Is the Deathless Mother, Voleth Meir, In ‘The Witcher’ Books?
Geralt of Rivia faces formidable monsters in The Witcher Season 2. But one of the scariest is Voleth Meir — a shape-shifting demon that comes to Yennefer in different forms and uses her weaknesses to get to Ciri. She’s a powerful force that proves to be challenging to defeat. So who is the Deathless Mother?
Is Voleth Meir, the Deathless Mother, in ‘The Witcher’ books?
Netflix’s The Witcher is an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s ‘90s book series of the same name. The Polish author’s works also inspired the popular Witcher video games.
The Witcher follows the adventures of the monster hunter Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) and his relationships with Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) and Princess Cirilla. The first two seasons of the Netflix show feature monsters from the books, including the bruxa Vareena and the kikimora.
But the Deathless Mother, aka Voleth Meir, is not a character from Sapowski’s novels. And it seems this creepy new villain was specifically created for the show.
Who is the Deathless Mother in ‘The Witcher’ Netflix series?
The Deathless Mother first appears on The Witcher after Francesca (Mecia Simson), Fringilla (Mimi Ndiweni), and Yennefer find her hut in the forest. While they are in a dream-like state, she comes to them in the forms of those they want to see. She promises to fulfill their desires, and all but Yennefer agree to take her help.
Later, when soldiers capture Yennefer, she recites a spell that takes her back to the hut. The Deathless Mother appears to her as Ciri and promises to return her powers in exchange for Ciri. Geralt first learns of the monster’s emergence when Jaskier reveals the incantation he heard Yennefer whisper when the soldiers were holding her.
“She’s in league with the Deathless Mother,” Geralt tells the Bard. “Voleth Meir, the first Witchers were hired to imprison her. They entombed her in her hut — Voleth Meir is a demon that feeds on pain.”
What does the Deathless Mother want with Ciri?
In The Witcher Season 2 finale, the Deathless Mother is freed from her hut after feasting on Francesa’s pain. While Geralt confronts Yennefer, the monster flies through the forest and takes over Ciri’s body. Ciri makes it to Kaer Morhen but is being controlled by the evil spirit.
Ciri’s consciousness is trapped in a dream, where she’s back in her castle, with her grandmother (Jodhi May), Mousesack (Adam Levy), and her parents. And in Ciri’s body, the Deathless Mother begins killing sleeping Witchers and feasting on their pain.
It soon becomes clear that the monster wants Ciri because she wants to control the Elder Blood. Using the Princess’s ability to summon monsters, the Deathless Mother can feed on the pain and suffering they cause.
Eventually, Geralt calls Ciri’s consciousness out, and Yennefer pulls the evil spirit into her own body. Then when Ciri opens a portal to another world, the Deathless Mother’s soul flies off and transforms into a skeletal rider of the Wild Hunt.
“She wanted to go home,” Geralt tells Ciri when the trio returns to Kaer Morhen. “You were the key to her future.”
The Deathless Mother seems to be part of the Wild Hunt. And it appears Ciri’s Elder Blood harnessed the power to get her back to her world. While the monster is not in The Witcher books, it looks like she’s opened the door for more of the Wild Hunt, a group of villains that play a major role in Sapowski’s series.
