The Three

This article is about The Three from the comic series. You may be looking for The Three from the Netflix adaptation.

The Three, or the Kindly Ones (as they prefer to be called), are a trio of goddesses consisting of the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. Originally featured as hosts in DC's line of anthology horror comics, in Sandman, they are connected to the triple goddess archetype, a tripartite deity that can take many different forms. The names the three constituent parts use may change, but they are always connected and are always the same entity.

Among their divine aspects are the Fates (also known as the Moirae), the Three Sisters, and the Erinyes (or the Furies, their vengeful aspect). As the Furies, they persecuted oath-breakers, patricides, matricides, and other violators of divine law. Their relentless pursuit manifested in several ways, one of the most severe being the inducing of tormenting, self-destructive madness.

History[]

Backstory[]

The Three Witches, Mildred, Mordred, and Cynthia, are not three distinct entities. Rather, they are a triumvirate: the Triple Goddess. The Three have appeared throughout history and in an astounding array of cultures, always recognizable in their archetypal images of Maiden, Mother and Crone. The Three can also appear as a single goddess. In ancient Greece, the Three were known in several aspects. They were the Moirae, the Fates, upon whose looms the lives and deaths of mortals were woven. Their names were Clotho, who spun the thread of life; Lachesis, who measured it; and Atropos, who cut it.

They were also the Furies, the Erinyes-although in speech people called them the Eumenides, "the Kindly Ones," so as not to incur their wrath. The Daughters of Earth and Shadow, as Sophocles called them, were named Tisiphone, Magaera, and Alecto.

Their retributive power was considered such that even the gods did their best to placate them. Perhaps the oldest form of the Three in Greece was as Hecate, the female trinity that ruled heaven (as Luna), earth (as Artemis or Cynthia), and the underworld (as Hecate). Associated with the moon, Hecate Trioditus, or Hecate of the Three Ways, was worshipped at crossroads where three roads met; often this was where the gallows stood. In the Middle Ages, Hecate came to be known as the Queen of ghosts and the Mistress of black magic.

In Rome, the Fates were known as the Parcae or Fortuna, and they guarded the lives of emperors. Pre-Roman Latium knew the Three as Juventas the virgin, Juno the Mother, and Minerva the wise Crone. The Vikings knew them as the Norns, who predestined the fates of gods and men at birth. To the Anglo Saxons, they were the Wyrdes or Weird Sisters, and it was in this guise that they met Macbeth.

In Ireland the Queens of Ulster tended to the shrine of the Morrigan, the raven goddess whose three aspects were Nemhan, Babd, and Macha. The Morrigan I was warlike and a brilliant strategist; as Morgan Le Fay, she pitted her powers against those of Merlin, and won. In Egypt, the Three were mother to all. Their hieroglyph was composed of three cauldrons, symbols of the womb. Their names were Maat, Hathor, and Nekhbet, and together they were Mut. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Three Witches appeared most often in the humble homes of goodwives and wise women who remembered the old rites.

The Three were also present at the pagan rites of worship which were held at night in fields and forests; but as more and more witches were caught, tortured, and burned at the stake, the Three went underground, to be found mainly in fairy tales, disguised as sweet maidens, caring godmothers, and evil witches. It wasn't until the early seventies that the Three Witches felt that human culture was ready for them to step out of the shadows again. The Women's Movement and the renewed interest in things mystical inspired them to take a more public role. Thus, the Three Witches emerged as hosts and storytellers, disguising their archaic origins with light patter and friendly sparring.

During this time, the Three Witches hinted at their true selves; they never pretended, for example, to be mortal women who practiced witchcraft. Cynthia, the maiden, tended to tell love stories tinged with horror; Mildred, the mother, told stories of houses inhabited by spirits- a clear reference to her maternal role; and the inaptly named Mordred, the Crone, had a thread of retribution running throughout many of her narratives. ("Mordred" is a masculine name; the Crone would have preferred "Morgaine.")

