The Evil Stepmother Personified in Fairy Tales and Folklore

The figure of the evil stepmother looms large, embodying a host of malevolent personality traits that have fascinated and terrified audiences for generations. The evil stepmother is often depicted as a master manipulator, driven by jealousy, greed, and a thirst for power. Her actions are characterized by deceit, favoritism, and a ruthless desire to control those around her, particularly her stepchildren. By exploring the complex personality traits that define this enduring archetype, we can better understand the timeless appeal and moral lessons embedded within these dark, cautionary tales.

Psychological Traits:

Jealousy and Envy: The evil stepmother often feels intense jealousy toward her stepchildren, particularly if they are seen as more beautiful, talented, or favored by the father.

In Snow White, the Evil Queen’s primary motivation is her jealousy of Snow White’s beauty. The Queen is obsessed with being the “fairest of them all,” and when her magic mirror tells her that Snow White has surpassed her in beauty, her jealousy turns into a dangerous obsession.

Malice and Cruelty: The evil stepmother is usually portrayed as harsh, mean-spirited, and sadistic in nature. Lacking empathy, she shows little to no concern for the feelings or needs of her stepchildren. She takes pleasure in causing pain and suffering to her stepchildren.

Lady Tremaine is deeply malicious towards Cinderella. She harbors no love or kindness for her stepdaughter and goes out of her way to make Cinderella’s life miserable. She subjects Cinderella to relentless physical and emotional abuse. And the poor girl is forced to do all the housework, treated as a servant rather than a family member.

Narcissism: The vain stepmother tends to be self-centered and seeks to maintain her own status and appearance at the expense of others. She is excessively self-absorbed, always placing her own needs and desires above those of others, including her stepchildren.

Dame Gothel in Rapunzel is profoundly self-absorbed and obsessed with maintaining her youth and beauty. She uses Rapunzel solely as a means to an end, demonstrating classic narcissistic behavior by valuing Rapunzel only for what she can provide.

Manipulativeness: Skilled at manipulating others, the evil stepmother often using deceit and cunning to achieve her goals. Skilled in deceit, she frequently manipulates situations and people to her advantage and pits others against her stepchildren. She works to alter the perception of others to appear as the victim or benevolent figure while portraying the stepchildren negatively.

In the Russian fairy tale The Frog Princess, the youngest son, Ivan, marries a frog, who is actually a beautiful and wise princess named Vasilisa under a curse. Envious and resentful of Vasilisa, Ivan’s stepmother manipulates situations to make Vasilisa appear incompetent or unworthy in the eyes of the Tsar and the court. She uses deceit and cunning to remove Vasilisa from the court so that her own daughter or a more favorable candidate can take Vasilisa’s place.

Vindictiveness: Evil stepmothers harbors grudges and seek revenge, punishing their stepchildren for perceived slights or simply out of spite.

Queen Narissa in Enchanted exhibits extreme vindictiveness, driven by a desire to maintain her power and eliminate anyone who threatens her position, particularly the innocent and kind-hearted Giselle. Her actions are marked by cruelty and a willingness to go to great lengths to ensure her own security and the failure of her enemies.

Insecurity: Underlying her jealousy and cruelty, the evil stepmother often feels insecure and threatened by the presence or potential of her stepchildren.

In Hansel and Gretel, their stepmother is an insecure woman who convinces the father to abandon his children in the forest. Her insecurity stems from scarcity of resources and her fear that Hansel and Gretel will consume all the food, leaving her with nothing. This insecurity drives her to force the children’s father to abandon them to fend for themselves, highlighting her malevolent and selfish nature.

Paranoia: The evil stepmother may be overly suspicious and believe that her stepchildren are plotting against her, leading to preemptive acts of cruelty.

In The Juniper Tree, the stepmother is deeply paranoid and jealous of her stepson. She fears that her own son will never receive his rightful inheritance and love from her husband as long as her stepson is around. Her paranoia leads her to commit a horrific act: she kills her stepson and serves his remains in a stew to his unsuspecting father.

