase shadows and wander midst fog” — a reference to the Isle of Mists later in the game. The in-game bestiary goes a step further in confirming the relationship between the Crones and the Sisters by quoting an opening line from Act 1, Scene 3 of Shakespeare’s play:
“Sister crones, hand in hand, terrors of the sea and land, thus do go about, about: thrice to thine and thrice to mine, and thrice again, to make up nine.”
Baba Yaga
The Baba Yaga is a popular character in Slavik folklore, sometimes appearing as a singular hag or as a trio of hag sisters. She flies via mortar and pestle throughout the land and lives in a hut atop chicken legs.
Much like the Crones, Baba Yaga’s motives are morally ambiguous. Villagers that seek Baba Yaga will sometimes receive her support, other times her malice. But her most remarkable similarity is her tendency to capture, cook, and consume small children.
Sudjaje (The Fates)
The Sudjaje are three women in Slavic and Serbian mythologies that preside over new birth to determine a child’s fate. Each Sudjaje has different plans for the newborn. One desires long life and happy marriage, the other desires bodily deformities, and the third desires death. Together they compromise an individual, inescapable fate for the child — weaving its destiny into the thread of life.
Aside from a shared interest in weaving — whether a thread of life or tapestries for magical communication — the resounding hymns of fate, destiny, and prophecy in Sudjaje lore make them a compelling fit in The Witcher Universe and a possible influence for the Crones. They also give us an idea of the type of Crone archetype that could fit really well into the themes of Season 2, which have been all about destiny and fate thus far.
Hints for the Crones in Season 2
While the Crones aren’t confirmed for Season 2, two particular images from recent trailers suggest a Crone encounter or cameo.
The first image (above) is a still shot of an eerie hut in the middle of the woods, bearing much resemblance to the Crones’ home in Crookback Bog from the game.
The second image is that of three skulls. Aside from the obvious presence of three heads for three sisters, the skulls seem to be displayed in a prophetic or dream-state vision, similarly hinting at a relationship with the show’s themes of fate and destiny.
See you on the path…
Thanks for checking in on more monster lore for The Witcher Season 2. Be on the lookout for next week’s edition of Evils of the Continent where we will take a close look at the not-so-evil Nivellan and the influence of curses in the Witcher universe. Good luck on the path!
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