Dream's Return[]

After his escape from Alex Burgess, Morpheus visited the Three in the Dreaming to ask after the whereabouts of his sigils of power.^[1]

John Dee decided to "consult oracles" at one point during his rampage in Mayhew, which resulted in The Three possessing his human victims. They foretold him that he had no future save for Arkham, but also that he would crush the Dream Lord's life in his hands, which ended up being Dee's undoing.^[2] They also showed up during Dee's battle with Dream in the Dreaming to mock him.^[3]

When Rose Walker started learning the truth about her origins, the Three visited her of their own will, cautioning her about her future ordeals in their usual cryptic manner.^[4]

Calliope contacted them in an attempt to help her free herself from Richard Madoc, she summoned them in her Greek aspect, they came but told her they could not intervene because it was against divine rules. But she was told that the Eternals were not bound by those rules and suggested that she call Morpheus to help her. At first Calliope refused, but then the goddesses explained to her that, like her, he was a prisoner and that his disappearance left the mortal world in a plague of dreams and nightmares. Finally, they left, giving Calliope their deepest condolences for not being able to help her.

Around the time Lyta Hall conceived her child, the Furies identified Dream as a target of coming filicide; because they might take action against Dream due to the boon of death he granted to his son, Orpheus. Their interest was also engaged because Lyta Hall was related to them, and suffered a nervous breakdown after the abduction of her son, so the Furies offered her vengeance on Morpheus if she agreed to be their instrument of destruction. Lyta agreed, and the destruction of the Dreaming began. Mervyn Pumpkinhead was one of the few who actively took up arms to fight the Furies in The Kindly Ones and was destroyed. Fiddler's Green was killed by The Three in The Kindly Ones. Abel, too, was murdered by the Furies.

The Furies' attack on the Dreaming was so severe, that Morpheus was left with only one option in order to save his realm; his own destruction. The death of the incumbent aspect of Morpheus of necessity created a new Dream and the new incarnation manifested in Daniel Hall.

It is worth noting that during his journey to the Underworld, Orpheus made the Furies cry by playing his lute in order to gain an audience with Hades and Persephone. They claimed to have hated him for that.

The Furies later appeared in The Sandman Presents: The Furies published in 2002.

Appearance[]

The Three are a trio of women whose appearances usually change depending on the religious aspect by which they are called, but they always maintain certain physical characteristics.

Maiden[]

The maiden, or Cynthia, is a young woman of youthful appearance and beauty. She has pale skin, bright blue eyes, and long golden blonde hair that changes style depending on her divine aspects.

Mother[]

The mother, or Mildred, is a middle-aged woman with fine expression lines, brown eyes, and dark brown semi-gray hair.

Crone[]

The crone, or Mordred, is a decrepit old woman with pale and wrinkled skin, black eyes, and long thin gray hair.

Powers and Abilities[]

As the Three[]

Omniscience: In several of their aspects, the Three are known as Goddesses of destiny, the three can see the past, present and future, they can know everything about a person, such as their origin, their life time and their death.
Immortality: All three, as goddesses, are immortal as they are considered as old as the Endless.
Magic: The Three, in several of their aspects, are known and worshipped as Goddesses of magic or are known as witches. With them having in depth knowledge of spells, potions, techniques and rituals alongside their immense and diverse magical powers.
Fate Manipulation: As Goddesses of Destiny, The Three possess some control over destiny, although to a lesser extent than Endless Destiny.

As the Furies[]

Divine Punishment: As their aspect of the Furies or the Kindly Ones, The Three are able to inflict divine punishment on those who break divine law, with them stating to typically do so by inflicting self-destructive madness at their victim. As shown, their power over divine retribution is immense, allowing them to even overpower one of the The Endless should they break the laws they are bound to. As shown where after Morpheus had killed Orpheus, the Three were within their rights to kill/punish him in retaliation for breaking the ancient law over killing kin. With Morpheus being completely and utterly helpless to defend his realm from their rampage as the Furies began unraveling The Dreaming.

Weaknesses[]

Ancient Rules: Like The Endless, The Three are bound to a set of ancient rules that they cannot break or go against. One of which prohibits them from directly attacking and destroying another being unless they are guilty of breaking the ancient rules they are bound by. As shown where despite the Three, in their aspect as the Furies, held a grudge against Orpheus for making them cry, they were unable to retaliate against him due to him breaking no ancient law.
Death: Like all beings within the universe, The Three are not immune to Death, as even Gods will one day die and should they anger her enough, Death herself is perfectly capable of ending them. As shown where Death was able to threaten them to back off when she came to collect Morpheus after he chose to willingly die to save his realm.