Control Freak: The evil stepmother needs to control every aspect of her environment and the lives of those around her, often leading to oppressive and suffocating behavior. She often exerts strict control over her household, demanding obedience and punishing any form of dissent.

The stepmother in the Norwegian fairy tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon forces the stepdaughter into a marriage with a mysterious white bear, believing it to be a good match due to the bear’s wealth and promises. Throughout the story, the stepmother’s need to control her stepdaughter’s fate and decisions is evident. She prioritizes her own ambitions and plans over the well-being and happiness of her stepdaughter, demonstrating her manipulative and domineering nature.

Behavioral Traits:

Deceitfulness: Evil stepmothers are prone to lying and creating false narratives to manipulate others and protect their own interests.

In the Norwegian fairy tale, The Twelve Wild Ducks, a king marries a wicked woman who becomes the stepmother to his twelve sons. The jealous and resentful stepmother convinces the king that his sons are plotting against him and creates false evidence to support her claims. The king, deceived by her lies, orders his sons to be banished. The twelve sons are transformed into wild ducks by a curse and fly away to live in the forest until they are saved by their sister.

Abuse and Neglect: The evil stepmother frequently subjects her stepchildren to physical and emotional abuse, neglecting their needs and well-being. She imposes harsh and unreasonable punishments on her stepchildren, often for trivial or fabricated reasons.

The Wicked Stepmother is a Punjabi folktale with a kind and beautiful girl named Chuniya whose abusive stepmother makes her do all of the household chores similar to Cinderella. Chuniya is often denied food and proper care, subjected to neglect, and treated harshly. Despite Chuniya’s hard work and gentle nature, the stepmother’s cruelty continues, showcasing the classic theme of abuse and neglect commonly found in tales featuring evil stepmothers.

Sabotage: Evil stepmothers actively sabotage their stepchildren’s efforts to be happy, ensuring they remain dependent or downtrodden. She actively sabotages her stepchildren’s efforts to succeed, be it in academics or social endeavors.

A king marries an evil woman who becomes the stepmother to his six sons and one daughter in The Six Swans, by the Brothers Grimm. The stepmother, who practices witchcraft, feels threatened by the king’s devotion to his children. In a malicious attempt to sabotage their happiness and ensure they remain powerless, she transforms the six sons into swans. The stepmother’s actions not only strip the brothers of their human forms but also create a daunting challenge for their sister, who must endure great hardship to break the curse.

Favoritism: The evil stepmother shows blatant favoritism towards her biological children or others she prefers, often giving them better treatment and resources.

In The Twelve Months, a Slavic fairy tale, the stepdaughter Marushka is mistreated and forced to do the hard work while the stepmother’s daughter is pampered and kept comfortable at home. The inequality is evident when she sends Marushka on an impossible tasks in harsh conditions, hoping she will fail or perish.

Greed: Driven by a desire for wealth and power, evil stepmothers prioritize financial gain and social status over the well-being of their family.

In the Brothers Grim story, The Little Peasant, a rich miller marries a woman who becomes the stepmother to his daughter. The woman manipulates her husband into neglecting his daughter, ensuring that all the wealth and resources are directed toward her own benefit. She schemes and plots to secure more wealth for herself, even if it means exploiting or harming her stepdaughter. Her actions demonstrate her greedy nature, as she is willing to sacrifice the happiness and welfare of her family for her own materialistic desires.

Conflict with Spouse: Often, there is tension or conflict between the evil stepmother and the stepchildren’s biological parent, especially if the parent is supportive of their children.

Tsar Saltan marries a beautiful woman in the Russian fairy tale The Tale of Tsar Saltan by Alexander Pushkin and they have a son named Gvidon. Later, the Tsar’s new wife and stepmother to Gvidon, is driven by jealousy and greed. The stepmother and her sisters send deceitful messages to the Tsar, lying about the Tsaritsa’s behavior and the nature of their child, claiming that the child is a monster. The Tsar believes the false narratives and orders his wife and child to be put into a barrel and cast into the sea.

