Oh wise, wise old woman
![Painting of a elderly woman](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/wise-elder-synnove-pettersen-source-pixels-308x400.jpg)
![the gendered ideal of marital virtue infographic](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/DB_WiseWoman-the-gendered-ideal-of-marital-virtue-source-GHDI-277x400.jpg)
Wizened beyond your years, old soul
![mystical woman painting with lots of moons and an owl](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/wise-woman-art-source-epilogue.next_-277x400.jpg)
Looks deceptive, vain, a mystery to you, unknown
![Black and white painting of a women doing pottery](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/cunning-folk-source-www.mtholyoke.edu_-188x300.jpg)
Philosophy is her power, ageing woman, slow
![Elderly woman brewing something](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/old-wise-woman-buried-moon-by-jamichael-henterly-source-pinterest-294x400.jpg)
Cunning folk, user and maker of medicine it’s told
![Black and white digital line image of an old woman](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Gertrud_Ahlgren-swedens-cunning-folk-source-wikipedia.jpg)
What she lacks in beauty is made up in knowledge
![Medieval painting of childbirth](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/medieval-birth-source-www.medievalists.net_.gif)
Nor hexen nor dark, a virtuous healer at heart
![Abstract painting of a woman](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/elder-berry-wise-woman-source-Sunsun-Weed-235x300.jpg)
Independent, a guard of her own, she is feared, but the respect does grow
![Image of an elderly woman spinster](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/spinster-source-merriam-webster-300x225.jpg)
Pagan, a threat to Christ, the spinster, alone
![Tudor era painting of a woman picking plants](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/tudor-era-sore-throat-source-pinterest.jpg)
She is cultured, at times there’s woe
![Painting of a woman with a crow on her shoulder](https://family-wise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/wise-woman-source-Biddy-Early-stairnaheirann.net_-600x281.jpg)
She is the wise woman many come to know
Written by Rhianna Selkridge-Carty
Have a read of our next blog, X is for X-Y Chromosomes.