Joysbell

A Perfect, Pretty Trap

We first learn about witches in ACOWAR when Devlon meets Nesta and Elain for the first time.

In this scene, Feyre also recalls the moment she and Amren first met Devlon. During that meeting, Feyre states that the Illyrian war-lord was able to sense the pair’s otherness and she even goes on to say that it was as if he possessed some sense for such things. It’s interesting that Devlon, who may be able to sense otherness, wonders if Nesta is a witch. While it’s possible that Devlon senses Nesta’s strong aura of power and mistakes her for a witch, it’s also plausible that he may actually sense a witch amongst the group and assumes it was Nesta because she was in front of him, in all of her unnerving and bold glory. During the witch accusation, Elain was strategically hidden and Sarah quickly shifts our focus to her afterward: Mor (whose power is truth) steps aside to reveal Elain, a thing of secret, lovely beauty...which seems an awful lot like a perfect, pretty trap, another phrase Maas has used before to describe another powerful, witchy character.

Recall, if you will, the Weaver. Her name is Stryga. The Latin word striga is associated with owls, evil female spirits, nightmares, vampires, and...witches. Feyre aptly describes Stryga as a perfect, pretty trap when she hears her sing a vile tale about sisters. Her voice is described as honeyed and sweet and beautiful, like sunlight on a stream. You know who else is described as sweet and beautiful? Whose scent smells of honey and flows like a sparkling river? Elain. Her family consistently views her as gentle and sweet and kind (or as Nesta suggests, boring), and are surprised when she behaves in a way that doesn’t reinforce that image of boring perfection. She is dismissed, as Devlon demonstrates below, because she appears as harmless as a blooming rose.

When the females are alone in the tent, Mor sheds light on how witches are different from faeries. And again, after the description of witches, Sarah immediately refocuses on Elain. If this happened once, we might dismiss it as a coincidence. But the repeated proximity may be Sarah subtly linking witches to Elain.

Unlike faeries, witches use spells and archaic tools to harness more power than they are given. The Cauldron and Trove are what you might consider archaic tools. The former adores Elain and the latter can be tracked, as well as used, by her to harness powers beyond what she possesses. In ACOSF, Nesta forbids Elain from going anywhere near the Cauldron after she recalls her capture and rescue. Why remind us of Elain’s connection to that bowl of life and death if it won’t be important in her book? She appears willing to help when asked by her family and was seemingly dismissed for her own protection, so Elain may not wait for her family’s permission and may reacquaint herself with her powers, and the Cauldron, on her own terms (if she hasn’t already).

Normally, there are consequences for witches and their use of power:

According to Cassian (who seems to have more black-and-white views on beings who are perceived as dangerous and therefore demonized by society, like others in previous books), witches are wretched creatures that are banished to the Middle. Their thirst for magic drains the warmth and life from them to the point that they drink blood (the embodiment of life). This description of witches strangely, but perhaps intentionally, reminds us of the way both Nesta and Cassian describe Elain during solstice when she is in Lucien’s presence and wears black.

Elain, the wretch:

Elain, the wretch, had taken the seat between Feyre and Varian, about as far from Lucien as she could get. Azriel remained in the doorway.

A darker, colder Elain:

Elain in black was ridiculous. Yes, she was beautiful, but the color of her long-sleeved, modest gown leeched the brightness from her face. It wore her, rather than the other way around. And he knew the cruelty of the Hewn City troubled her. But she hadn’t hesitated to come. When Feyre had offered to let her remain home, Elain had squared her shoulders and declared that she was a part of this court—and would do whatever was needed. So Elain had let her golden-brown hair down tonight, and pinned it back with twin combs of pearl. He’d never once in the two years he’d known her found Elain to be plain, but wearing black, no matter how much she claimed to be part of this court … It sucked the life from her.

These comments may foreshadow Elain’s identity as a witch and/or the consequences (if they apply to her as a Cauldron-Made fae) she may face as a result. Interestingly, the word wretch is related to several older words, including one that is used to describe a person who is banished and another that means hero or warrior. This etymology connects well to The Wild Swans, a story Sarah said she wanted to retell in 2014. In this fairy tale, the heroine is banished from her home after her siblings are cursed and she takes it upon herself to save them. She cannot speak as part of her efforts to reverse the curse and when her actions are misconstrued, she is unable to defend herself. The heroine is consequently accused of being an evil witch and sentenced to die. In all variations of the tale, she breaks the curse in time and is saved (or revived) from her death sentence.