Isolation Tactics: The evil stepmother isolates the stepchildren from friends, family, or supportive figures to exert more control over them. She does this to weaken their support network and increase their dependency on her.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is a perfect example of this tactic when her stepmother, Dame Olga, seeks to isolate Ella from her support network. Dame Olga quickly realizes that Ella is a threat to her own daughters’ chances of gaining wealth and status, so they isolate Ella by treating her as a servant and forbidding her from seeing her friends. When her stepsister learns about Ella’s obedience curse, she uses it to control Ella further by commanding her to stay away from anyone who might help or support her. By isolating Ella and controlling her every move, Dame Olga ensures that Ella remains vulnerable and powerless.

Favoritism: The evil stepmother favors her biological children or others she prefers, often giving them better treatment, opportunities, and resources.

Back to the Brothers Grim, in Mother Holle, a woman has two daughters: her own lazy, spoiled biological daughter and her hard-working, kind stepdaughter. The stepmother’s favoritism is evident when she sends the stepdaughter to sit by a well and spin until her fingers bleed. The stepdaughter accidentally drops her spindle into the well and, in her distress, jumps in after it. She ends up in the realm of Mother Holle, a supernatural figure who rewards her for her kindness and diligence with gold and treasures. When the stepdaughter returns home, the stepmother sends her biological daughter to Mother Holle’s realm, hoping she will receive the same rewards. However, the lazy and rude daughter returns home covered in pitch.

The archetype the evil stepmother embodies a complex blend of negative personality traits that drive her malevolent actions. From manipulation and deceit to jealousy and control, these traits are not only central to her character but also serve to heighten the dramatic tension in fairy tales and folklore. By understanding these characteristics, we gain insight into the underlying fears and social dynamics that these stories reflect. Whether through isolating her stepchildren, creating false narratives, or showing blatant favoritism, the evil stepmother’s actions reveal a deep-seated insecurity and desire for power. These stories, while fantastical, resonate because they touch upon universal themes of family, trust, and the consequences of unchecked ambition and cruelty. The enduring figure of the evil stepmother serves as a cautionary symbol, reminding us of the importance of compassion, fairness, and integrity in our relationships.

It’s Been A While…Again

Yes…it’s been a while. More than a month this time between status reports. Anyway, I’m sharing the collage I did for Easter with the evil bunny Easter egg hunt featured to the right. It’s not complete. I wanted to add blood and smoke. Maybe I’ll finish it later, when I start to publish all the collages in a book.

I’ve been very busy with ArmLin House work, which is why I haven’t been here much. And last week I finished a painting that’s been sitting around forever. Worked on it in between a visit to the theater to see Civil War. It was a good movie and properly showcased mans inhumanity to man, although it could have been a bit more brutal. I love Kristen Dunst, and she was excellent in the film.

Here’s the painting, also inspired by Hilma af Klint. Not sure I’m going to do anymore of these that are more similar to her work. I really want to do something that’s more dark like me.

I did another painting that’s basically a bunch of brush stokes with a lot of black. I had a technique in mind, but I got a little distracted with it, so I really hated it at first. Next morning, when I got up and looked at it, I wasn’t quite so critical. I started with a few stencils and wanted to go with outlines, but I started to use the stencils as stamps. It didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. Still want to try my original idea.

Otherwise, I did a little writing/editing of the next Angels Dark and Dumb book and continue to struggled my way through the next illustration for The Pumpkin and the Mouse Jinn. Hopefully I’ll have it done before I do another one of these posts.

And, last but not least, I started the Evil in Pop Culture series using AI. The first part is in a post before this one. I started with the infamous evil stepmother. In fact, the first book will probably be all evil women.

That’s all for now. Hoping to be back soon with some more artwork and news.

