These traits come into play with many of the nefarious beings Geralt encounters in The Witcher video game series as well, but the ideas are tied to one trio in particular. The Crones of Crookback Bog are introduced early in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and play a significant role. The crones largely fit into the myths and legends told of different malevolent witches throughout human history with a focus on kidnapping children and extorting local villagers. The three sisters are dark beings, and while classified as Relicts in-game could be ancient enemies similar to Gaunter O’Dimm and Voleth Meir.

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Similarities Between Voleth Meir and the Crones

Like the Deathless Mother can present herself in different forms, the Crones of Crookback Bog have been depicted in physical states that are different from how they actually look. In reality, the Crones are grotesque creatures who are noticeably inhuman. From the way they interact with Geralt and other characters to their physical attributes, it’s clear that the Crones of Crookback Bog are attempting to appear near-human, but aren’t.

This aspect of the Crones and Voleth Meir also comes into play with how the Deathless Mother interacts with Francesca, Fringilla, and Yennefer in Season 2 of The Witcher. While the Crones of Crookback Bog are a trio, the Deathless Mother presents herself in one of three ways when interacting with each women. None of them see the same person in their audiences with Voleth Meir, even though they are communicating with the same entity.

This might suggest that on top of other changes in The Witcher, Voleth Meir may have been a replacement for the Crones of Crookback Bog. However, the history of Voleth Meir in the show and the Crones in The Witcher 3 could also point to a different relation. While the Crones are powerful beings who break bread with the Wild Hunt in The Witcher 3, there are also legends that tell of their mother.

The Crones of Crookback Bog play significant roles later in Geralt and Ciri’s story. So far, The Witcher on Netflix has only given teases of the Wild Hunt, but by the time the Crones are introduced the Wild Hunt is a significant threat for both Ciri and Geralt. It might be the case that Voleth Meir is setting up herself, the Crones, and other similar creatures to ally against the continent and its kingdoms of men. This could pull the Crones into The Witcher show and help to flesh out some of their backstory.

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In the game, the history of the Crones of Crookback Bog is filled in through the entity at the Whispering Hillock, and one of the toughest decisions in The Witcher 3. While the identity of the spirit living underneath a tree is unknown, the Crones refer to the spirit as an enemy. Lore pieces in The Witcher 3 describe it as the mother of the Crones and the Lady of the Wood. Given the nature of the Crones and the entity that players encounter beneath the Whispering Hillock, both could be true.

The Lady of the Wood is said to have created three sisters, believed to be the Crones, before slipping into madness. While once the protector of the region who was kept satiated with sacrifice, her decline resulted in her three offspring sealing her away. This fate is similar to the Deathless Mother, and given both entities are immortal, they could end up being one and the same. The use of sacrifices by the Lady of the Wood, and thus implied suffering, would also be similar to how Voleth Meir feeds off of the suffering of others for power.

The other tie-in Voleth Meir may have to the mother of the Crones and Lady of the Wood is in her name. While known as the Deathless Mother, she was also called the Mother of Forests in The Witcher on Netflix This is similar to Lady of the Wood, and could point to a connection between the two. Given these aliases, it seems Voleth Meir might at least be inspired by the Mother. The use of three in her interactions with other characters, her powerful and demonic nature, as well as the Baba Yaga inspirations all suggest a connection to the Crones in some way, but given other major changes like character deaths in The Witcher, she could also be a replacement.

If Voleth Meird does have a connection to the Crones of Crookback Bog, how it will play out is something that might not be seen for some time. As The Witcher 3 sees a huge player spike, more fans are likely asking questions that might not have answers. The show has done well at staying true to a lot of the other Witcher content, but it still makes its own changes, and as a result Season 3 could introduce more major characters, or completely rewrite Geralt, Ciri, and Yen’s fates.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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