If this story is the inspiration for Elain’s tale, Sarah has already planted the seeds: Elain is working silently in the shadows and she may be connected to witches. Characters have already begun to question her place in the Night Court and readers have theorized that she is (or will become) evil. If she is the heroine in The Wild Swans retelling, this is by design and it isn’t what it seems on the surface. Remember, Mor told us what we truly needed to know about witches: they can harness power for good or for ill. Like so many of the frightening beings in this world, they are not inherently evil creatures. They have a choice. And if we know anything about Elain—the choices she has made to love and help others, even at great risk to herself—we should believe that her better strength will win.

Elain had always been gentle and sweet—and I had considered it a different sort of strength. A better strength. To look at the hardness of the world and choose, over and over, to love, to be kind. She had been always so full of light.

And the connections between Elain and witches do not end there. As Nesta, Cassian, and Azriel venture into the Middle, the landscape is described in a way that also reminds us of Elain and her main symbol (roses).

Islands of grass dotted the expanse, some so crowded with brambles that he could find no safe place to land. The tangles of thorns were a mockery of what might have been—as if Oorid had ever produced roses. Not a single flower bloomed.

This landscape is described just before Cassian tells Nesta that witches may live in the bog. And it is strikingly similar to the way Elain’s mind is described by Feyre in ACOWAR right before she searches for the Suriel, except that the bog is clearly devoid of roses or blooms of any kind:

The gates to her mind … Solid iron, covered in vines of flowers—or it would have been. The blossoms were all sealed, sleeping buds tucked into tangles of leaves and thorns.

Think back to the moment when we learned about witches in Illyria. Feyre’s description of the sisters seems to be prophetic: she compares Nesta to a newly forged sword waiting to draw blood, and in her own book, Nesta forges swords of death. In that same sentence, Feyre describes Elain as a blooming flower in an army camp. She is the epitome of life in a place that is associated with death. This beautiful juxtaposition is not new. Elain’s connection to light and life are repeatedly contrasted with darkness and death throughout the series: she is a half-shadowed rose, rose buds in tangled thorns, a bloom in winter, a rose bloom in a mud field, and a trembling fawn and fanged beast. Even in her quest to create beautiful gardens, she gets her hands dirty and torn up by rosebush thorns. This duality not only connects her to the Mother and Cauldron, but it also connects her to the barbed beauty and dual nature of witches in other series written by Sarah. While these series are distinct, they have important connections and co-exist in a multiverse. In fact, Sarah intentionally brought up the multiverse theory in ACOSF, which may mean she is priming us for future connections.

⚠️ ATTENTION ⚠️

If you have not read the Throne of Glass and Crescent City series, do not continue unless you want to be spoiled!

Witches in the Maas Multiverse

In Heir of Fire, we learn about the different witch clans in the TOG world in greater detail. The Blueblood clan is considered the most devout and connected to the maiden aspect of the three-faced goddess. Similarly, Elain is connected to the symbols of the maiden aspect (fawn, flowers, spring) and is the one who begins praying to the fae gods, including the Mother, when Feyre is near death.

The Blueblood Matron wears a band of iron stars that are barbed. Elain wears an iron bracelet, ring, and even her mind is encircled with iron that is covered in leaves and thorns (in other words, a floral version of the Blueblood’s barbed iron). She even has a blue cloak that Azriel finds at the edge of their camp when she is captured by the Cauldron. And yes, that legendary Cauldron in ACOTAR is also made of iron.

Unsurprisingly, the Blueblood Matron was tall and willowy, more priestess than warrior. She wore the traditional deep blue robes, and a band of iron stars circled her brow. As Manon approached the crowd, she could see that the stars were barbed. Not surprising, either.

We learn from Manon that the Blueblood clan believes that pain is the gateway to their magic and allows them to open their senses. She then calls them oracles, mystics, zealots, which are titles associated with people who deal in prophecy, hidden knowledge, and strong beliefs. And what do we learn about our garden witch and seer, Elain? She prefers to get her hands dirty and doesn’t mind when they are torn by the thorns of a rosebush. In fact, she refuses to wear gloves that would help her avoid that pain. So, does that pain serve a purpose related to her power, like the Blueblood witches? Does the barbed iron wrapped around her mind act as an anchor, or shield, when the magic threatens to take her away or leech her of life?