Evil in Pop Culture: History of the Evil Stepmother

The evil stepmother has been featured in folklore, fairy tales, mythology, and literature for centuries, and she’s still a popular character who will appear in storylines for many years to come. While her archetype has evolved over time, she’s still portrayed as cruel, malicious, abusive, and all around wicked toward her stepchildren. This character has been a staple in stories dating back to ancient times, but how did she get her start and why does she continue to be so popular?

One of the earliest mentions of an evil stepmother dates to the Bible, in the story of Jacob and his two wives, Rachel and Leah. Leah is portrayed as the kind and nurturing wife, while Rachel is described as jealous and controlling. Rachel’s behavior towards her stepchildren is characterized by cruelty and manipulation as she tries to gain favor with her husband, like so many evil stepmothers do.

The archetype of the wicked stepmother traces back to ancient folklore and mythology from various cultures around the world. In many traditional stories, stepmothers are depicted as antagonistic figures who mistreat or harm their stepchildren out of jealousy, rivalry, or malevolence. In Greek mythology, the story of the sorceress Medea further solidifies the image of the evil stepmother when she seeks revenge on her husband, Jason, by killing their children due to a desire for vengeance. These narratives often serve as cautionary tales, warning against the dangers of domestic discord and conflict.

The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, collected and published numerous fairy tales in the early 19th century, many of which popularized evil stepmothers in stories such as Snow White and Cinderella. In these tales, the stepmothers are depicted as cruel and vindictive, driven by a desire to eliminate their stepdaughters in order to secure their own positions of power and influence.

The evil stepmother trope has been popularized and perpetuated through various literary works over the centuries. From classic novels to modern literature, authors have continued to explore and reinvent the archetype of the malevolent stepmother. In more recent times, the evil stepmother trope has been portrayed in various other forms of media such as movies, television shows, and theater. Characters like Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, and Regina Mills in Once Upon a Time have all become iconic examples of the evil stepmother figure, using their power and influence to manipulate and harm those around them. And it goes without saying that Disney has popularized the trope in their depictions of classic fairy tales.

Overall, the evil stepmother has been passed down through centuries of storytelling. While the character varies in appearance and motivation, she also reflects broader themes of power, jealousy, and familial dynamics that have resonated with audiences across generations. The evil stepmother serves as a cautionary tale, warning against the dangers of unchecked ambition and malevolence, and she continues to be a compelling figure in literature and popular culture today.


This Evil in Pop Culture series is being written in collaboration with AI text and image generators. Thanks to ChatGPT, EditPad Essay Writer, Adobe Firefly, and other uncensored AI image generators for your assistance in completing this project a whole hell of a lot faster.

Where have I been? Dabbling in the Occult…Collage

WOW! Didn’t realize it’s been a month since my last post. Where have I been? Well, creating the collage to the left is one thing I’ve been up to. I love this one, although it took forever to come together. I started with just the star carved in wood background and placed all the other items, so this one was very involved.

Watched a few horror shows/movies worth watching. In Dark Harvest there’s a “deadly annual ritual in a small town and Sawtooth Jack, rises from the cornfields and challenges the town’s teenage boys in a bloody battle of survival.” All around good acting, characters, effects, etc. Generally a slasher movie if you like that sort of movie, which I was up for when I watched. Also appreciated that they set it in the 1940s.

Also enjoyed Midnight Mass, “an isolated island community experiences miraculous events – and frightening omens – after the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest.” Overall great story line with well rounded characters. Very much about relationships with horror around holding on to the past.

Making some progress on The Pumpkin and the Jinn. New page to show off. Here, the pumpkin wishes himself into a dark truck on the way to market. He’s not very happy about it. I just noticed I haven’t added tears to this one, so back to that page for some more details.

I’ve been having a lot more fun with Adobe’s Firefly AI image generator. If you’d like to see more fun with the Grim Reaper, drop by my Instagram account. There are also a few more for the Heaven and Hell series there.

