The Witcher: Ladies Of The Wood Explained

"The Witcher" franchise is full of ghoulish, terrifying monsters. From shapeshifting Dopplers to the centipede-like Myriapods to the bewitching Deathless Mother, these supernatural beings are the stuff of nightmares. However, fewer are more terrifying than The Ladies of the Wood, also known as The Crones of Crookback Bog.

First appearing in "The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt" video game, the Ladies of Wood — Brewess, Weavess, and Whispess — are ancient witches who hang out in the swamplands of Velen. The creatures are said to be older than humans, mages, elves, and academies, but no one knows their true names or the types of monsters they actually are. However, it's believed that they were created by a powerful being called The Lady in the Wood, aka She-Who-Knows, as she was lonely and wanted some company. It wasn't a happy home, however, as the three sisters ultimately killed their mother and imprisoned her immortal soul in a tree to stop her from tormenting people.

This act of matricide might make the Ladies of the Wood seem sympathetic toward humans, but that couldn't be further from the truth. These rascals have been known to do despicable things to mortals for their own nefarious purposes, but they do make up for it in some ways.

Many of the monsters in "The Witcher" universe are reminiscent of creatures and deities from real-world folklore, and this is also the case with the Ladies of the Wood. They contain elements of the Triple Goddess from Neopagan traditions, whose three figures are known as The Mother, The Maiden, and The Crone. The last name sort of gives it away, right?

However, the Ladies of the Wood also contain elements of the Baba Yaga myth of Slavic folklore, who's fond of feasting on children. Their native Velen area even has a path known as the Trail of Treats, which can only be seen by children and leads straight toward the sisters' house. Can you guess what happens to them once they find it?

The Ladies of the Wood require sacrifices from the villagers in exchange for keeping them safe. Eating children is a favorite pastime of the witches, but not just for nutritious reasons. The cannibalism allows the magical beings to inhabit the young ones' appearances so that they can return to their village and live there for a while. Additionally, the Ladies of the Wood request human ears from their followers, which they hang from trees so that they can hear everything and everyone in Velen.