These beautiful, devoted witches shouldn’t be underestimated. They may appear safe, but that deception is merely another weapon in their arsenal. A perfect, pretty trap. And Elain, a trembling fawn, appears safe and gentle. But she is also capable of stepping out a shadow to stab the King of Hybern in the throat as she snarls like a fanged beast.

The man fidgeted and kept his focus on Cresseida, as if she were the only safe one in the room, even with her barbed crown of stars. Idiot. Manon sometimes thought the Bluebloods were the deadliest of them all.

This deceptive appearance is enhanced by their ability to quietly scheme and navigate difficult political relationships to their advantage. Similarly, Elain operates quietly in the shadows, makes subtle suggestions that inform her family’s actions, and has demonstrated that she is more than capable of de-escalating tense situations.

And yet, they also care deeply for others. We see this when the Blueblood Matron shows deference to Manon after she saves her daughter and heir, Petrah. Petrah is devastated by the loss of her wyvern, Keelie. In ACOTAR, we learn that Elain loves to garden; she selects, knows, and cares for each and every bloom. She is devastated when her body is violated and her happily ever after is stolen. And yet she continues to help time and time again, even when it hurts her to do so.

Witches also exist in the Crescent City series. They are called Vanir, which may be an allusion to the Vanir gods in Norse mythology. The Vanir in Norse mythology are associated with fertility, wisdom, and wealth. In the House of Earth and Blood, the witches are considered strange and unique among other beings. Like Elain, some have seer powers. Their power usually passes through female lines and is inherited from an ancient source, the three-faced goddess, like the witches in TOG. There are some witches who also still use iron cauldrons to create potions.

Hypaxia, the new witch-queen in CC, illustrates the wise poise that we start to glimpse from Elain as she heals from the trauma of the Cauldron and war. She does not back down from arguments with more seasoned leaders, has a strong moral compass, and seems to use information to her advantage. And yet she remains warm and kind, which is aligned with her warm, healing power. In ACOFAS and ACOSF, we see Elain maintain eye contact with more traditionally intimidating characters, keep important secrets, calmly explain her perspective in response to verbal aggression, and push back (perhaps not gracefully, but effectively) to demonstrate that she is ready to grow. And, of course, she is consistently associated with warm light through comparisons to the sun (gilding her with gold and health) and hope when the world teaches her to believe otherwise.

Witches in Mythology

In all three of her series, Sarah seems to have drawn upon several mythologies for her witches. These myths may help us theorize about Elain’s powers and future role. The closest connections are found in Welsh and Nordic mythologies. It makes sense to start with Ceridwen (“White One”), which is a variant of Cerridwen and therefore important as it’s the name of one of Elain’s closest friends. Ceridwen is a Welsh goddess and white witch who is associated with rebirth, inspiration, knowledge, and transformation. She possesses a legendary cauldron that has the power to inspire and transform. In her most well-known myth, Ceridwen brews a potion for her son and her assistant accidentally ingests three drops of it instead. She pursues him in various forms, the first being a hound. After she finally catches and devours him, she gives birth to a beautiful Welsh poet, Taliesin. This myth is meant to symbolize the beauty of adaptation in the face of great change (such as the changing seasons, seasons of life).

Beyond the obvious connection by name (to her friend and confidant), Elain is also closely connected to the Cauldron. It appears to adore her: it gifted her powers, expresses that it would never harm her, and purrs like a contented kitten in her presence. Like Ceridwen, she is connected to symbols of rebirth and has the power to access hidden knowledge. And strangely enough, Sarah has also started to associate Elain with hounds. In ACOSF alone, we learn that Azriel is being hounded by something enough to train at night (and later discover that something is Elain), Nesta calls her a dog in her mind, and Elain howls with laughter after Nesta tells her to fuck off. Is this the other side that Rhys predicts will emerge in the Feysand POV? Is this why she asked Amren about changing her form in ACOFAS?

Perhaps our gentle fawn will be able to actually transform into a fanged beast. If this is a power she possesses, she may change into something like the scaled hounds with fangs and claws that are used by Hybern in Elain’s rescue scene and Azriel in the torture chamber of Hewn City. In addition to her association with knowledge and transformation, Elain also inspires others to resort to poetry in her presence, despite what they may claim:

“Can you truly fly?” [...] “We’re born hearing the song of the wind.”

Her eyes were the brown of a fawn’s coat. And he could have sworn something sparked in them as she met his gaze.

