The Helpful Hag

Heroes need help.  It's one of the great truths found in stories across all genres and media types.  No one can go through life alone, whether it's ordinary mundane life...or the sort of life that involves an epic quest with armies opposing you.  That help can come in many forms: a sidekick, like Batman and Robin; a raid group taking on a difficult boss in a video game; a group of friends supporting one another, like in Friends; an adorable animal companion.

Fairy tales are full of helpers such as these.  Sometimes it's a talking animal.  In other stories, it's the fairy godmother.  But another archetype appears time and time again: The Helpful Hag.

Rarely named in any stories, the Helpful Hag is most often a little old lady by the side of the road.  I've also referred to her as the Kind Crone, or the Wizened Wise Woman.  She fits into the category of the Donor, an individual who provides the protagonist with aid.  Joseph Campbell recognized the Crone when encountering the first stages of a hero's journey, when they meet with someone who provides them with help of some sort.

There are several fairy tales in which three sons all set out on the same quest.  They each, along the way, encounter an old crone begging on the side of the road.  This woman is described as wizened, ugly, a poor beggar with nothing to offer.  The first two brothers refuse to share their bread with her.  The youngest, considerably kinder than his kin, splits his meal with the hag.

This is where the hag shows her true nature.  Her begging is a test; for those who show her kindness, she provides aid.  Sometimes this is a magical item.  More frequently, her aid comes in the form of advice.

But for those who spurn her request for help...well, let's take a look at one of the more famous fairy tales to see how that turns out.

The opening scene of Disney's Beauty and the Beast shows how the prince spurned the offer of a rose from a wizened old woman.  Irked by his lack of manners, she revealed that it had been a test.  In fact, the old hag was actually a beautiful, powerful enchantress.  For his rudeness, the prince was transformed into a Beast.

So the Helpful Hag is not only a benefactor towards do-gooders in fairy tales - she is also a test, to see if a character is worthy of her help.

There are a lot of myths that could serve as the origin of the Helpful Hag character.  Let us look first at Greek mythology.  Demeter spent some time wandering the earth disguised as a mortal, while she was searching for her missing daughter.  During that time she became a nursemaid for a young boy.  Seeing that the boy and his family were good, she attempted to make the boy immortal.  Unfortunately, this involved holding him in a fire - something his parents didn't take too kindly to when they burst into the room.  Demeter is one example of a Helpful Hag.

Another can be found in the Fates - or the Norns, the Moirai, or any other name you care to call them by.  Appearing in Celtic, Norse, Greek, Roman, and many other mythologies, the Fates are three women.  One is the Maiden; one is the Mother; one is the Crone.

But another example of a Helpful Hag is not actually a wizened old woman at all...but, instead, an old man.  He frequently traveled the earth under the name of High.  While there, he would offer his aid to great heroes on quests.  This man was the Norse god Odin.

Now, Norse mythology has been the basis of inspiration for a number of authors (myself included).  One such author created a character based heavily upon Odin in his mortal disguise - someone who could aid the protagonist, but never be the main character himself.

This is all a very roundabout way to confess that yes, I am comparing Gandalf to a Helpful Hag.

Can you guys think of any story examples of the Kind Crone?  Little old women offering aid abound in stories of all sorts.  One of my absolute favorite examples is from Diana Wynn Jones' Howl's Moving Castle.  Jones recognized the archetype of the Helpful Hag and turned it onto its head.  The main character spends most of the book convinced that she can't be the main character, because she's too old to go off and have adventures - so instead, she must be the helper to everyone else.  What a surprise for her when she discovers the truth!

I'll be back next week!

The Norns: Spinners of Time

The Norns are some of the more interesting characters in Norse mythology, and their home is as fascinating as they are. I’ve talked before about Yggdrasil and the nine realms that lie within its boughs - but trees have more than just branches. They also have roots. Yggdrasil is said to have three roots, with one well to water it at each root. One well is kept by a wise being named Mimir that I’ll talk about when we discuss Odin. The second well lies in the Kingdom of Hel, and a dragon named Nithog constantly chews at the root by the well. Nithog frequently exchanges insults with an eagle that sits in the top branches of Yggdrasil, both of whom use a squirrel as their messenger.

The third well of Yggdrasil is called Urdarbrunn, and it is tended by the Norns. The waters of this well are sacred, used to preserve and protect the Tree from harm.

Now that you know about their home, lets talk about the Norns. Their name means “Fate”, and they are highly similar to characters from Greek, Roman, and Celtic mythology. While these characters are often represented by a Maiden, Mother, and Crone, the Norns are three sisters.

The oldest sister is named Urd, which means “that which has been”. Verdandi, the middle sister, means “that which is”, and Skuld, the youngest, means “that which will be”. Together they represent the Past, Present, and Future. Often said to be giants, some tales claim that time did not exist before the Norns began their task - spinning.

If you’re picturing the creepy ladies with the thread and scissors from Disney’s Hercules, you’re on the right track. Like the Greek Morai, which means “Fates”, the Norns spin a thread for the life of every living being. Sometimes they are depicted as weaving the threads of life, but more often they are simply spinners.

What makes the Norns so fascinating compared to their counterparts from other mythologies is whose thread they spin. Every living creature has a thread, including men, giants...and the gods. The gods are thus not immune to death, and will ultimately perish along with man.

Technically speaking, that makes the Norns more powerful than the gods. They are the ones who will ultimately cut the thread of a god’s life and end it. They are the ones who handle both time and fate, and thus hold the destiny of the universe in their hands.

Little bit creepy, right? Aren’t you glad the Norns are impartial and not prone to holding grudges? Otherwise, *snip snip* and you’re dead!

That’s all I’ve got about the Norns for now. We’ll talk a little bit more about them when I talk about the role of fate in Norse mythology, but in my next post I want to discuss Odin. About time, right? It’s not like he’s an important character or anything!

Anyhoo, feel free to post below or email me with questions or comments. If you want to know about the Allfather, stay tuned for next time!