The Deathless Mother From The Witcher Season 2 Explained
Contains spoilers for "The Witcher" Season 2
Considering that the sole duty of the mutant warriors known as Witchers is to hunt down and kill as many monsters as possible, it should come as no surprise that "The Witcher" Season 2 is full of ferocious beasts for the legendary Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) to test his strength against. As it happens, the show's sophomore season actually combines creatures from both the novels and the video game series upon which it is based, introducing monsters like the Bruxa, Zeugl, and Basilisk (which appear in the books) as well as creatures like the Leshy (which Geralt only fights in the "Witcher" games).
It's clear that the creative team behind "The Witcher" is not shy about pulling inspiration from every version of Geralt's story. That said, "The Witcher" Season 2 even features some new, completely original monstrosities, including the vicious Chernobog, the show's new take on the Myriapod, and, most prominently, the Deathless Mother AKA Voleth Meir (Ania Marson).
Considering how integral Voleth Meir is to the story of "The Witcher" Season 2, it may surprise some fans to learn that she does not exist in the original "Witcher" books or games. Instead, she is an entirely new creation.
The Deathless Mother is partly inspired by Baba Yaga
According to "The Witcher" showrunner Lauren Hissrich, Voleth Meir was created to unite the characters of Ciri (Freya Allan), Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and Geralt against a common enemy — one whose shadow hangs over the show's entire second season. The villain may be an entirely new creation, but during the "Witcher: Unlocked" aftershow, Hissrich insisted that the character is faithful to the series' mythological inspirations and references (via Netflix).
Specifically, the Deathless Mother is partly inspired by Baba Yaga, a supernatural being from Slavic folklore, who appears as an old woman whose home rests atop two chicken legs. Voleth Meir's small cottage in the newest season of "The Witcher" similarly stands on the legs of basilisks, creatures that she actually summons in her final battle against the combined forces of Vesemir (Kim Bodnia), Geralt, and Yennefer. However, the surface similarities between Baba Yaga and Voleth Meir essentially end there.
Indeed, while the original folktales about Baba Yaga can vary and depict the creature as both an ally and an enemy, Voleth Meir is utterly evil in every sense of the word.
Voleth Meir may return in the future
Voleth Meir is essentially the primary antagonist of "The Witcher" Season 2. A demon who feeds on pain, the so-called Deathless Mother often appears as an elderly human woman, and throughout "The Witcher" Season 2, she haunts the dreams of Yennefer, Francesca (Mecia Simson), Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni), and Ciri. She actually ends up possessing Ciri and forces the Princess of Cintra to wander through the halls of Kaer Morhen, silently massacring the last of the Witchers while they sleep.
When Geralt and Vesemir awaken, they attempt to force the demon out of Ciri, with Vesemir actually stabbing the girl out of grief over the loss of his fellow Witchers. However, their attempts are ultimately unsuccessful, and it's only when the demon transfers over to Yennefer and Ciri manages to regain control that the heroes are able to successfully beat Voleth Meir.
Ciri portals the group to Voleth Meir's original realm, where the demon flees from Yennefer's body and joins the mysterious Wild Hunt. Considering how important the Wild Hunt is to the story of Ciri and the future of "The Witcher," it certainly seems possible that fans might see the Deathless Mother in the show again — especially considering the fact that she seemed to survive her final fight against the show's leads without taking a single strike.