Was the Bruxa Evil?
Introduction
In the realm of The Witcher, the Bruxa, a powerful female vampire-like creature, plays a pivotal role in the story of Geralt of Rivia. Her sinister presence poses a significant threat to not only humans but also witches, including Ciri and Yennefer. When it comes to the character of the Bruxa, one major question rises: Was she evil or simply a monstrous being seeking to survive? In this article, we will dive into the life of Vereena, alias the Bruxa, and assess her morality to answer the question: Was she evil?
Bruxa: A Description
Before analyzing the question, let us first give a brief overview of who the Bruxa was. According to the World of The Witcher manual, a Bruxa is a high-level vampire, a monster that haunts this world. Similar to Geralt, these creatures exist outside the moral boundaries and are feared and reviled by humans.
Personality and Moral Ambivalence
In an interview on vintageisthenewold.com, Jaskier, the infamous bard of the Continent, described Vereena, or the Bruxa, not as evil per se: "She isn’t simply evil. That’s quite simplistic. They’re much more complex characters." What Jaskier implies here is that morality is black and white to some characters, while Bruxa’s moral stature is complicated and open to interpretation. She made choices we might not always agree with, but perhaps her perspectives and motivations stem from being a product of her tragic past.
Tragedy and Moral Justifications
One vital aspect worth exploring is her backstory: Vereena used to be an ordinary peasant until Geralt unwittingly destroyed a village at the hands of a Specter, only to subsequently learn of their existence (Witcher series, Book One). The incident likely led Vereena to associate humans, including Geralt, as threats, culminating in her vampiric transition. This dark past led her to abandon her compassion and fall into malevolent patterns, harming numerous villagers, illustrating that past experiences can drive individuals astray from moral right and wrong. Motivated by these events, she was driven to survive any way she could and developed a unique moral set, unlike the Witchers who undergo the Sign and try to maintain honor.
Relationship with Nivellen
Two crucial aspects must be investigated to grasp Vereena’s intentions and allegiances: 1) her bond with the werewolf Nivellen and, 2) her brief connection to Geralt. In The Place of Power, a prequel novel of the Saga, a story of tragic friendship played out between the two vampiric Vereena and her lover/protector, Nivellen. While passion and need drive their bond, co-dependency forms based on vulnerabilities. Geralt encounters Fringilla the Bloody, Geralt had an affair with which she initially resisted while Geralt aimed to atone for Fringilla’s crimes with Gwynnlet ) This brief involvement highlights two major points; 1.) Circumstance and fate shape events, impacting choices and their consequences as actions evolve due to external influence. When we look to Eternal Flame at the Keep of the Witches Castle, even pure love can influence moral agency. Moreover, exploring the world created by Andrew Kowalec through his books on the CD Projekt Red board, Fringilla fell in lovewith Geralt, 2) There is something about the dynamics between this male (Human) love and the other (The Witcher female) we must recognize since even love was not fully free from complications.
Now, to this question remains, "So, do we think they are villains or victims as well"
Conclusion
In wrapping up our research, is Vereena simply evil because of her predatory nature towards humans? Alternatively, because of her vampire condition making her more dangerous? Maybe not entirely due to certain human characteristics manifesting, rather than innate malevolence being the principal factor driving our actions at the moment: Actions, motivations can be quite complex, resulting from influences from their prior experiences! Vereena’s plight as someone who used to be one of humans but no longer identified with the mortality of an ordinary person created an emotional crisis (for herself alone) at a subconscious decision. Furthermore, given her background the Bruxa was born from their past crimes led her to survive within her tragic survival, so now we take into account in the moment we should give her less blame and just see ourselves as more sympathetic towards any situation where morality is debated.
In considering the points mentioned, even though being a vampire did not cause the evil as much an influence as life experiences shaping choices. Even though evil may have always been somewhere, her evil was derived from a dark past but her survival for her human survival in human manner. Not necessarily the vampires themselves with a choice among the bruxa was a combination of circumstances
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Source: https://www.screenrant.com
Date: Updated: January 2024