The Water of the Wondrous Isles · Chapter
III: Of Skin-Changing explained
The witch reveals her ability to change her appearance, terrifying the child Birdalone when she appears in a different form the next morning.
What happens
The witch reveals her ability to change her appearance, terrifying the child Birdalone when she appears in a different form the next morning. She explains that she changes her skin for journeys and reassures the child that she will care for her.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Transformation
The witch's ability to change her skin illustrates themes of transformation and deceptive appearances.
Power and Sorcery
The witch's skin-changing is a clear display of her magical power and control over her own form.
Characters to notice
- Birdalone
The child is frightened by the witch's changed appearance and learns about skin-changing.
- The Witch Wife
She changes her skin for journeys and explains this to Birdalone, showing her magical nature.
Key passages
“One thing must here be told: Whenas the said dame stood forth clad amidst of the chamber the next morning, the child ran up to her to greet her or whatnot, but straightway when she saw her close, drew aback, and stood gasping with affright; for verily she deemed this was nowise she who had brought her last night into the fair chamber, and given bread and milk to her and put her to bed, but someone else.”
The next morning, the child was terrified when she saw the witch, because she looked completely different from the woman who had brought her in the night before.
Birdalone's initial shock at the witch's changed appearance.
“But as for that matter of changing of aspect, the maiden came to know thereafter that the witch durst not go into the wood in the same skin as that which she wore at home, wherefore she had changed it for the journey to Utterhay, and changed back again in the night-tide before she arose.”
Birdalone later learned that the witch changed her skin for traveling in the woods, and changed back to her usual form at night.
Explanation of the witch's skin-changing practice.