Charity Shop Find: A Witchy Mother Goose Ornament
A friend spotted this Mother Goose ornament in a charity shop and bought her for me, knowing I would love her. She looks a bit like a witch, in her pointy hat, and reminds me of Miss Tick, one of the witches in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels. However, the author of the original collection of fairy stories, Tales of My Mother Goose, was Charles Perrault in the 17th century.
There’s been considerable theorising that the figure of Mother Goose herself is much older. Although the evidence for any of them is scant and speculative, contenders as inspiration for the character include:
- The German folkloric figure Perchta (a suggestion by Jacob Grimm)
- The wife of King Robert II of France, nicknamed Berthe pied d’oie (“Goose-Footed Bertha”). She had the reputation of being a children’s storyteller.
- Charlemagne’s mother, Bertrada of Laon, who was called the goose-foot queen (regina pede aucae).
- The Biblical Queen of Sheba
As well as being associated with fairy stories, Mother Goose is a character in pantomime. Harlequin and Mother Goose, or The Golden Egg, was first performed in London in 1806. The character of Mother Goose is a folkloric witch figure described as wearing a pointy hat and riding a goose. In the production she raises a storm, and a ghost. A second Mother Goose pantomime, with a different story, was created in 1902. In that, a poor woman is tempted with wealth by the Devil.
I love both this ornament and the unresolved mysteries about the origins of the character. However, for me, she’ll always be a little bit of a Miss Tick too.
Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/11/charity-shop-find-two-tea-leaf-reading.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/10/charles-perrault-complete-fairy-tales.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/01/pagan-eye-horse-brasses-in-south-london.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/03/charity-shop-find-lovely-little-charm.html
To read more posts like this visit A Bad Witch’s Blog at www.badwitch.co.uk
Source: http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/03/charity-shop-find-witchy-mother-goose.html
