The Story of the Poor Widow
My mother used to tell me stories about spirits. Frighting tales of perfect for campfires. She used the stories to make me behave as a child. The one story that gave me the most nightmares was about the spirit of a woman who would go after rich children.The Poor Widow is a story told in Asharia as well as Rosewall. Two countries that share very little in common. This old and classic tale is part myth and part fairytale. The story has some roots in history but had been retold and changed so many times it is more like a fairy story than history. The story is told to rich and noble children when they are starting to look down on the poor. The story is said to warn against selfishness and to promote kindness.Belinda Gevya-Ravenwood
Summary
The story begins with the death of the widow's husband. He left her with one child. The widow wore black for a long time. One day she a nobleman came up to her and asked her to marry him. She said she would agree as long as he promised to not treat his child any differently. He agreed and they were married.
True to his word the nobleman didn't treat her child any differently. But his children, from his late-wife, bullied and teased the widow's son. She told her husband, but he didn't believe her. His children started to treat her son worse and worse with each passing day.
One day the widow learned dark magic. She said her magic to kill the nobleman's children. As punishment for their misdeeds. To this day her spirit lives on. She curses rich children who are unkind to others.
Variations & Mutation
In Asharia The Poor Widow is told a little differently. Instead of the widow marrying a nobleman she marries a jarl. Also, the jarl's children kill the widow's son. Heartbroken and angry the widow fled to join a witch's coven. There she learned dark magic and cursed the jarl's house.
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