Habetrot is a figure in the folklore of Northern England and Lowland Scotland, known as the patroness of spinning and associated with the folk tale type "The Three Old Spinning Women".
Key Aspects of Habetrot
- Appearance: Habetrot is generally described as an old, deformed woman who lives underground with other spinsters, all disfigured by their work. Common deformities in the tales include long, ugly lips from constantly wetting the thread with them, splayed feet, or flat thumbs. Despite her appearance, she is typically pleasant and helpful.
- Folktale Role: In the most famous tale, a lazy girl is forced by her mother to spin five skeins of flax before her wedding. Habetrot and her companions complete the task for the girl in secret. When the girl's new husband sees the old spinsters at the wedding, he asks how they became so deformed. Upon hearing their exaggerated tales of being disfigured by excessive spinning, he forbids his wife from ever touching a spinning wheel again, thus ensuring her a life of leisure.
- Powers & Abilities: A garment woven by Habetrot is believed to cure any illness. In some modern fictional adaptations, she is depicted as a fairy who helps brides and can see through lies.
- Cultural Context: The tale of Habetrot and similar "three aunts" stories found in German and Norwegian folklore (such as "The Three Spinners" by the Grimm Brothers) often served as cautionary tales about the dangers of excessive labour or as humorous stories about cleverness over hard work.