So, I’ve been pretty busy with art projects. Not so busy with writing, although I have been playing with a few AI text generators, including EditPad, Sudowrite, and Claude. Really love how Sudowrite works, so I’m thinking of writing a series with it. EditPad is good for a blog post and I’m pretty impressed with how little editing I need to do with what it generates for free. I need to spend more time on Claude, but I did ask it to write a story about Nita, who will serve Satan by running his restaurant on Earth in her own series after the end of the Angels Dark and Dumb first trilogy is complete in The Corner of Hell and Second Chances. I gave it no history about the series, so it made everything up including the main character’s name. Here’s the prompt and the story if you’re interested in reading it. The story’s not that interesting and doesn’t have much of a plot, but it’s well written.

Here is a fantasy story about a waitress who works in Satan’s diner, and is a God-created daughter of light possessed by a demon:

The Fallen Daughter

Amara had been an angel once – a pure daughter of light created by God himself to bring joy and grace to the mortal realm. But that had all changed the night the demon Malacai invaded her celestial form, twisting her brilliant aura into smoldering embers of corruption.

Now she walked among the denizens of the underworld, trapped as a server at Lucifer’s Pit Stop Diner on the outskirts of Hell. Her once radiant beauty was still evident beneath the demonic possession – flowing blonde locks, porcelain skin, and haunting azure eyes. But they stood in stark contrast to the infernal diner and its customers.

“Order up!” growled the flaming cook, Belior, sliding a platter of molten lava cakes onto the scorching hot counter. Amara snatched it up, the searing heat not even fazing her tainted flesh.

She wove between the booths packed with belching hellhounds, cackling witches, and foul-mouthed dwarven miners fresh off the night shift. Reaching a secluded corner table, she stopped before its solitary occupant – a wizened demon with ash-gray skin and curved horns protruding from a misshapen skull.

“Your desssssert,” Amara hissed, her voice a mixture of celestial harmony and demonic rasp as Malacai’s influence briefly flickered across her face.

The demon barely looked up from the arcane tome he was studying. With a clawed hand, he waved her off in clear dismissal. Amara’s jaw clenched in frustration. Even in this wretched place, she refused to be treated like a common servant.

Defiantly, she slammed the molten lava cakes down on the table, splattering small globs across the demon’s precious book. He reared back with a animalistic snarl of rage. Before he could utter a curse, Amara locked eyes with him, her irises pulsing brilliant blue for just a moment.

The demon instantly calmed, his anger melting away into an almost trancelike calm. With a slight nod, he returned to his studies as if nothing had occurred. Amara spun on her heel and continued on her rounds, a small smile playing across her lush lips.

The demon’s willpower was negligible compared to the strength of angelic mind control granted by her divine origins. Malacai’s possession had robbed her of so much light and goodness, but some holy powers still lingered. One day she would break free from this wicked place, Amara vowed to herself. One day soon.

A Good Horror TV Shows & a Werewolf Gets a Manicure

Werewolves need manicures too! This is what AI thinks it looks like. Stumped again! I had a hard time finding just the right style and mood for these AI generated images. The challenge was keeping the werewolf in the picture. It wanted to replace it with humans like it did with the demons. This is my favorite. More on my Instagram account. Searches were progressive, starting with the first keywords below.

werewolf getting a manicure; werewolf with red nail polish; werewolf filing claws; spa setting; long claws; smiling; towel; yellow glowing eyes; wax treatment;

I watched the new Fall of the House of Usher series over the last few weeks and it was awesome and highly suggested. The modern take on Edgar Allan Poe was quite well done. Creative spins on the deaths of the family members. Interesting that I had reread the main tale recently and then saw the show on Netflix, which of course was the driving factor to get me started. What shall I do next?

Also want to mention that I’ve been working on a children’s book I wrote a number of years ago, The Mouse Jinn and the Pumpkin. The mouse to the left the main character in the story. His magic is in his red mittens. Like most jinns, he grants wishes that don’t always turn out as expected. I’ve finished all the mice for the illustrations and have started the backgrounds for the story. The book will be done and out before Halloween this year under my real name, Wendy Spurlin. Stay tuned for some more images.