The old woman is Ryzak’s mother, and she lives in Ryzak’s hut along with the young woman (Ryzak’s daughter), Lullo (Ryzak’s grandson), Ovid, and eventually the Child. Although the old woman doesn’t have a significant role until late in the story, she ultimately becomes the only real antagonist in the narrative. The old woman uses her mysticism and spirituality to instill others with fear, thus wielding greater power than even Ryzak has as the village headman. The old woman is wary of the Child from the start and suspects that he carries a demon or a beastly spirit inside of him. When the Child develops a fever during the winter, the old woman believes it is the demon trying to escape from his body to steal someone else’s soul. When the fever passes to Lullo, the old woman convinces both the young woman and Ryzak that the demon is real and that the Child is therefore a threat. Although Lullo recovers, when Ryzak falls ill, the old woman reveals a bite mark on his wrist, which she claims proves that the demon entered his body. She orchestrates the killing of Ryzak to fight the demon, which prompts Ovid and the Child to flee the village.