Malva’s mother is enigmatic. There are bits of information that are given about her throughout book 6. However, the reader is left wanting for more information even after the detailed description of her given by both Tom and Allan. This post is speculative since there is no much information given about Malva’s mother and her sister-in-law in the books. In regards to Tom, his views about his wife may be biased. Based on my last two posts, it is obvious that Tom was never in love with his first wife, and that their marriage was more likely arranged. In fact, he never experienced love before meeting Claire. Here are the main points about Malva’s mother, Mona, according to Tom.
- Mona enjoyed reading fiction
- Mona was a “witch.”
- Mona was unfaithful and had an affair with Edgar, Tom’s brother.
- She was hanged for killing Edgar
The evidence for Mona being a “witch” comes directly from Tom, whom I believe is telling the truth with some biases.
“It was not his fault! Mona was a witch – an enchantress.”. . . “Ye don’t believe me, I see. It is the truth; more than once, I caught her at it – working her charms, observing times – I came once to the roof o’ the house at midnight, searching for her. I saw her there, stark naked and staring at the stars, standing in the center of the pentacle she’d drawn wi’ the blood of a strangled dove, and her hair flying loose, mad in the wind.” (A Breath of Snow and Ashes, ch. 97)
Of note is the fact that Tom never blames his brother for being unfaithful. All the blame falls on Mona, and this annoys me. I wonder whether there is a problem or something sinful about women being attractive or pretty.
Her mother must have been lovely, he thought – and it was fortunate for the lass that she had not taken much of her father’s grim looks, save those gray eyes (A Breath of Snow and Ashes, ch. 48).
Based on the description of the ritual Mona was performing, one can really see how she could be considered a witch by anybody from the 18th century. The first thing that came to my mind is Geillis. First, the TV show added that scene in the first season in which she is performing a ritualistic dance which reminds Claire of the Druid ceremony she witnessed back in the 20th century before traveling to the past (By the Pricking of my Thumbs). More revealing is the following passage in which both Jamie and Claire found Ian at Abandawe.
. . . The boy lay in the middle of the pentacle on his side, hands bound behind him, gagged with a strip of white cloth. . . (Voyager, ch. 62).
Like Geillis, Mona was a femme fatale. Furthermore, it is possible that Mona was also a time – traveler as some readers have theorized. I tend to think that she was just somebody who acquired a bad reputation by being a charmer, a characteristic that would not be helpful at all in a trial. However, it is possible that that profession made her feel empowered (similar to Malva). It is also possible that Mona may have gotten the idea of performing this ritual from one of the fictional works she used to read. Tom never approved of his wife reading books. He used to burn them. Did he do the same with Malva? There is a reference to Malva reading Tobias Smollet’s The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle (A Breath of Snow and Ashes, ch. 35). It seems that Mona had a background from the Highlands too. If this is the case, lets not forget about Tom’s biases against Highlanders (barbarians). However, Tom has also demonstrated concern for her. He mentions he did try to save her by prayer and by love; he also entrusted his wife to his brother before he left for the Jacobite Rising (ch. 62). There is no mention of Tom whipping his wife.
The reader is also aware that Malva’s mother killed Tom’s brother, Edgar. It is not mentioned in the books how this happened. However, one can speculate about a certain substance mentioned in one conversation between Claire and Malva: vitriol (sulphur).
. . . “My mother – she died when I was young – she had some of that. I remember the smell of it, and how she’d say as I mustn’t touch it, ever. Brimstone, folk called the smell – a whiff o’ brimstone.”
“Really? I wonder what she used it for.” I did wonder, and with a certain sense of unease. An alchemist or an apothecary might have the stuff; the only reason that I knew of for a common citizen to keep it was as a mean of aggression – to throw at someone (A Breath of Snow and Ashes, ch. 62).
Did Mona kill Edgar by burning him? It is possible. **However, one cannot deny the possibility that Edgar’s wife might have played a role in this murder. Brimstone is a word that is used in the Bible. In fact, the expression “fire and brimstone” is indicative of God’s wrath. Did Edgar’s wife take revenge against her husband and Mona in order to placate her feelings? Throughout the series both innocent people and cruel characters are accused of crimes they have not committed. Claire and Geillis are probably the best examples. Other cases include Henri-Christian and Nayawenne. Even Black Jack was accused of attacking Mary Hawkins and Claire in the streets of Paris in book 2 (I do not object to this accusation though). The fact that Edgar’s wife could be the one who murdered her husband will be the topic of discussion for my next post two weeks from now.
** When Christie meets Claire in An Echo in the Bone, it is mentioned that his wife poisoned his brother (ch. 19).
Works cited
Gabaldon, Diana. A Breath of Snow and Ashes. 2005. New York: Bantam Dell. 2006. Print
– – – . Voyager. 1994. New York: Bantam Dell. 2002. Print