The Witcher series is steeped in mythology, both of its own creation and drawn from reality. However, nothing is more folkloric than the monsters Geralt faces – which draw inspiration from Slavic, Germanic, Scandinavian, English, and other lore. The Witcher III’s new DLC takes players to Toussaint, the land of Blood and Wine. Although its lush hills and contented people make Toussaint appear untouched by shadow, this DLC also brings almost 30 new monsters to fight. Geralt’s bestiary may differ from the true mythology of these beasts, but the traces of their fictional sources may be present in their entries. Ever wonder where CD Projekt Red may have drawn inspiration for the temptress vampire the bruxa, or her more dangerous cousin the alp? Get acquainted with the possible real-life inspiration for the lore of some of the most interesting new monsters in the land of vampires and vineyards.
[Warning: this feature has Witcher III: Blood and Wine spoilers from various points in the game.]
Cloud Giant
In Folklore: According to Durham University anthropologist Dr. Jamie Tehrani, the story of Jack and the Beanstalk originated within a group of stories entitled The Boy Who Stole Ogre’s Treasure, dating back over 5,000 years ago. The modern iteration of the fairy tale known firstly as The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean is an English fable that's first printing dates back to the early 18th century. The popularized tale of Jack and the Beanstalk follows Jack as he attempts to procure a golden goose from a giant residing in the castle at the top of a beanstalk.
In The Witcher: In Blood and Wine Geralt helps Jack, and climbs a beanstalk to fight against the monstrous Cloud Giant. He was originally a peasant strongman who became “degenerated and overgrown” until he turned into a monster. His armor is made from various pieces of furniture including what looks like an oak stove oven for a helmet, while his gigantic weapon is part hoe, part pitchfork. He ducks in and out of the clouds to attack Geralt from various different angles. The bestiary makes direct reference to his part in the English fable stating, “After Jack stole his goose that laid golden eggs, the Cloud Giant decided anyone who climbed onto his cloud would be tossed off, without a word of warning.”
Bruxae
In Folklore: Originating in Portugal, the bruxa is a woman-turned-vampire through witchcraft. Prominent in the Middle-Ages when The Inquisition targeted pagan and satanic beliefs, Portuguese lore states a bruxa sucks the blood of infants and assumes the shape of various animals including a duck, ant, rat, goose, or dove. Steel and iron was said to deter them, with children tucking a pair of scissors under their pillow at night or even sewing garlic into their clothing in the hopes it would keep them at bay. If children were to die and a bruxa was suspected, the parents would boil the clothes of the deceased child while stabbing them, believing the bruxa would also feel the jabs.
In The Witcher: The bruxa was included in the first two Witcher games, but was scratched from the third during development. Now they are returning in Blood and Wine, and are one of the first monsters Geralt encounters when arriving in Toussaint. In the Witcher series, bruxae use the power of invisibility and their screams offer a devastating sonic blow. They are rare creatures that live away from population centers, but can assume the shape of an attractive woman around humans while their natural form is much more grotesque. They have sharp claws and, like any vampire, suck the blood of their victims.
Alps
In Folklore: From Germanic folklore comes the alp, a typically male creature that ignites nightmares in its victims. It sits upon the chest of a sleeper and becomes heavier and heavier until they awake, breathless and immobile. Their attacks are called alpdrücke, translating to ‘elf-pressure’ or nightmare, and strongly aided the origin of the word. These demons were likely an attempt at explaining disorders such as sleep apnea or insomnia. It can shapeshift into a pig, cat, dog, snake, or white butterfly, but no matter its form it always wears a hat called a tarnkappe that grants it the power of invisibility. These guys were pretty mischievous, souring milk, re-diapering babies, and even trying to suck the blood from the nipples of men and children, and the milk from women. Probably the most interesting method of deterring an alp was to urinate into a clean bottle, let it sit in the sun for three days, walk down to a stream without saying a word, and toss it into the water. Boom, nightmares cured.
In The Witcher: Alps appeared in the first Witcher, and are back once again in Blood and Wine. Their gender is strictly female, contradictory to the Germanic lore, and are akin to the bruxa in appearance with bloody naked bodies and long claws.They dart around with amazing speed, using the same sonic screams as bruxae. However, contrary to the Witcher III cinematic trailer, alps are not able to turn invisible like their so-called-cousin the bruxa. They can take on the form of a normal woman, which allows them to blend into crowds. In the Witcher universe alps also are associated with nightmares, as their saliva can cause one to fall asleep and when applied to an already sleeping man can bring on terrifying nightmares. They attack at night, most often when the moon is full, and are usually found near smaller villages.
Daphne’s Wraith
In Folklore: In Greek mythology Daphne was a naiad, a female nymph associated with bodies of fresh water. She was so beautiful that the Greek god Apollo pursued her relentlessly until she was so exhausted she called up to either her father, the rivergod Ladon or Gaia, for help. Daphne was then transformed into a laurel tree, and artistic representations of the transformation show her sprouting leaves as Apollo clings to what's left of her human form. The laurel tree was sacred and directly associated with the god Apollo, and winners of the Pythian Games were crowned with a wreath of its leaves. After Daphne was transformed, poets say the only trace of her left was her beauty.
In The Witcher: While in Toussaint, Geralt hears of a woman who has been turned into a tree. Her bark bleeds when ripped, and as the wind travels through her leaves, it produces the sound of muffled sobs. Unlike Daphne the nymph, Geralt suspects the reason for this transformation is due to a sorrowful curse that occurred when the love of her life, a knight errant named Gareth, had gone to the witch of Lynx Crag to ask her to lift a drought on their land. Gareth refused to bend a knee to the witch, planning to force her to lift the drought, and thus never returned. An in-game book entitled Tales and Fables states, “Daphne stood on the top of a hill and looked for him night and day. Finally, she turned into a tree, so that she may live to see the return of her knight.” Geralt can attempt to free Daphne from her curse by offering up proof of her previous love with a kerchief, but it proves too much for her and the trauma transforms her once again, this time into a wraith. Geralt sadly explains to the woodcutter Jacob, “More like tore than freed her from her prison. Shock was too much. Released all the rage and pain that was in her.” The witch of Lynx Crag can also free Daphne, but with arguably an even worse outcome as Jacob dies as a casualty.
More monsters await on page two, including a grim-spin on the tale of Rapunzel.