I saw the painting in my mind: the lovely fawn, blooming spring vibrant behind her. Standing before Death, shadows and terrors lurking over his shoulder.

Even in the middle of winter, she was a bloom of color and sunshine.

Her sister’s delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring, a sparkling river that she followed to the open doors of the chamber.

The Faelights gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. She halted, her breath catching in her throat.

Elain appears to adapt fairly well to change as both of her sisters separately observe. She comes alive in their new manor in the human lands and creates beautiful gardens in Velaris. She finds friends and purpose when she is left to her own devices.

Freyja (“Lady”) is another goddess with striking similarities to Elain (and the Vanir in CC). Her father is Njord, the god of wind, sea, and its riches; his help is called upon for safe and bountiful sea expeditions. Freyja is associated with love, lust, beauty, fertility, gold, death, and seidr. Freyja introduced seidr, or witchcraft, to her husband, Odin. Practitioners of seidr were known as völva who used magic primarily for divination, allowing them to access hidden knowledge and see the future. In addition to powerful sight, seidr enabled Nordic witches to heal others, influence the elements, and call upon animals. Speaking of animals, Freyja had a feathered cloak that allowed her to fly and rode in a chariot pulled by large felines. She also had a gold necklace, called Brísingamen, which glowed like the sun and may have had special powers.

The connections are fairly easy to see for Elain. Like Freyja, her father is associated with wealth and seafaring as the Prince of Merchants. He even promised to take Elain to the continent by ship and doted on her in their manor by the sea. Elain is considered the most beautiful Archeron sister by Feyre and Nesta, and her mother believed she would wed for love and beauty. She was granted the gift of sight by the Cauldron and may have other powers we have yet to explore. These powers may extend to animals as she is often associated with them (fawn, hounds, beasts) as well as plant life. And even though it is controversial, Elain is gifted a golden necklace with a rose charm that only reveals its true depth and beauty when it is held up to the light. It is possible that, like Nesta, Elain is capable of imbuing objects such as jewelry with magic that is unique to her (sight, life, beauty, love).

And last, but certainly not least, we can’t end this post without discussing the Mother of Witches, Hecate (“Worker from Afar”). She became a minister and companion for Persephone in the underworld and has many symbolic associations, including life, death, magic, and wisdom. She is known as the goddess of crossroads, an intermediary between the material and spiritual world. As such, like Ceridwen and Freyja, she is connected to transformation and shape-shifting. That transformation comes in the form of a three-faced goddess (maiden, mother, crone) and companions who were changed into animal forms. Out of all her animal associations, she is most closely connected to dogs and their howling frequently announced her presence.

As we’ve mentioned before, Elain is associated with life as a counterbalance to death. Feyre painted vines of flowers on the edges of things in their old cottage, which is a perfect symbol for Elain as a seer and connects to Hecate’s reign over boundaries. Her sight makes her a powerful intermediary between the material and spiritual world. She may even be considered a worker from afar with her ability to observe people, places, and events through her visions as a seer. Her rebirth symbols connect her to creative life force and transformation (plants, animals, food). And, of course, we see the close connection with dogs and howling.

Witchy Brew for Thought

There are a few predictions we can make from connections in the text, other worlds in Maas’s multiverse, and mythological figures she draws inspiration from:

Elain may be a witch, and as such, she may be initially misunderstood and demonized for it (like the heroine in The Wild Swans and witches in myth). But her past actions have demonstrated that she will choose to help, rather than harm, her family and friends.

Like witches in other series, Elain may be a perfect, pretty trap. This is an advantage she may use to help herself, her family, and her friends. She has learned important lessons about weaponizing beauty from observing those around her. These observation skills were amplified when she became a seer, which gives her unique access to hidden knowledge and insight. It may help her silently outmaneuver others if she decides to use it strategically.

In that same vein, her rogue actions may also have dire consequences. If she feels trapped or dismissed, Elain may decide to visit the Cauldron, or find the fourth Trove item, on her own. This could lead to changes in her appearance (leeching her of warmth if her iron-Made powers do not protect her) or powerful items falling into the wrong hands.

As a character associated with creative life force (plants, animals, food), she may be able to transform (into a fanged beast, such as a scaled hound) or use her magic to call upon hounds to do her bidding like the witches of myth. This transformative magic may extend to healing as she already revitalizes the land and glows with health. We may see her heal through a warm, sunlit touch or brewing potions with herbs from her garden.