The ghostly white woman
It was previously revealed that Richard Strand is a Templar Knight. Strand is presently living in modern times and giving both Jamie and her dad a lot of trouble. If you remember, it was Strand who financed Brett Poole’s Egyptian excavations; including the one he went on where he discovered Lumen, the otherworldly sword. If you are familiar with the Templar Knights, you will know that most of them were eliminated on Friday the 13th of October 1307, which plays into the superstition that Friday the 13th was unlucky. It certainly was for them. How Strand survived is a story that will continue to unfold in Destiny of the Departed, which is available July 2022. It is already known that he is much troubled by his past, and if he was born somewhere centuries ago, he certainly has a lot of "past" to be troubled by.
This blog will not speculate on Strand, but rather to demonstrate how fact and fantasy can sit side-by-side. A second character will reveal in Destiny of the Departed that they belong to an organization called the Order of the White Women. (This may or may not be akin to the Knights Templar. You'll have to read the book to find out!) The Order of the White Women is a fictional order exclusive to the Jamie Poole series. And while this will remain a mystery to unravel in this and future books, I wanted to take a look at "white women."
Note: This name has absolutely nothing to do with race, culture, language, or any such thing. Rather, it has to do with the mythology of many, many countries. This is why the legend of the White Women was conceptualized in the first book The Isle of Osiris. When we first see Eliyana, she is dressed entirely in white and buried in an Egyptian-style sarcophagus. The Order of their namesake is something "new" even if the idea is as old as mankind.
Mythology or more appropriately stories that have grown to be called "mythology," or "legends," or even "ghost stories" date to the beginning of humans on this planet. Our collective human culture has always enjoyed a good story--one that might send a chill up our spine. Especially these! These stories never fail to delight us and keep us begging for more. Marvel Studios is not the first to discover this phenomenon. Marvel and so much of the entertainment we consume in every form imaginable is the evolution of the wandering minstrel of days past.
The White Woman or the White Lady typically refers to a woman dressed in white. The woman may be dead or alive. Often they are dead. They are spectral and typically show up in creepy places like haunted houses, misty bogs, or lonely places.
In Welsh tradition, the White Woman or White Lady is known as Y Ladi Wen (The White Lady) or Dynes Mewn Gwyn (Woman in white). She is a common apparition in the Celtic Mythology of Wales. Dressed in white, and most commonly seen at Calan Gaeaf (the Welsh Halloween), she was often evoked to warn children about bad behavior. Y Ladi Wen is characterized in various ways including being a terrifying ghost who may ask for help if you speak to her. Y Ladi Wen is also associated with restless spirits guarding hidden treasures.
In England there are dozens of legends portraying a White Lady as a victim of murder or other mishap. She may appear to reveal to someone the location of hidden treasure. Switzerland has its own legend as do many other European countries, in case you wondered if only Britain was haunted. The legends extend across Europe with more variations than I have time to illustrate. In Russia one legend speaks of “The Maidens of Uley.” The legend tells about a young lady, Bulzhuuhai Duuhai, who did not wish to marry. She kept running away from her husband, who treated her disrespectfully and locked her in a black yurt, instead of a traditional white one. Bulzhuuhai hanged herself in a barn after singing and dancing at someone else’s wedding for eight days and eight nights, feeling unwanted and unloved. After her death, she became a zayan (spirit). She joined other spirit maidens, who haunt fiancés on their wedding day, bewitching them with their beauty and dragging them to the netherworld. No treasure for you in Russia when you see a White Woman!
What the White Women are, you might begin to discern out at this point in the Jamie Poole series. But what of the Order of White Woman? That is something altogether new. I have put my own spin on the legends, and a spin I look forward to sharing with you. Adding to an ancient collection of stories is fair game as I am not the only modern author who has done such a thing. Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, has referred to her lead female character, Claire Fraser, as La Dame Blanche (the white lady). She is even tried as a witch and certain more superstitious people remain suspicious of her.
In England there are dozens of legends portraying a White Lady as a victim of murder or other mishap. She may appear to reveal to someone the location of hidden treasure. Switzerland has its own legend as do many other European countries, in case you wondered if only Britain was haunted. The legends extend across Europe with more variations than I have time to illustrate. In Russia one legend speaks of “The Maidens of Uley.” The legend tells about a young lady, Bulzhuuhai Duuhai, who did not wish to marry. She kept running away from her husband, who treated her disrespectfully and locked her in a black yurt, instead of a traditional white one. Bulzhuuhai hanged herself in a barn after singing and dancing at someone else’s wedding for eight days and eight nights, feeling unwanted and unloved. After her death, she became a zayan (spirit). She joined other spirit maidens, who haunt fiancés on their wedding day, bewitching them with their beauty and dragging them to the netherworld. No treasure for you in Russia when you see a White Woman!
What the White Women are, you might begin to discern at this point in the Jamie Poole series. But what of the Order of White Woman? Who is a member? Everything that is old is new again. It is the evolution of millennia of storytelling as I put my own spin on the legends--a spin I look forward to sharing with you. I am not the only modern author who has contributed to furthering an ancient and broad collection of stories. Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, has referred to her lead female character, Claire Fraser, as La Dame Blanche (the white lady). Claire is tried as a witch and certain more superstitious people remain suspicious of her. This will not be Jamie's fate, but hers is something equally guaranteed to send a tickle up your spine.
Check out Destiny of the Departed as soon as its available. If you're not caught up with Jamie Poole, check out the books available in all Amazon stores. Additionally, if you are in the Halifax area, you can get books through either Dartmouth Book Exchange or Cape and Cowl Comics and Collectibles. You can also contact me directly at jamiepoolebooks@gmail.com. Books purchased locally in Halifax can be autographed.
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