Midwife to Murderers and Midwife to the Fairies : Parallel Traditions in the Folklore of Midwifery

Abstract

This article offers a comparative and historical analysis of the migratory legends Midwife to Murderers and Midwife to the Fairies . Drawing on newly identified fifteenth- and sixteenth-century sources from Italy and Germany, including a 1443 sermon by Bernardino da Siena and the Zimmerische Chronik (ca. 1550), it expands the documentary record and reassesses questions of chronology, diffusion, and social context. The study shows that the two traditions share a closely aligned narrative structure characterized by a nocturnal summons, a blindfolded journey, childbirth, and a return, while differing significantly in narrative dymnamics and resolution. Particular attention is given to the burnt-child motif, changeling logic, and the midwife’s investigative initiative. The article argues that Midwife to Murderers and Midwife to the Fairies should not be understood as evolutionary stages of a single legend but as long-standing parallel traditions of occupational folklore. Their coexistence reflects the shared professional world of midwifery defined by dangerous knowledge, secrecy, and the risks and rewards associated with attending clandestine or otherworldly births.