Old crone at the wedding

Role: old crone who tells her life · First appears: Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 4

In Runo XXIII, the old crone tells how she was brought as a bride to Old crone at the wedding's husband’s house and led to her mother-in-law. Her husband attacked and struck her, beat her with willow rods and a walrus-bone haft, and twisted and scattered her hair; she then abandoned her home and began to wander.

She was told that Old crone at the wedding's brother was estranged from her, but returned to his house, where he wept to see her. His wife, Old crone at the wedding's sister-in-law, mocked her with cabbage-stalks and water instead of food and ale. The old crone left her brother’s house and wandered away.

Relationship record

Life events

• In the old crone's tale of her own life, she was brought as a bride to her husband's house and led to her mother-in-law.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 4)
  • With: Old crone at the wedding's husband
  • “As my husband's bride they brought me, To my mother-in-law they led me.”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, her husband attacks her and strikes her on the head.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • With: Old crone at the wedding's husband
  • “And he hurried to attack me, And upon the head he struck me.”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, her husband beats her with willow rods and a walrus-bone haft.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • With: Old crone at the wedding's husband
  • “When he seized me by the elbows, With his wicked hands he grasped me, And with willow rods he beat me, And the haft of bone of walrus.”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, her husband twists her hair and scatters it in the wind.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • With: Old crone at the wedding's husband
  • “In my hair his hands he twisted, Grasping it in all his fury, In the wind my hair he scattered, To the winds of spring abandoned.”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, she abandons her husband's house and begins to wander.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • With: Old crone at the wedding's husband
  • “From the handsome house I turned me, And my pleasant home abandoned, And commenced my weary wanderings,”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, she is told that her brother is estranged from her.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • With: Old crone at the wedding's brother
  • “All estranged is now thy brother,”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, she goes back to her brother's house.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • “But I let it not distress me, And at once the house I entered, At the door I grasped the handle, Cold within my hand I felt it.”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, her brother weeps when he sees her.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • With: Old crone at the wedding's brother
  • “Then my brother broke out weeping, From his eyes the tears were falling.”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, her brother's wife mocks her and brings her cabbage-stalks instead of food.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • With: Old crone at the wedding's sister-in-law
  • “But with mocking eyes she brought me Cabbage-stalks from out the kitchen, Whence the whelp the fat had eaten, And the dog had licked the salt from, And the black dog had his meal of.”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, her brother's wife brings her only water instead of ale.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • With: Old crone at the wedding's sister-in-law
  • “But with mocking eyes she carried Water only for the stranger, But, instead of drinking water, Water she had washed her face in, And her sister washed her hands in.”
• In the old crone's tale of her own life, she leaves her brother's house and wanders away.(Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5)
  • “From my brother's house I wandered, Left the house that I was born in, Hurried forth, O me unhappy,”

Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 4

• married with Old crone at the wedding's husband “As my husband's bride they brought me, To my mother-in-law they led me.”

Runo XXIII · The Instructing of the Bride · Part 5

• married with Old crone at the wedding's husband “He, my husband, chanced to hear it, At the wall as he was standing.”
• enemies with Old crone at the wedding's husband “And he hurried to attack me, And upon the head he struck me.”
• siblings with Old crone at the wedding's brother “We are children of one mother, Of one bird are we the nestlings:”
• parent: Old crone at the wedding's father “Long ago has died thy father, Perished has thy sweetest mother,”
• parent: Old crone at the wedding's mother “Long ago has died thy father, Perished has thy sweetest mother,”
• with Old crone at the wedding's sister-in-law (in-law) “To his wife then said my brother, And he whispered to his darling, 'Bring some food to give my sister!'”

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Extracted from the original text of Kalevala. Made with Rho MD.