The Secret Underground World of Habetrot

Hiya!

I’d like to start off by saying that when I googled “Habetrot”, what greeted me was utterly confusing.

Turns out that this being is simply a character from the video game Folklore. I had never heard of this game but I sort of want to play it now. And yes, I only want to play it because it’s called Folklore meaning it probably deals with folklore. Leave me be!

Now that I know this video game version of Habetrot exists, I can move on!

I quickly found stories of Habetrot. She was described as an elderly woman with wet, wrinkled fingers, and a long, drooping lower lip. Habetrot wore colourful clothes and her cheeks full of rosy colour. Despite her afflicted looks, Habetrot is extremely pleasant in nature. Willing to happily spin lint, asking for nothing in return except for one to keep her existence a secret. Which I think is fair, keep a secret and she’ll spin lint for you. It’s not too much to ask for.

I want to share the story of Habetrot with you. However, it is quite long so I have tried to condense it. Also, the stories I have seen have always included a few characters but only one rendition has ever given a character a name. So to make things a bit easier to read I will name the characters of this story.

Girl – Maesie

Girl Mother – Agatha

Nobleman – Reginald

Habetrot – Habetrot

The Story of Habetrot

One story of Habetrot is the tale of a young girl, Maesie, whose Mother, Agatha, wishes Maesie to be a spinster. Like herself but the girl wants to live her life in the outside world. Agatha wants Maesie to find a man. Men in this time looked for women who could do practical household chores, like spinning. Masie is told to spin lint and after a couple of days of spinning – and being trapped inside – she is sore and tired, so decides to go outside on the third day.

While wandering around the outside admiring the beauty of the world, she stumbles across an elderly looking woman. This woman was perched upon a boulder next to a small river, and her name was Habetrot. When Habetrot asks Maesie why she is sad, Maesie explains that she doesn’t want to be a spinster. Instead wishes to spend her life admiring the world. Habetrot offers to spin the lint for no price, only asks that she doesn’t tell her Mother who spun the lint. At this Habetrot disappears, and Maesie’s curiosity gets the best of her. She looks into the hole on the top of the boulder where Habetrot once sat and saw a sight that she never thought she would see. There were more women who looked like Habetrot, spinning away, smiles on their faces.

Each one took a turn looking up at her, happy and bright, still spinning away.

When Maesie wakes later that day, it is evening, the sun has set, and the lint has been spun. With her Mother asleep she goes to bed, and she will show her Mother the lint in the morning. When morning comes Agatha wakes before Maesie and sees the lint, perfectly spun and laying out. She makes her way into the front garden and sung about her wonderful daughter.

At this moment a young nobleman, Reginald, from the nearby Castle, happens to be passing by the home of Maesie. Upon hearing Agatha sing a beautiful song he asks her what the ‘strange’ song is about. Agatha runs inside and Reginald follows her. When he gets inside Agatha exclaims that her daughter spun the lint that is on the table, before pulling her beautiful daughter out from behind a door where she hid. There and then, Reginald asks for the girl’s hand in marriage.

As the date for their wedding looms closer and closer, Maesie became more fearful that she may be found out. That when she is told to spin more lint. Reginald would find out that she doesn’t know-how.

Maesie returns to Habetrot and asks her for advice about her fear of everyone finding out that she can’t spin. Habetrot tells her not to worry and to come back tomorrow with her new husband.

The next day, after the ceremony, Maesie and Reginald, took a walk down to the small river. The same one where Habetrot lived. Maesie called for Habetrot. Habetrot appeared no longer in bright clothes, and her rosy cheeks drained of colour. She invited the newlyweds into her world where Habetrot’s companions had changed to look like her. Some mumbling miserable tones and looking like broken souls. Horrified by the scene that lay before him, Reginald declared that Maesie would never again spin lint again. Instead, she would live her life happy, free to admire the outdoors. Maesie’s dream had come true.

From then on, Maesie lived life outdoors with Reginald. Anytime that lint needed to be spun the couple would leave it by the boulder. Here Habetrot and her companions would spin the lint and leave the final product for the couple.

And that is the story of Habetrot!

The other story I was able to find was one where Habetrot was a Spinner Goddess. The Goddess was reduced to a faery after Christianization. She was said to be a healing faery, and those who could get her to weave them a garment would never suffer from illness. In some areas, she was said to be a Faery Queen.

I believe that both stories happened. Although, I think they happen a long time apart and thousands of years ago. I love both of these stories. I think she was a Goddess who became a Faery. However, instead of being bitter and evil, she decided to help the humans with her abilities just like she did with the young girl. Adding to that I believe that over time Habetrot shared her abilities with those who shared her love for spinning and helping others. Which is where her companions from the story fit in. This is a lovely wee story about a kind soul who shouldn’t be judged by her looks.